Isaiah Jackson

Jackson's rookie campaign got off to a quiet start, as he spent much of the early part of the season in the G League and averaged less than five minutes per contest through his first 11 games with Indiana. His opportunity took a dramatic turn upward when Myles Turner suffered a season-ending foot injury in mid-January and when Domantas Sabonis was traded in early February. Over his final 24 NBA contests, Jackson put up per-game averages of 11.5 points, 5.5 boards, 0.7 three-pointers, 2.0 blocked shots and 1.0 steals in just over 20 minutes while shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from the charity stripe. The blocks are particularly alluring, and the Kentucky product showed that he can have an impact on offense when given the opportunity. The Pacers are in rebuild mode, but they currently have a now-healthy Turner slated to start at center, not to mention Jalen Smith. Goga Bitadze figures to see a fair amount of backup minutes in what is shaping up to be a crowded frontcourt that also includes Oshae Brissett and Terry Taylor, so it's difficult to gauge exactly how much playing time will be allotted to Jackson. Much hinges on the long-anticipated but yet-to-happen trade of Turner, which would open up more opportunities for all of Indiana's young big men.

Jackson was the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He's shown plenty of raw potential and has been able to leverage his athleticism to become a prototypical big -- a shot-blocker, rebounder and lob finisher. While he's unpolished, that's nothing out of the ordinary for someone drafted post-lottery. For the Pacers, Jackson will compete for depth center minutes with Goga Bitadze, though Jackson could, in theory, play some power forward if the floor-spacing Myles Turner is in at center. Ultimately, he probably won't be a regular rotation player this season.