Justin Jackson is being predicted to outplay his draft slot

Justin Jackson has the right skill set and landed in the right situation to make an immediate impact and outplay jis draft spot. That’s the argument being made by Mike Schmitz of ESPN and formerly of Draft Express in an ESPN Insider article.

Schmitz’s article highlights that Jackson fits well with the Kings, and is likely to play right away even if he isn’t the starter. Given his NCAA Chanpionship pedigree, Schmitz believes Jackson is more ready to contribute at the small forward position than Malachi Richardson.

Schmitz continues:

Jackson is an excellent fit next to a ball-dominant point guard like De'Aaron Fox, as he doesn't need to pound the ball to make good things happen. He's excellent filling the lanes in transition, comfortable spacing the floor as a spot shooter and reads the game versus scrambling defenders. With Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield more natural 2-guards, Jackson is the only true wing on this roster besides Richardson and Vince Carter, who should be a positive influence in Jackson's development.

While we certainly don’t want to get overly excited this early, it’s nice to see a respected expert who views Jackson’s skills and fit in the same way we Kings fans do. Combined with his Summer League performance, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about Jackson.