Demetrius Jackson Could Be The Steal of The Draft

Demetrius Jackson could be the steal of the draft as a second round pick for the Boston Celtics

When former Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson was still in high school, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens did everything in his power to entice him into joining the Butler basketball program. The South Bend, Ind. native went as far as to live with graduates of the university. However, Stevens was unable to procure him from staying in his backyard and signing on to play with Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish.

Fast forward four years and the Coach of the Year candidate has finally landed the 21-year-old, with Jackson being selected with the 45th pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, falling to the depths of the second round to the surprise of many pundits. Despite his falling from the top 40, Jackson’s approach to the game still boasts the same features that made Stevens so enamored with him during his high school days, and the Notre Dame product could be considered the biggest steal of 2016 in just a few seasons.

The 6’2″, 194-pounder was originally touted as a top-20 prospect after leading the Fighting Irish to the Elite Eight of this past spring’s NCAA Tournament, leading to him foregoing his senior season and declaring for the draft. DraftExpress ranked him the 24th best prospect in the pool, and some Celtics experts even considered him a candidate for the team’s 23rd overall selection.

While Jackson’s streakiness from beyond the arc, shooting just 33.1% from three-point range in his junior year with Notre Dame, could have played a role in his dropping to the second round, the Celtics were lucky to see him available at 45.

Ranked the 17th-best prospect in the Top 100 by DraftExpress, Jackson earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2015-16 while posting 15.8 points, 4.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, shooting an impressive 52% from two-point range and 45% overall. His explosiveness as a scorer is off the charts, as he features a decisive first step that can leave defenders waving in his rearview mirror based on his quickness.

His ball-handling improved tremendously over his three seasons with the Fighting Irish as well, and he could become a vaunted ballhander in pick-and-roll situations with Boston in the seasons to come. Jackson has value off of the ball as well, shooting 41% in catch-and-shoot situations with Notre Dame in 2015-16. This exemplifies his ability to convert on the open look not only off of the dribble but through utilizing an off-ball screen in addition.

While his scoring ability alone could garner him a spot on the Celtics opening night roster, Jackson’s ability to earn his place on the team and devour the minutes of Terry Rozier will ultimately depend on what he displays on the defensive end of the ball. Fortunately for the floor general, his athletic potential outweighs his lack of height.

Jackson displays a lengthy 6’5.5″ wingspan, a standing reach of 7’9″, and a rather impressive max vertical leap of 43.5, giving him the intangibles to becoming a respectable on-ball defender in the NBA. Comparably, coming out of college, NBA First Team All-Defense member Avery Bradley might have been slightly taller and longer, however, his max vertical was just 37.5.

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The question for Jackson is whether the outstanding guard depth of the Celtics will prevent him from receiving the playing time that he needs to develop. Earning regular minutes would require him to impress throughout Summer League and during training camp, as outplaying Rozier would be necessary for him to break into Stevens’ rotation.