The Whiteboard: GG Jackson blossoming, dark side of NBA gambling

This has been a lost season to an absurd degree for the Grizzlies. Marcus Smart, Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane were all expected to be core rotation players and each has missed all or most of the season with injuries. There have been precious few bright spots but the developmental opportunities for GG Jackson have been one of them.

Jackson, who the Grizzlies took with the No. 45 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is by far the youngest player in the league. If things had gone according to plan, he would have barely played this season. He saw the court for just 17 minutes total across the first three months of the season but, as the injuries mounted, he was forced into action.

GG Jackson is making the most of his opportunity

Since Jan. 13, he's averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-9 forward has the skills and physical tools to eventually bridge multiple positions at both ends of the floor and because of the injury woes he's getting a chance to develop much more quickly than he otherwise would have.

Last night, Jackson scored a new career-high 35 points, on 11-of-19 from the field and 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. He's been a consistent spot-up threat since the beginning of the year but more and more he's flashing the ability to attack closeouts and create opportunities off the bounce.

This play came late in the first quarter after Jackson had already hit two corner 3s from very similar spots on very similar actions. Since Jan. 13, Jackson is averaging 5.8 drives per game, shooting 48.1 percent on those drives. He is still very rough as a passer off those drives, attempting a shot on an overwhelming majority of them but he's getting more comfortable making plays with the ball in his hands against NBA defenders. We're seeing that both with some very high-level passes...

... and moves that show off his increasingly advanced ball-handling and touch.

These are extremely impressive plays, but especially so for a second-round pick who didn't turn 19 until December, who played primarily as a power forward in his one year at college and was viewed as a long-term project.

The Grizzlies would obviously rather be healthy and competing for a title this year. But Jackson's development is a silver lining. For the past few years, they've been looking for the ideal wing to slot in between Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane. Jackson may not be that player yet but, with his shooting, defensive versatility and burgeoning complementary playmaking he's a candidate to start next season and, all of a sudden, another key piece of this Grizzlies' young core.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided's daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with someone you love! If you don't like The Whiteboard, share it with someone you loathe!

J.B. Bickerstaff says he's been threatened by sports gamblers

Before a game against the Miami Heat, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked a question about the impact of legalized sports gambling on the game and shared some scary anecdotes (h/t ESPN):

"They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff. So it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we're walking for sure."

Bickerstaff did add that team security located the person who had been contacting him but that no charges were filed. He went on to add more details about how coaches, players and others are feeling the impact:

"It brings added pressure. It brings a distraction to the game that can be difficult for players, coaches, referees, everybody that's involved in it. And I think that we really have to be careful with how close we let it get to the game and the security of the people who are involved in it.

"Because again, it does carry a weight. A lot of times the people who are gambling like this money pays their light bill or pay their rent, and then the emotions that come from that. So I do think we're walking a very fine line and we have to be extremely careful in protecting everybody who's involved."

It was unrelated but telling to hear this story on the same day that news broke that Shohei Ohtani's long-time interpreter had been fired over allegations he still more than $4 million to pay for sports bets.

READ MORE:

• ‘It’s crossed the line’: Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff details threats received in the past from sports gamblers by Chris Fedor, for Cleveland.com
• Rudy Gobert fined $100,000 after suggesting gambling influenced refs by Ben Golliver, for The Washington Post
• Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton feels like just a ‘prop’ with sports betting’s rise by Arthur Weinstein, for Awful Announcing
• Wizards' Monte Morris calls out adverse effects of sports betting by Jedd Pagaduan, for ClutchPoints
• Bradley Beal reportedly under investigation after confrontation with fan who lost gambling by Kurt Helin, for NBC Sports

Recommended Reading:

1. Solving basketball's greatest mystery: "The changes to Fultz’s shot mechanics were evident. His release point had shifted. Videos of free throws he shot during the preseason circulated online, showing Fultz almost rushing through his motion and then seemingly pushing the ball off the side of his hand rather than flicking it at its apex. In an interview with The Ringer, Fultz attributed the changes to shoulder pain, while his coach, Brett Brown, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Fultz himself, not injuries, was to blame for his altered mechanics." What Really Happened to Markelle Fultz

2. Tiime for the Kings to take another step: "Brown has made it clear that the identity he wants this team to embody is to play fast, play physical and play together. That mentality — one that has Sacramento ranking second in the league in passes, sixth in assists, and fifth in points created via assist — flows directly from Sabonis’ bruising connectivity. The Kings run those actions a ton because they get everybody moving, and because they work, and Sabonis’ resultant production has been eye-popping: a franchise-record 50 straight double-doubles and more triple-doubles this season (23) than anybody besides Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook or Nikola Jokić has ever had in a single campaign." Return of the Kings? The path to Sacramento becoming a dangerous playoff opponent

3. Perfect partner for Victor Wembanyama: "Jared McCain would address several holes in the Spurs' lineup. First and foremost, he's a legitimate ball-handler, comfortable working out of pick-and-rolls and setting up the offense. Tre Jones is great — another Duke product — but McCain brings far more dynamism as a scorer. His pull-up shooting and touch shots around the rim provide real upside beyond that of a high-I.Q. table-setter. McCain can fire 3s in abundance; he would look great working two-man actions with Victor Wembanyama. He also competes hard on defense." 2024 NBA Draft: Pairing every NBA team with 1 ideal March Madness prospect