"I don't know how to play bad basketball" -- Josh Jackson

[Mainstreet]

I don't know. 2016 certainly. But I do not remember anyone on this board who was not thrilled with the Jackson pick. I was. And that wasn't about being a McDonough fan or anything. For most of the months leading up to that draft people were saying it was a three player draft--Ball, Fultz, Jackson. Tatum was not originally considered in that group.

There was a lot of excitement for drafting Jackson especially after it became clear the Suns were leaning that direction but there was strong support for drafting De'Aaron Fox.

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum/threads/deaaron-fox.249183/

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

There was a lot of excitement for drafting Jackson especially after it became clear the Suns were leaning that direction but there was strong support for drafting De'Aaron Fox.

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum/threads/deaaron-fox.249183/

I honestly don't remember hearing much about people wanting Fox. I remember a ton of chatter about trading to get Fultz or Ball, but outside of maybe a couple posters I don't remember there being much of a push to draft Fox.

 

[Mainstreet]

I honestly don't remember hearing much about people wanting Fox. I remember a ton of chatter about trading to get Fultz or Ball, but outside of maybe a couple posters I don't remember there being much of a push to draft Fox.

Might want to check out that link.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Might want to check out that link.

Honestly not that big of a push especially considering it was a thread just for Fox. There seemed to be a few that really wanted him, a few that had it between him and one or two other guys and quite a few that seemed to have no interest in him.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't know. 2016 certainly. But I do not remember anyone on this board who was not thrilled with the Jackson pick. I was. And that wasn't about being a McDonough fan or anything. For most of the months leading up to that draft people were saying it was a three player draft--Ball, Fultz, Jackson. Tatum was not originally considered in that group.

I wasn't thrilled with the Jackson pick prior to the draft but mostly because I preferred other players. But I can think of at least one other poster that was very down on him but that might have come from a private message so I'll let him speak for himself if he's lurking.

After the draft I started watching a lot of video on him and it became clear why we took him and as has been mentioned before the GMs voted him as the likely best player 5 years down the road. I think we can fault McD for Bender and especially Chriss but I give him a full pass on Jackson and a minor pass on Len. I hated the Len pick at the time but it was a weak draft and he wasn't considered a reach.

 

[Hoop Head]

We would be foolish not to pick up the option for Jackson's 4th year. I know he's struggled this year but he is still the guy who GM's picked to be the best player 5 years from the draft. Everyone knew it would take time for him to get everything together and his contributing like he did during the 2nd half of last season was a surprise because no one thought the light would come on that soon. He's taken a step back but it hasn't been that far back considering the change in role. When he was lighting it up it was typically without Booker and without TJ and leading a tanking team. Now he's asked to contribute 20-25 good minutes off the bench playing a number of positions. If we don't pick up that option it will be idiotic and I can imagine a number of teams salivating at signing him that following summer. Patience is key.

If Ayton or Bridges struggles next year will we want to trade them already also? You don't give up on a young player in their 2nd year. There is a thing called a "Sophomore Slump" that's well known in sports. Jackson's not the first or last to deal with it.

 

[SirStefan32]

We would be foolish not to pick up the option for Jackson's 4th year. I know he's struggled this year but he is still the guy who GM's picked to be the best player 5 years from the draft. Everyone knew it would take time for him to get everything together and his contributing like he did during the 2nd half of last season was a surprise because no one thought the light would come on that soon. He's taken a step back but it hasn't been that far back considering the change in role. When he was lighting it up it was typically without Booker and without TJ and leading a tanking team. Now he's asked to contribute 20-25 good minutes off the bench playing a number of positions. If we don't pick up that option it will be idiotic and I can imagine a number of teams salivating at signing him that following summer. Patience is key.

If Ayton or Bridges struggles next year will we want to trade them already also? You don't give up on a young player in their 2nd year. There is a thing called a "Sophomore Slump" that's well known in sports. Jackson's not the first or last to deal with it.

While I agree with your post, I do want to point out that Ayton and Bridges are a bit different. Ayton is already a MAJOR contributor on offense, and Bridges is arguably the best wing defender in the league who does not do stupid stuff. He rarely makes mistakes. Jackson is just a terrible player right now who makes a lot of mistakes, can't shoot, turns the ball over, commits silly fouls, and just doesn't contribute much.

 

[Mainstreet]

We would be foolish not to pick up the option for Jackson's 4th year. I know he's struggled this year but he is still the guy who GM's picked to be the best player 5 years from the draft. Everyone knew it would take time for him to get everything together and his contributing like he did during the 2nd half of last season was a surprise because no one thought the light would come on that soon. He's taken a step back but it hasn't been that far back considering the change in role. When he was lighting it up it was typically without Booker and without TJ and leading a tanking team. Now he's asked to contribute 20-25 good minutes off the bench playing a number of positions. If we don't pick up that option it will be idiotic and I can imagine a number of teams salivating at signing him that following summer. Patience is key.

If Ayton or Bridges struggles next year will we want to trade them already also? You don't give up on a young player in their 2nd year. There is a thing called a "Sophomore Slump" that's well known in sports. Jackson's not the first or last to deal with it.

I agree about picking up the option on Jackson. The Suns give up on players too easily.

Now, if Jackson could help the Suns land a starting quality point guard, I would consider it.

 

[sunsfan88]

I agree about picking up the option on Jackson. The Suns give up on players too easily.

Now, if Jackson could help the Suns land a starting quality point guard, I would consider it.

I’m not sure if the Suns would be giving up on Jackson anymore than they “gave up” on Bender and Chriss by not picking up their options.

 

[Mainstreet]

I’m not sure if the Suns would be giving up on Jackson anymore than they “gave up” on Bender and Chriss by not picking up their options.

I don't put Jackson in the same category as Bender and Chriss. Jackson has the drive to be good and I suspect he will be in time.

 

[Hoop Head]

While I agree with your post, I do want to point out that Ayton and Bridges are a bit different. Ayton is already a MAJOR contributor on offense, and Bridges is arguably the best wing defender in the league who does not do stupid stuff. He rarely makes mistakes. Jackson is just a terrible player right now who makes a lot of mistakes, can't shoot, turns the ball over, commits silly fouls, and just doesn't contribute much.

I get that Ayton and Bridges are contributing more right now but the same could be said if someone asked about Jackson in March of last season. This instant gratification needs to stop. We are a rebuilding team who need to develop our youth, not cast them aside or trade them at the first sign of trouble past their rookie season. Jackson contributed a lot last season and it effected our record as much as Ayton and Bridges contributions did this year. I just hope the Suns aren't are as short sighted as some fans because the calls to trade JJ started after Summer League this year, which was surprising.

 

[Hoop Head]

I’m not sure if the Suns would be giving up on Jackson anymore than they “gave up” on Bender and Chriss by not picking up their options.

I agree with Mainstreet's comment about not comparing JJ to Chriss or Bender and another reason to view them separately is JJ has shown something for more than 2 consecutive games in the NBA, which is something both Chriss and Bender hadn't done. On top of that we didn't decline Chriss' option, we traded him for Melton. His value was that of a 2nd rounder who had a good summer league and that says a lot about the differences between them. JJ could net us a 1st round pick if we made him available right now but I'd rather have him than any non-lottery pick in this coming draft and probably most of the lottery picks as well.

 

[sunsfan88]

We would be foolish not to pick up the option for Jackson's 4th year. I know he's struggled this year but he is still the guy who GM's picked to be the best player 5 years from the draft.

I get the sentiment that he may turn out to be a good player years from now but this GM survey thing cannot be taken seriously. Zach Lowe or Kevin O’Connor reported a year or two ago about how many GMs let their office interns fill out those surveys as they usually have better things to do.

Regardless, Jackson’s highlight of his career cannot be that GMs voted him for in a pre rookie season survey. It’s like how many touted Brandon Knight because Dwayne Wade promoted Knight to make the All Star team few years back. I remember when that was the only good thing anyone could find to say about Knight.

 

[SirStefan32]

I get that Ayton and Bridges are contributing more right now but the same could be said if someone asked about Jackson in March of last season. This instant gratification needs to stop. We are a rebuilding team who need to develop our youth, not cast them aside or trade them at the first sign of trouble past their rookie season. Jackson contributed a lot last season and it effected our record as much as Ayton and Bridges contributions did this year. I just hope the Suns aren't are as short sighted as some fans because the calls to trade JJ started after Summer League this year, which was surprising.

Eh, JJ was good when the Suns were tanking with no other option on offense. I get what you are saying, and I agree, but JJ is not close to Ayton and Bridges.

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't know. 2016 certainly. But I do not remember anyone on this board who was not thrilled with the Jackson pick. I was. And that wasn't about being a McDonough fan or anything. For most of the months leading up to that draft people were saying it was a three player draft--Ball, Fultz, Jackson. Tatum was not originally considered in that group.

Well yeah but nobody on this board gets paid millions of dollars by a professional sports team to analyze and make decisions on draft prospects like McDonough did.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Well yeah but nobody on this board gets paid millions of dollars by a professional sports team to analyze and make decisions on draft prospects like McDonough did.

All the millionaires and pundits were saying the same thing.

 

[elindholm]

I was okay with the Jackson pick, certainly not thrilled, because I was scared off by his ugly shot mechanics, which I think are almost always a crippling weakness in the NBA. (I predicted Ball would be a bust.) I liked Tatum, and I remember being curious about Isaac. I can't remember what I thought about Fox.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I was ecstatic about JJ. I believe my order of preference was something like:

Ball
JJ
Tatum
Fox
Isaac
Markenaan

I don’t know where to place Fultz bc I don’t think I ever really considered him. I know in the great ball-Fultz debate I was all ball because Fultz didn’t win and I didn’t get many oops to watch him. But in the big scheme of things I think I didn’t consider him because I figured we had no chance at him at #1.

 

[elindholm]

I will say, though, that I had no clue Jackson's basketball IQ was so low. If I had, I would have been strongly against him.

 

[elindholm]

JJ could net us a 1st round pick if we made him available right now

End of the first round, maybe. Lottery pick, not a chance.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

End of the first round, maybe. Lottery pick, not a chance.

I think you’re wrong here. Maybe not top 3 pick but I think your perception of JJ’s value around the league is way too low - and I usually chide other posters for overvaluing our players.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think you’re wrong here. Maybe not top 3 pick but I think your perception of JJ’s value around the league is way too low - and I usually chide other posters for overvaluing our players.

as do I, but his regression this season and seemingly no progress on his shot devalues him more than you think, IMO. He might net a mid-late first rounder, but no way he gets a mid-late lottery pick.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I did not want Jackson would rather have taken Isaac. I'm fine with Jackson now I think he is improving and trying to fix his shot. Mr, hustle thats for sure, Suns need to keep him.

 

[Superbone]

Jackson is making the decision on whether or not the Suns pick up his option for the 2020 season very difficult...

Gosh McDonough’s incompetence ruined two back to back drafts in ‘16 and ‘17.

I don't think there's any chance the Suns wouldn't pick up his option. You act like he's been Bender bad.

 

[SirStefan32]

This is a really good article about JJ and his future.
http://arizonasports.com/story/1789...rowded-wing-group-background-of-suns-rebuild/