With a key injury, Jackson steps up, bringing energy and defense.
The Los Angeles Clippers are dealing with another blow to their frontcourt, and Isaiah Jackson is ready to step up.
Rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot during Wednesday's 130-107 win over the Indiana Pacers and will undergo season-ending surgery.
The 22-year-old had been playing some of his best basketball before the injury, averaging 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds over his last five games while shooting 52 percent from the floor.
It is a tough loss for a Clippers team that is 30-32 on the season and fighting for a spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
Jackson's Message is Simple
In a conversation with BJ Matthews of Peach Basket, Jackson shared what head coach Ty Lue has told him now that Niederhauser is out for the year.
"Just to be ready," Jackson said. "Unfortunately, with Yanic out, opens more opportunities for me to play. Energy, rebounding, defense and scoring when I have to."
It is the kind of approach you want to hear from a player who has been waiting for his chance, and Jackson has been doing exactly that since arriving in Los Angeles at the trade deadline.
The Clippers acquired Jackson along with Bennedict Mathurin and draft capital from Indiana in exchange for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown back in February, and while Mathurin has already carved out a role as a key scorer off the bench, Jackson has been easing into things behind Brook Lopez and Niederhauser.
That changes now.
A Rough Night in San Antonio
The timing of Niederhauser's injury could not have been worse for Los Angeles, as the Clippers traveled to San Antonio on Friday and blew a 25-point third-quarter lead in a 116-112 loss to the Spurs.
San Antonio, which is 46-17 and riding one of the best stretches in the league with 14 wins in their last 15 games, stormed back behind Victor Wembanyama's 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
The Clippers had it rolling early with Kawhi Leonard pouring in 30 points and Brook Lopez adding 26, but a zone defense from the Spurs made Los Angeles go cold in the second half and the lead disappeared.
Nicolas Batum turned the ball over on a late inbound play that sealed the loss, and it was the kind of collapse that showed just how much this team needs every player on the roster to be locked in.
What Jackson Brings From His Time in Indiana
Jackson spent the first five-plus years of his career with the Pacers and while he never locked down a starting role full time, he showed what he could do in limited minutes as an athletic rim protector who plays with nonstop energy.
During his time in Indiana this season, Jackson appeared in 38 games and averaged 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in just 16.8 minutes per contest while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field.
He has always been the type of player who can change the game on the defensive end with his shot-blocking and his ability to clean up on the boards, and that is exactly what the Clippers need with Niederhauser gone for the rest of the year.
Lue has already started to lean on Jackson more in recent games, and after the Spurs loss, it is clear that having another big body who can protect the rim and bring energy off the bench is going to be important down the stretch.
The Clippers have 20 games left to make their push for the postseason, and with Niederhauser done for the year, Jackson's role just got a whole lot bigger.
Whether he can deliver on what Lue is asking for will go a long way in determining how far this team can go.