Ex-Cavalier Darnell Jackson added to frontcourt rotation

Gery Woelfel and Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski are atwitter with news that the Bucks have signed Cavs castaway power forward Darnell Jackson.  Scott at Ridiculous Upside reported that the Bucks also looked at Alexander Johnson and Shavlik Randolph a couple weeks ago, so it's no secret the Bucks were on the lookout for a large-ish body to add depth to the frontcourt rotation.  Jackson only became available this week when the Cavs cut him loose to re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas, though he's barely played this season with the Cavs (117 total minutes).  Because he was cut by another NBA team and signed after March 1, he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs (unlike Ilgauskas, who was waived in February).

The 24-year old former Kansas Jayhawk was the 52nd overall pick in the 2008 draft and appeared in 51 games last year for the Cavs, but has seen little of the court in Cleveland this year and made a couple appearances for the Cavs D-League affiliate in Erie as well.  He was only measured at 6'8" in shoes at the combine, but is listed at 250 (perhaps generously) and from the sound of it plays a bit bigger than his height.  As for stuff he's actually done on the court, he dropped 32/11 five days ago for Erie against Dakota and got this review from Jon at RU:

Darnell Jackson also was looking a little big, but that's somewhat understandable since he hasn't playing in a game since March 6.  That said, after a rough start to the game he settled down a bit, and showed some nice moves, and he finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds.  His game reminds me a little of Alexander Johnson's.  Of course, the next possession after getting a fast-break 360 dunk he was late on his defensive rotation, so there's clearly still some work to do on his game.

He was a key bench guy for the '08 Kansas squad that took home the title, so DraftExpress' profile from his college days is worth a look given he hasn't gotten consistent minutes since then.  Not surprisingly, DX's report is a serious mixed bag, though it's interesting that his defense is the biggest question mark.  Hopefully playing for Mike Brown in Cleveland helped, because that obviously won't win him much burn for Scott Skiles.

Despite the assumptions usually made about high shooting percentages, Jackson does some damage away from the basket as well. Jackson has become a decent spot up shooter from mid-range, and has range out to the college three-point line. His mechanics are a little inconsistent at this stage, and he is shooting awkwardly from his chin at times. However, his improvements in the past season into a good set shooter might indicate that he has room to grow as an offensive post player and. While he might not be the best prospect at the moment, he might be able to develop into a Udonis Haslem type role.

To do that, he must show that he can defend his position at the next level—something that seems questionable at best right now. His effort here leaves much to be desired, displaying poor lateral quickness and not seeming to put as much effort in on this end of the floor. He has decent athleticism and size, but for some reason or another cannot translate his superb timing on offense to his defensive effort. He shows poor awareness, does not contain his man in the paint, and is frequently beaten off the dribble when trying to defend the pick and roll.