Few players raised their profiles more dramatically than GG Jackson II this past season. He arrived as a second-round project and was barely an afterthought through the first couple of months and change, but a second-half surge cast him as a potential future star and indispensable piece of the Grizzlies.

Jackson, who didn’t turn 19 until December, wound up as one of the most productive players in his draft class. Only Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller, the draft’s first and second picks respectively, averaged more than Jackson’s 14.6 points.

It’s worth noting, for context at least, that the Grizzlies were essentially drawing dead by the time Jackson became a factor, so there weren’t a lot of stakes at play when he was putting up those stats. So, there might be a bit of skepticism regarding how much he can contribute to a winning team. It’ll be hard to quiet that noise during the stake-free summer, but he can easily drum up excitement if he once again looks the part of an ascending star.