Future Watch: Josh Jackson Rookie Basketball Cards, Suns – In a loaded Western Conference, the bottom dwelling Phoenix Suns need talent all over their roster. Aside from budding star Devin Booker, the team needs some serious help. Luckily, Phoenix has drafted inside the top-5 in the past two years. Their most recent fourth overall pick, 6’8” forward Josh Jackson, looks like he can help the team for years to come.
Jackson was born in San Diego, and relocated to Michigan when he was eight-years-old. He developed a love for basketball at an early age. This love extended beyond the court, where his middle school grades began to suffer. Luckily, his parents took note, and forced him to repeat the eighth grade. Jackson responded well to the responsibility of managing his education and his early basketball career. He played his first two years of high school ball in Michigan for the Consortium College Prep School. As a freshman, he averaged 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks per game. In his sophomore season, he led his school to their first state title. That season he averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds and six assists per game.
Prior to his junior year, Jackson’s family moved to California. He would attend Justin-Siena High School in Napa, CA for his junior and senior seasons. He kept improving his game, averaging 31.2 points and 5.4 assists per game as a junior. In his senior season, he averaged 26.9 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. Jackson finished his high school career as a five-star college recruit from numerous scouting sources. Rivals.com ranked him as number one in the 2016 class. ESPN and Scout.com ranked him second overall. Jackson elected to play college ball for the University of Kansas. He chose the Jayhawks over Michigan State and Arizona.
Jackson mostly started out of position at power forward for the Jayhawks, but he still showcased an incredible ability to score, rebound, play defense and make plays. In his only season at Lawrence, Jackson averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, three assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. His efforts would earn him numerous Big 12 accolades including All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Freshman of the Year. After one season for Kansas, Jackson officially declared for the 2017 NBA Draft.
Heading into the Draft, Jackson was considered a top-5 talent, but he had many question marks. There was an incident at Kansas involving a vandalism charge that Jackson carried with him into his pre-draft interviews. According to sources, he has moved on from the incident and has sought counseling to manage his emotions. Scouts labeled him as edgy, explosive and often emotional. His athletic talents were undeniable, but his erratic jumper and instability were concerns for teams at the top of the draft. Scouts praised his strengths as an explosive player with impressive vision on the move and his competitive rebounding ability. Phoenix focused on Jackson’s strengths, and, coupled their need for a hybrid forward, jumped immediately at pick number four.
This season started slowly for Jackson. Suns coach Jay Triano has only given consistent starters minutes to Devin Booker and T.J. Warren. However, Jackson is one of only two players for the Suns to have played in all 42 games so far this season. His 21.9 minutes per night have given him a nice introduction to the NBA. Over his last five games (from 12/31 to 1/7), he is averaging 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. His best performance came in his latest game against the Thunder where he scored 17 points with 10 rebounds. This under-the-radar start might have collectors waiting to see what else Jackson can do on the court. Don’t wait, he should see a minutes increase as the season moves on. Now is the time to pick up his rookie cards!
Future Watch: Josh Jackson Rookie Basketball Cards, Suns – More Information
Josh Jackson already has some great autographed rookie cards in the market. They can be found in 2017 Panini Contenders Collegiate Draft Picks Basketball. As a top draft pick, collectors can be assured to find NBA licensed rookie cards of Jackson in the complete portfolio of 2017-18 Panini NBA basketball card products during the 2017-18 NBA season.
Future Watch: Josh Jackson Rookie Basketball Cards, Suns – Other Resources
- Future Watch: 2017 NBA Draft Recap, Most NBA-Ready Players
- Future Watch: 2017 NBA Summer League Top Rookie Players
- NBA.Com
Future Watch: Josh Jackson Rookie Basketball Cards, Suns – Image Gallery
Here’s a look at cards featuring Josh Jackson in his Phoenix Suns uniform.
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