Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
GG Jackson II entered the league with a reputation as a gifted scorer and quickly showed flashes of the offensive creativity that made him a highly regarded prospect. His combination of size, confidence, and shot-making ability gives him intriguing long-term potential as he continues to refine the rest of his game.
Here’s detailed information about GG Jackson II:
Player Profile
- Full Name: Gregory “GG” Jackson II
- Nationality: American
- Age: Born December 17, 2004
- Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Height: 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm)
- Weight: 215 pounds (98 kg)
- Wingspan: 7 feet 0 inches (213 cm)
- Shoe Size: 14 (US)
- Number: Wore 23 in college and projected to keep a similar number in the NBA
- Position: Power Forward / Small Forward
- High School:
- Ridge View High School (Columbia, South Carolina)
- Named the No. 1 high school prospect in the Class of 2023 before reclassifying to 2022.
- College:
- University of South Carolina (2022–2023)
- NBA Draft:
- Selected 45th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies
- Teams Played For:
-
- Memphis Grizzlies (2023–Present)
- Championship Rings: None as of now
- Kids: None
- Siblings: Specific information about siblings is not widely publicized.
Player Archetype / Play Style
GG Jackson II’s archetype is that of a scoring combo forward: a young shot-making wing-forward hybrid who pressures defenses with self-created offense, face-up skill, and confidence attacking from the perimeter. Defensively, he projects more as a rangy help-side forward who can contest with length and mobility than as a finished stopper, with the tools to guard across forward spots as his awareness and strength continue to develop. Offensively, his role is to space the floor, attack closeouts, create shots from the wing, and give a lineup secondary scoring punch rather than operate as a pure interior big or full-time primary initiator. At 6’9″ and around 210 pounds, Jackson has a long, fluid frame with good mobility, stride length, and above-the-rim athletic ability, and his overall play style leans on perimeter scoring, transition attacks, and upside-driven offensive versatility. (NBA)
Scouting Report
GG Jackson II is one of those forwards whose flashes make complete sense once you stop thinking of him as a traditional power forward and start viewing him as a scorer trapped in a bigger body. The first thing you notice is how naturally he gets into difficult jumpers. He doesn’t waste many dribbles, preferring a quick rhythm pull-up, a jab into space or a straight-line attack when defenders close too hard, and that willingness to shoot without hesitation changes how teams have to guard him. The interesting part is that his best drives often come after establishing the jumper rather than the other way around. He’ll attack a hard closeout, extend with long strides and finish before the weak-side defender has time to fully rotate. There’s creativity there, but also impatience. He can drift into possessions where the first available shot becomes the chosen shot, even if a second action or relocation would have produced something cleaner. Defensively, his physical tools give him a chance to guard across multiple matchups, although his concentration tends to fluctuate more than his ability. There are possessions where he slides beautifully on the perimeter, uses his length to bother the release and rotates from the low side to contest at the rim, then the next trip he’ll lose sight of an off-ball cutter or arrive a beat late on the nail because his attention followed the ball instead of the action developing behind it. That’s where I think the biggest growth comes from. When he’s engaged, he covers ground surprisingly well and can turn defence into transition offence almost immediately. He fits best alongside a structured primary creator and experienced decision-makers who don’t need him initiating every possession but encourage him to attack against an already shifting defence. To me, his offensive style carries shades of Michael Porter Jr. because of the effortless shot-making at his size, while there are moments that resemble a young Rashard Lewis when he’s confidently flowing between spot-up shooting, straight-line drives and secondary scoring opportunities. The talent is obvious, but the real separator is whether every possession eventually starts looking as intentional as the best ones already do.
Player Insights
I’m excited to see what GG Jackson II can do this year after averaging 14 ppg in his rookie season, including a 44-point game against the Nuggets. He’s tall and can shoot outside shots in addition to being a good interior defender. The question is can he stay healthy? 2/15/2025
GG Jackson II was snubbed by the Steph Curry basketball camp and joined the Chris Paul basketball camp. Draymond Green claimed that GG Jackson II’s early NBA success was because he was motivated after the snub from Curry, but I doubt that’s the case. The Chris Paul camp is just as good. And I know that GG Jackson II is friends with Chris Paul which is also helpful to his game. I don’t doubt that GG Jackson II can play well in his sophomore season and beyond. The only question is how much of a role will Memphis open up for him. If Jaren Jackson Jr. ever goes down with an injury, the opportunity will be there. Without an injury, his chances are probably limited now that the Grizzlies have drafted Zach Edey because they’ve still got Santi Aldama on the roster too. 2/11/2025
Sources:
NBA.com — GG Jackson | Forward | Memphis Grizzlies
NBA.com — NBA 2023 Draft Prospects | Gregory Jackson II
NBADraft.net — GG Jackson
Basketball-Reference — 2025-26 Memphis Grizzlies Roster and Stats