Has Josh Jackson Improved With The Memphis Hustle? Ridiculous Upside Q&A

Man.. that’s a question that I’ve been thinking about for the past few years by watching the Nuggets draft a lot of young, high upside players. Just in the the past two years, they’ve drafted Michael Porter Jr, Jarred Vanderbilt and Bol Bol, who all weren’t immediately able to play with Denver. Although Porter Jr. got placed into the team’s rotation when he was healthy, Bol and Vanderbilt have had to spend time in the G League.

Due to their team not having a G League affiliate, those two players had to travel hundreds of miles to play with a team that doesn’t work the same system as the Nuggets. Along with not getting an opportunity to get aquainted with how the big league team plays, these young prospects are also usually playing with different squads. Obviously, this prevents Vanderbilt getting chemistry with Bol Bol and vice versa.

In regards to when the Nuggets will get their own affiliate, there honestly isn’t much information. However, Action Network’s Matt Moore, who has covered the Nuggets in the past, stated that one of his sources said that it could come in 2021 in a September tweet.

That’s a really tough question to answer as we don’t know how the Lakers are going to look in a year or two when he might be ready to be inserted into the rotation. From a personal perspective, I think Horton-Tucker is a really skilled player that has shown good vision as a facilitator and can use different dribble moves to get to the basket.

However, he’s still a 19-year-old kid so the decision-making can be bad at times. Whether it’s squaring up to shoot a perimeter jumper while being covered, trying to make a highlight-reel worthy pass or driving into traffic when he doesn’t need to, it’s clear that Horton-Tucker is a work in progress. Still, he’s already shown an ability to shine against talented G League players, so I think he definitely has a future in the NBA as a valuable part of a team’s rotation.

At this point, it’s hard to answer both questions as Kramer has only played 30 total minutes of G League action. Based on the limited time that I’ve seen him play with Northern Arizona, Kramer has a pretty jumper, which has led to him hitting three of his first seven perimeter shots. I’ll definitely be paying more attention to him over the last few months of the G League season. At that point, I’ll give a definitive answer.

Currently, Chicago is unable to as Strus is still signed to that two-way contract. If they waive him before January 15th, they’ll be able to. In regards to G Leaguers that Chicago could use that two-way slot on a small forward, there are definitely some solid options. Off the top of my head, Lakeland’s Vic Law, Maine’s Kaiser Gates, Iowa’s James Webb III, and Erie’s Vitto Brown are all solid options.

Each of those four players stand at 6’7 or taller and are shooting at least 34% from beyond the arc. James Webb III, who stands as the least efficient shooter of the bunch, is an athletic 6’9 forward that can help as a roll man, offensive rebounder and on the defensive end. Chicago honestly couldn’t go wrong if they sign either of those four players.

Definitely! Last month, I actually wrote a piece breaking down the improvements that Jackson has made while with the Memphis Hustle. If you’re not interested in reading a lengthy piece, let’s make it brief and say he’s made strides as a perimeter shooter and facilitator. Currently, Jackson is shooting 38% from beyond the arc on 6.3 attempts per game. Although he maintained the same percentage back with Kansas, Jackson is currently doing it on a much higher volume than during his lone season in college.

Moving onto his work as a facilitator, Jackson’s 4.3 assists per game is one assist per game more than his previous high (3.0) when he was with Kansas.

There are more than a handful of veterans in the G League that definitely have earned a shot to get signed to a 10-day. In regards to back-court players, you have Fort Wayne’s Walt Lemon, Stockton’s Isaiah Canaan, Memphis’Dusty Hannahs, and Delaware’s Xavier Munford. Moving onto forwards and bigs, Capital City’s Jalen Jones, Erie’s Vitto Brown, Westchester’s Andrew White, and Canton’s Sir’Dominic Pointer are intriguing players that have a legit chance of getting 10-day deals.

In regards to wing defenders, Pointer is definitely the best of the bunch. That fact is simply solidified by how he’s a 6’5 guard that can defend multiple positions and is averaging more than two blocks and steals per game. He’s fantastic and should get immediately called up.

After a solid rookie year, Humphries has had a forgettable start to his 2nd season. A lot of that is due to struggling with injuries as he’s only played in 11 games with the team. In the games he’s played, he’s been decent by averaging 10.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1.2 steals and 1.6 assists per game on 46% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.

One Kentucky alum that has impressed in the G League is Windy City guard Mychal Mulder. He’s been a fantastic third option for the team by averaging 15 points and 4 rebounds on 43% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc on 8.8 attempts per game.