GG Jackson Shows Offensive Foundation in First Two Games

Early season break down of the University of South Carolina freshman forward.

GG Jackson was a very intriguing prospect coming into the 2022-2023 college basketball season and after two games he has shown exactly why. Jackson has not been efficient, 11-for-28 from the field overall, but has shown the foundation for an exciting offensive game.

The crux of his inefficiency begins with the amount of supremely difficult contested mid range jumpers he has taken thus far. With that said, the fact he has made some of these shots and is showing the confidence to take them is a positive for the still 17-year-old.

You are really able to see the smooth athleticism from the 6-foot-10 freshman when he gets into his favorite right-left crossover into a right-left step pull up jumper. Again, these are not always being converted but with a prospect at his age you really are looking for those foundational skills and flashes.

Speaking of the foundational skills, the jump shot in its simplest of forms does look good. Jackson has only taken five 3-pointers so far, a very good rate for him, but has connected on three of them.

As much as you love to see Jackson be confident in his tough shot making ability, it will be worth watching the rest of the season if he is able to generate easier shot attempts for himself.

As with other aspects of his game, the handle is intriguing and will be interesting to keep an eye on as it has flashed through these two games. He definitely needs to tighten it up and continue to grow with exactly how to leverage it into better opportunities.

The Ridgeview High School product has struggled creating driving lanes all the way to the rim in his isolation situations. His aggressiveness has been good but creating those driving lanes has not, leading into the amount of tough mid range jumpers he is taking.

As he continues to grow his game off the bounce, Jackson will also have to become a better decision maker. The game does seem to be a little sped up and a little too fast for him right now, which is more than to be expected. It will be very interesting to see what he is able to do and create off the dribble a couple months from now.

Another area that is really interesting to watch Jackson operate in is the mid-post. He would still be better served attacking to the rim off these play types more. There is real potential for these possessions with his size, shot making, and developing all around offensive package.

The final aspect of the 17-year-old's offensive game that must be highlighted is the energy he plays with. This translates to both transition buckets and offensive rebounds, five through two games this season. It is great to see the 6-foot-10 athletic freshman utilize those physical tools and pair them with a mindset to attack the defense in these ways as well.

GG Jackson is averaging 15 points per game in two games of action which would be impressive for any freshman but even more for a player who won’t turn 18 until next month. 

The really exciting part? He might be even better a couple months from now when the game slows down for him and his decision making improves.

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