Scouting and Highlights: Quantes Jackson (2017)
Quantes Jackson is a 6’2″ senior guard who played for Grand Rapids Union. A knockdown three point shooter with great speed, Jackson is a score-first point guard who is lethal if he catches fire. He averaged 22.4ppg, 5.8rpg, 4.7apg and 2.6spg this year as a senior. I believe he’s ready to be a very good NAIA player right now, with the potential to become a top D2 player with a little bit of development.
Here’s my take on Jackson’s game:
Strengths:
Shooting – Knockdown shooter. He can shoot off the dribble or catch. He has plenty of range, as he’s capable of hitting from several feet behind the three-point line. He’s also capable of hitting tough, contested shots. He’s an explosive shooter, so if he gets going he can put up a lot of points in a hurry.
Speed – One of the first things you notice when you watch Jackson for the first time is his blazing speed. He loves to push the ball in transition to create easy offense. His great speed will make up for his lack of size on both sides of the ball.
Defense – Since he’s a small 6’2″, he will most likely won’t be able to become a primary defender on the wing. However, he does a good job pressuring opposing guards and will be able to defend guards at a high level. He averaged 2.6 steals this year, which indicates a knack for good anticipation on defense.
Shot Creating – To me, Jackson could be extremely successful as instant offense off the bench due to his ability to get a shot off at any time. Similar to a Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams, Jackson is a solid overall player who could lead a bench unit with his scoring. His combination of speed with great shooting ability makes him tough to guard for even the best defenders.
Areas For Development:
Playmaking – While he’s by no means a bad playmaker, he’s a small 6’2″ and plays the point guard position. As a small point guard, you have to be able to do it all, and Jackson struggles to facilitate sometimes due to his score-first nature. This is something that could be change quickly, so it isn’t a huge issue. It’s important to note that some coaches may actually prefer their point guards to be score first, so for some teams this may be a positive rather than a negative.
Weight – If Jackson could add just 10-15 pounds of muscle before college he will be head and shoulders better. Adding weight would help him become a better finisher in the lane, as well as a better defender and rebounder.