2016 NBA Draft: Demetrius Jackson selected by Celtics with No. 45 pick

With the No. 45 pick pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics have chosen Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson, marking the second straight year a Fighting Irish point guard has gone in the draft after Jerian Grant was taken 19th in 2015. However, this is a long fall for Jackson, expected by many to be a first-round pick.

Jackson broke out in his sophomore campaign playing alongside Grant before taking the full reins of the offense as a junior this past season. The 21-year-old put forth an excellent campaign by averaging 15.8 points 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds. He led Notre Dame to a second consecutive Elite Eight appearance before falling to North Carolina, although he scored 26 points in the defeat.

Jackson had a knack for making clutch plays, and none were bigger than his two buckets in the final minute against Wisconsin in the Sweet 16:

One of the only real bummers of Jackson’s final year in college was a major downturn in his three-point shooting. He shot nearly 42 percent from deep as a freshman and increased that mark to almost 43 percent as a sophomore, but he plummeted down to just over 33 percent this past season on 4.7 attempts per game.

While that’s a significant dip, part of it can be explained by his increased role overall and having to take more difficult long-range shots. So, while Jackson may never be a prolific three-point shooter in the NBA, he’s shown the ability to be a capable one.

Standing at under 6’2 with a 6’5.5 wingspan, Jackson is a bit undersized, but he’s strong, quick and an explosive leaper. His 43.5-inch max vertical was the second-highest at the NBA Draft Combine behind only the even smaller Kay Felder, so Jackson has the ability to throw down nasty dunks:

Jackson has a quick first step that allows him to blow past defenders, and nearly 35 percent of his shot attempts came at the rim this past season, per Hoop-Math.com. He converted just under 62 percent of those attempts, a solid number for a player of his stature.

Jackson still has work to do when it comes to learning the nuances of the point-guard position, including becoming better in pick-and-rolls and improving his decision-making. But the tools are there for him to be a dangerous threat. Playing with Grant also helped develop Jackson as an off-ball threat, which is important with so many NBA teams looking to use multiple ball handlers at the same time.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jackson will often be at a disadvantage because of his height, although his other physical attributes could help mitigate his lack of size. However, he still has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to consistent effort level and pick-and-roll defense, among other things.

Despite some of his weaknesses, Jackson has the potential to be a starting-caliber point guard, and he’s bound to provide plenty of highlight-reel plays with his electric explosiveness. It remains to be seen how (or if) he fits into a Celtics squad that has a very crowded backcourt.