On Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers announced that they are assigning young big man Isaiah Jackson to their G League affiliate franchise, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Jackson has fallen out of the Pacers rotation and has just five appearances in the team's last 13 games. The young big man is currently working on the balance of being as impactful as possible in his minutes while working on the skills he is developing.
Playing with the Mad Ants makes sense for Jackson as a method to get the young big man playing time. The Pacers traveled to Philadelphia on Tuesday, so Jackson instead got in some practice work with the G League club. In lieu of joining the team for their road game against the 76ers, the 20-year old big man will ideally play in the Mad Ants' games on Wednesday and Thursday, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required).
G League action is a great way for Pacers players to both rehab and stay in game shape. Indiana wing Chris Duarte played in two games for the Mad Ants earlier this season and averaged 17.5 points per game. He noted that they were helpful for him in easing back into game speed.
Pacers forward Terry Taylor, meanwhile, just dominated on a G League assignment in December. He has been assigned to Fort Wayne three times this season, which has been beneficial for the young player as he only has 18 appearances for Indiana this year.
"It was very helpful. I feel like the G League is a place where guys can go get better," Jackson said of G League assignments earlier this season. He played in five games for the Mad Ants last year and averaged 15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.
With the 21-17 Pacers this season, Jackson has played in 29 games. He is averaging 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He will rejoin the team once his G League assignment ends, though that exact date is undetermined.
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