25-under-25: Jaren Jackson Jr. is the zeitgeist of modern basketball

The Step Back is rolling out its 25-under-25 list over this week. Follow along with our rankings of the top 25 NBA players under the age of 25.

The first two picks in the 2018 NBA Draft were big men. Neither was the best big in the Draft.

When the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton, he had to wait. When the Sacramento Kings picked Marvin Bagley III, he had to wait. When the Memphis Grizzlies submitted their No. 4 pick, his wait mercifully ended.

Jaren Jackson Jr. stands 6-foot-11.25 in shoes, his wingspan spanning 89.25 cartoonish inches. He boasts legitimate center size, accenting his elite frame with genuinely guard-like mobility, intelligence and recognition that belie his age, and a smooth and effective (though somewhat unorthodox) stroke out to the 3-point line.

Jackson captures the zeitgeist of NBA basketball in 2018. In theory, he’ll eventually switch like Clint Capela, protect the rim like Rudy Gobert, bomb like Karl-Anthony Towns. What Jaren Jackson could be is intoxicating. Unlike most rookies, what he already is is compelling for a team looking to compete right away.

JJJ’s most apparent offensive skill is his shooting. In his lone season at Michigan State, he connected on 39.6 percent of his 2.7 3-point attempts per game. Those attempts were predominantly what you’d expect from a stretch-big: spot-up and pick-and-pop looks.

Never derive meaningful takeaways from Summer League, but there were some meaningful takeaways from Jackson’s Summer League. He flaunted a shot that wasn’t trapped within the confines of a big man’s shot. He demonstrated versatility:

Jackson shot off movement. He even hoisted an attempt or two off-the-dribble. JJJ isn’t entering the NBA as a big-man shooter in the class of Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love, but he’s already a pretty advanced shooter for his position.

Jackson’s rookie-year usage will be comprised largely of those classic big-man shots, but Memphis displayed a willingness to get creative with its young stud in Summer League. The Grizzlies won’t fully leverage Jackson’s shooting in 2018-19, but they’ll allow him to experiment, become comfortable, and grow into a potentially devastating shooter.

Otherwise, Jackson’s not a particularly advanced offensive player, though he does possess impressive coordination, notably as a ball-handler:

In 2018-19, Jackson’s ball-handling will allow him to attack closeouts at a high level, enabling him to excel as a dynamic spot-up threat. In the future, he could be a force as a faceup scorer, combining his handle with his superior length and quickness to create his own offense.

Jackson is a fascinating and useful offensive player in the modern NBA, but it’s his defense that earned him the title of best big in the Draft:

Jackson’s awareness as a help defender borders on preternatural, but his movement skills are somehow more uncanny. He doesn’t cover ground; he obliterates the concepts of time and space, teleporting from one spot on the court to another, erasing shots the laws of physics tell us he should never reach.

Jackson’s superhuman movement extends to his lateral mobility, which empowers him to contain virtually any opponent. Each year, as the playoffs progress, we see slow-footed defensives anchors like Gobert and Joel Embiid defanged. They’re neutralized on the perimeter by the league’s premier stretch-bigs, exposed by the NBA’s elite one-on-one scorers. In time, Jaren should prove immune to that unwelcome fate.

None of this is to say Memphis’ new toy is without flaw. There’s some concern about Jackson’s traditional big-man game. He’s not a dominant finisher, lacking in sophistication and vertical explosion on the interior. He was prone to bouts of offensive invisibility in college. He exists absent urgency, rarely feeling obligated to dominate conventionally.

Memphis is not NBA nirvana. It’s one of the league’s smallest markets. Its franchise is plagued by an absentee and disinterested owner. The Grizzlies are caught in an awkward limbo, refusing to enter the rebuild they so desperately need in favor of delusions of postseason grandeur.

Memphis and Jaren Jackson Jr. are, in a way, perfect for each other, though. Both are hard-nosed and unassuming, surely, but the virtue of their partnership extends beyond symbolism. For better or worse, the Grizzlies intend to compete in 2018-19. Jackson is ready.

Partnered with Marc Gasol, Jackson will be a necessity. He’ll add help rim protection, covering ground Gasol never was before time and injuries and the changing game delivered a haymaker to the former Defensive Player of the Year’s defensive impact. Jackson’s mobility should render him viable tracking 4-men 20-plus feet from the basket.

Nurtured by Mike Conley, Jackson will be spoon-fed on offense. He won’t be challenged. Instead, he’ll be an outlet for efficient corner 3s when Gasol rolls hard to the rim; he’ll splash pick-and-pop treys delivered via silver platter from Memphis’ star point guard.

Yet 2018-19 will be more waiting for Jaren Jackson Jr. He’ll exist in his role. He’ll contribute in a way most rookies can’t. But he will not be unleashed. Jackson won’t be a high-volume off-movement shooter or ball-handler. Heck, he probably won’t even play his optimal position. This year, Jackson will be unusually impactful, but for him to be great and optimized, we’ll all have to wait.

This year’s 25-under-25 illustrations are the work of Andrew Maahs of Basemint Design. You can follow on Twitter, @BasemintDesign.