When the OKC Thunder assigned Aleksej Pokusevski to the G-League bubble, a number of players had to step up. His minutes were going to be distributed between players like Kenrich Williams and Justin Jackson.
Well, Williams has been called up to the starting unit more often than not thanks to injuries to George Hill and niggles for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Theo Maledon. This means that Jackson has been averaging almost 27 minutes per game in the second unit.
At the start of the six games, since Pokusevski has been assigned to the G-League team, Jackson has grown in his role with the Thunder. He has averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.7 steals in those 27 minutes per game.
The OKC Thunder are looking solid with Justin Jackson growth
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It is plain to see the growth in Jackson over the last six games. In the first two games, he went 5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. The difference between being a 19-year-old rookie and a fourth-year player is that you know that a small adjustment will make all the difference.
Well, Jackson came out in the second game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and only scored six points. He only took four shots and looked better for it. What this did was that it gave him confidence and was another game where he was able to learn the system. He has not shot under 44 percent from the field since this game.
Over the next three games, Jackson has scored 14 points, nine points, and then that 20 point game against the Denver Nuggets. All three of these games were losses, however, the greatest losing margin was seven points.
The other team they played was the Los Angeles Lakers, twice. Not a bad effort for a very short-handed team.
If Jackson can keep this production up, he will be a good chance to sign a contract with the Thunder next season. He is only 25 years old and fits the Thunder’s timeline perfectly.