Claiming 38% of the vote, and just edging out Marvin Bagley III (who had 31%), Jaren Jackson Jr. has been selected as the #3 prospect on the Liberty Ballers Community Big Board.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (JJJ) is a 6’11” PF/C out of Michigan State. The young big man (he won’t be 19 until September) has a wide range of skills and is only getting better. His athleticism should translate well to the NBA, and he should be able to do many of the things asked of modern bigs.

Offensively, JJJ’s scoring is diversified. He wasn’t tasked with carrying the team (he averaged just 10.9 PPG), but he’s solid around the rim, comfortable in transition and can even space the floor with a 3PT shot. I will say though, that I’m skeptical about his distance shooting translating to the NBA. He’s got an odd shot from distance, sort of reminds me of what Amir Johnson’s three-pointer looks like but JJJ’s is much quicker and a bit more fluid. He has hit 3PTs at a 39.6% clip though, and his free throw shooting finished at 79.7%. One thing I’ve really liked from Jackson in the film I’ve seen: he’s very comfortable taking contact around the rim and finishing through it.

On the defensive end, Jackson really shines. His 7’5” wingspan help him to serve as a great rim protector, but it doesn’t end there. Jackson’s lateral movement is the most impressive part of his defensive game. He’s so quick that he should fair well defending out on the perimeter. He just moves so fluidly for someone his size.

JJJ resembles the modern center maybe more than any other player in this draft; it’s why he’s shot up draft boards recently. There’s a realistic outcome where Jackson ends up the best big of this draft class.

Today, we vote on slot #4 on the Liberty Ballers Big Board.

Liberty Ballers Big Board:

1. Luka Dončić - PG/SG - Real Madrid
2. DeAndre Ayton - C - Arizona
3. Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C - Michigan State
4. ???