2023 NBA Draft: South Carolina basketball freshman GG Jackson taken in second round
By Kevin Miller
When the #1 recruit in the class of 2023 decommitted from North Carolina, reclassified to the class of 2022, and enrolled at the University of South Carolina, almost everyone believed GG Jackson would go on to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
That’s not how things played out for the Columbia native, however, as in the days leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, most projections started moving Jackson down the draft order.
On Thursday night, not only was Jackson not taken in the lottery (first 14 picks of the 1st round), he was not taken in the 1st round at all. Shaky shot selection, poor defense, and some attitude concerns scared off enough teams to push the uber-talented Jackson (the youngest player in the 2023 NBA Draft) out of the top-30 picks.
And then, he just kept falling. And falling. And falling.
In the end, Jackson was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 45th pick of the draft.
Jackson has some of the highest upside of any player in the 2023 NBA Draft, and the Grizzlies will be overjoyed if he can realize his upside and reach his almost limitless potential. A plus athlete at 6’9″, Jackson is very skilled and has the ability to become a top-notch scorer at the NBA level.
If the Ridgeview High School product can improve his defense, take smarter shots, and prove that the concerns over his character are overblown, he will have a productive NBA tenure.
With the Grizzlies, Jackson will be part of a team that has championship aspirations. If things go well for him, and he can eventually work his way into a prominent role with the team, he profiles very well next to the defensive-minded Jaren Jackson, Jr. down low. His ability to be the roll man in the pick and roll could be a weapon with Ja Morant (post-suspension) handling the ball and Desmond Bane cutting to the corner.
Jackson will begin his professional career in the NBA’s Summer League, which begins July 7th and runs through July 17th. Based on how he plays in Summer League and the preseason, Jackson could be a candidate to start the regular season in the G League to get a larger amount of consistent playing time and improve his game.
GG Jackson is the first South Carolina basketball alum to be drafted since Sindarius Thornwell went to the Milwaukee Bucks (and, then, was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers) in 2017.