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Michigan State Basketball: Jaren Jackson Jr. could be Hawks’ centerpiece

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 26: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates his made basket in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Breslin Center on January 26, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 26: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates his made basket in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Breslin Center on January 26, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Following the NBA draft lottery, it looks more than likely that Michigan State basketball’s Jaren Jackson Jr. will be headed to Atlanta.

The NBA draft lottery is in the rearview mirror and the top picks in the 2018 cycle have been decided with the Phoenix Suns selecting No. 1 overall, followed by Sacramento and Atlanta.

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For two Michigan State basketball stars, Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr., they got a better idea of just where they may be headed in 2018-19. Both have decided to forgo their final years of eligibility at Michigan State to live out their dreams early in the NBA.

The younger of the two, Jackson Jr., looks to be one of this year’s top-three prospects behind the likes of DeAndre Ayton and Luca Doncic. He didn’t play the minutes everyone wanted him to during his freshman season, but he became one of college basketball’s household names for his shot-blocking prowess and inside-out ability.

Now that the draft order is set, it looks as if he will be headed to Atlanta to play for the Hawks as a rookie. They were obviously one of the NBA’s worst teams in 2017-18 and they don’t have a power forward like Jackson Jr. who can take over a game and become a true star on both ends of the court.

If the Hawks were to draft Jackson Jr., he’d likely be the franchise’s centerpiece. He would become that player who the front office builds around, joining solid point guard Dennis Schroder, Prince and John Collins.

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The last time the Hawks drafted a Michigan State big man (Adreian Payne), it didn’t work out so well. Jackson Jr. is a different monster and he has the tools to be a superstar in the NBA and the Hawks’ centerpiece.

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