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2017 NBA Draft: Top small forwards Chicago Bulls should target

By Carlos Nazario

Dec 31, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) shoots the ball as Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Isaac (1) defends in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Seminoles won 60-58. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) shoots the ball as Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Isaac (1) defends in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Seminoles won 60-58. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Justin Jackson, North Carolina (6-foot-8, 201 pounds)

Jackson’s stock is riding high. He was the ACC Player of the Year after averaging 22.9 points per 40 minutes and having a 56 percent true shooting percentage. His good season carried over to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 19.5 points per game; he came up big in the Final Four on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

Jackson is a junior who took advantage of the draft process. He came out after his sophomore season but did not hire an agent. He did poorly in the pre-draft process so he withdrew and came back for another season.

In addition to his 6-foot-8 height, Jackson has a 6-foot-11 wingspan, helping him greatly. He is just an average athlete, however. He lacks an explosive first step, preventing him from separating himself from the defender. Creating his own shot is a difficult task for him.

Jackson is the type of player the Bulls like. He is a junior, so he has some experience. Also, he’s played well in big games. The main thing is he takes instruction well. He took all the critique he got in 2016 and worked to improve. Scouts talked to him about his shot mechanics and he improved from his sophomore season.

As you can see from the charts above (courtesy of DraftExpress.com), Jackson improved on all aspects of his shooting. Early on, he tried to guide the ball into the basket. Now, however, he has confidence in his mechanics to shoot the ball and make it more consistently.

Jackson still has some work to do, such as add strength to take on defenders at the rim. He’s shown, though, that he’s not averse to hard work. He’ll put in the work to improve and hopefully, if the Bulls draft him, he will help bring wins to the United Center.

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