The Bernstein Brief: Demetrius Jackson Is On The Rise
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Those of us who had targeted Notre Dame guard Demetrius Jackson for the Bulls in the upcoming NBA Draft now have to be hoping for some lottery luck.
It won't have to be the kind that popped them all the way to the top for Derrick Rose eight years ago, but picking at No. 14 -- as the Bulls are in line to do, pending the results of next Tuesday's draft lottery -- now may be too late. Jackson wowed the Draft Combine on Thursday in Chicago with a 43.5-inch maximum vertical leap, which led the field and was unofficially the fourth-highest ever registered at the event. His standing vertical of 37.5 was also the best tested there yet.
Assessing Jackson's position in mock drafts only provides a bit of guideline, because the combine performances and response to team interviews has yet to be factored in. But before Jackson raised eyebrows around the league Thursday, he was projected anywhere from 12th overall (Yahoo) to a surprising 38th (NBADraft.net). Draft Express has him at 14, CBS at 18, Bleacher Report at 19 and Sports Illustrated at 22.
Jackson proved his mettle with tough performances during a run to the Elite Eight and had some of us thinking that the tail end of the lottery would be just the right spot for the Bulls to grab such an impressive athletic specimen, developing him quickly to replace Rose.
It's more likely now that they won't get the chance without some vertical movement themselves.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.