GG Jackson II 2023 NBA Draft profile: Could the stretch 4 land on the Mavericks?

May 16, 2023, the day of the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, will go down as a great day or an awful day for Dallas Mavericks fans. There's no in-between.

A fantastic day would include the Mavericks keeping their top ten protected draft pick, or even moving up in the lottery. The Mavericks have a 79.8 percent chance of retaining their selection and a 13.9 percent chance to jump into the top four.

An awful day would include the Mavericks losing their top ten protected pick that they tanked the final two games of the regular season for. Dallas desperately needs this pick as they can use it to bring in young talent or as a trade asset. Losing this pick could spell disaster for the Mavs. 

GG Jackson II 2023 NBA Draft profile: Could the Dallas Mavericks select the stretch 4?

One intriguing option is GG Jackson II, a 6'9 power forward from South Carolina.

Jackson II averaged 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game in his freshman season. He is the youngest player in this year's draft class, as of now, and won't turn 19 until December 17.

Jackson II is mocked to go in the middle to the late first round but could go earlier if a team believes in his upside.

If that team happens to be Dallas, they could either trade back and take him while gaining another pick, which would be the safer option, or draft him at the tenth overall pick. Drafting Jackson II at ten would be a bit of a reach but he has the potential to be an excellent stretch four.

Here's a look at Jackson II's game and how he'd fit in Dallas.

GG Jackson II's strengths

GG Jackson II is a unique prospect because he creates his own shot better than most power forwards. Here are two of his strengths observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Scoring

Jackson II is a dynamic scorer that is excellent at creating his own shot.

South Carolina often used him as the ball handler in pick-and-roll situations, and he thrived in this role. He would hit pull-up jumpers right after he came off the screen or would attack the rim and blow by the defender that switched on to him. His pick-and-roll handle is impressive, and he makes it look easy.

Jackson II is also a strong isolation scorer. He consistently and confidently hits fadeaway jumpers from all over the court. Jackson II also shoots comfortably off the dribble and has a tight handle that allows him to get to his spots whenever he wants.

He shot just 32.4 percent from downtown but there's reason to believe that this will improve as he consistently took tough shots and his range stretches beyond the NBA 3-point line. His jumper looks great off the catch, and he could even play some minutes at small forward as he has the quickness, ball handling, and shooting to do so.

2. Ball handling

Ball handling isn't a common strength for power forwards, but Jackson II plays like a skilled guard. He is comfortable with the ball in his hands and has a deep bag of moves that he brought out on a nightly basis.

He uses his handle to get to his spots and hit tough, contested pull-up jumpers or get all the way to the rim. His favorite move seems to be the between-the-legs snatch back, and he creates a large amount of space and hits the jumper over a hand frequently.

His handle allows him to be a consistent ball handler in the pick-and-roll, and the team that drafts him will have versatility when it comes to playing him as both a ball handler and screener.

GG Jackson II's weaknesses

GG Jackson II is as strong offensive force at the power forward position but does have some weaknesses.

1. Decision making

Despite being an excellent scorer off the dribble, Jackson II's decision-making is questionable. He misses just as many tough shots as he makes, and the 6'9 forward takes ill-advised jump shots early in the shot clock.

Even with the ball constantly in his hands, he never proved to be a consistent playmaker either. He averaged less than one assist and turned the ball over 2.7 times per game. He likely won't handle the ball as much as he did at South Carolina once he gets to the league, and fans should not expect him to be a premier decision-maker early on.

Jackson II calls his own number often. If he wants to do this at the next level, he has to get better at knowing when to shoot and when to pass.

2. Defensive dependability

There were times during the season when Jackson II looked unengaged on defense.

He struggled at guarding quicker players in space and would get confused as an off-ball defender and give up easy layups. He also wasn't the best at defending the pick and roll and gave up open jumpers too often or just got blown by.

Jackson II could have been a decent help-side rim protector with his size and athleticism but he never showed an ability to anticipate where the ball was going or what the offense was going to do.

He has potential as a defender but he isn't going to come in and be a reliable stopper immediately. GG Jackson II be fine if he shows better effort and stays engaged but he hasn't done that yet.

GG Jackson II's fit on the Dallas Mavericks

GG Jackson II won't come in and immediately play heavy minutes for Dallas. The 18-year-old needs time to develop. He won't fix their defensive issues, but he could bring wing and frontcourt flexibility. Jackson II's instant offense will have NBA franchises interested.

He would be great in the pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic as he has the athleticism and skill to catch and finish lob passes. Jackson II also would be lethal in the pick-and-pop game with his range and shooting ability.

His quick feet and size should allow him to improve as a defender, but this won't come immediately. If Dallas were to draft him, he'd likely come off the bench and provide scoring at the power forward position like Christian Wood did last season. They both can handle the ball better than most at their position, are solid shooters off the catch, and struggle to stay engaged on defense.

It would be a massive swing for the Dallas Mavericks to select GG Jackson II at ten, but they could make him an option by trading back. Stay tuned to see if Dallas keeps their pick and if Jackson II comes to Dallas on June 22.