Rick Jackson

Strengths

Left handed....Jackson is not your typical 6'9", 240 pound Big. He is a finesse player, who excels as a high-post player or 3rd option on offense… He rebounds well and can finish around the rim. A large portion (about 80%) of his points in the paint, come by means of his left-handed finish… He is quietly having a very good year for Syracuse- averaging 10 points, 8 rebounds and a couple of blocks per game. He is still somewhat raw or undeveloped offensively. He has a great spin move, a solid up-and-under in the post and a nice lefty hook shot, but that's about it… He is a very good passer and has great awareness in the post of opposing Guards scrapping down or teammates cutting through the lane… He has above-average quickness for a man of his size…

Weaknesses

Very dependent on his left hand- almost 80% of his field-goals in the paint come with his left hand and even when the shot isn't there or a right-handed finish is much easier, Jackson has never gotten out of the habit of going up with his left. This should make him prone defenders playing him towards his right and therefore, limiting the effectiveness of this 6'9" Big… Needs to develop a 10' to 12' jump shot and go to the rim stronger with either both hands or his right hand… He needs to continue to work on his post-moves. He does not post very strong, but because of his massive body and strength, he creates space and gets defenders out of position… Though Jackson has decent quickness for a 6'9" Forward, his speed is somewhat exposed playing on the bottom wing in Syracuse's 2-3 zone… He needs to call for the ball in the post and be more assertive on offense…