Bigger, Recovering Isaiah Jackson Must Be Dependable For Indiana Pacers To Win Games

INDIANAPOLIS – As Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson recovered from a torn Achilles over the last year, he constantly drove to and from the North side of Indianapolis to use a hyperbaric chamber. Along the way, he passed a familiar stop – Raising Cane’s.

He visited the fast-casual chicken spot often, and his order is still memorized. “The Caniac Combo with extra toast, extra fries, extra sauce. I was pigging out,” he recalled of his frequent trips.

But now, Jackson is healthy and playing basketball again. And he needed to lose weight ahead of the Pacers season. He reached nearly 260 pounds and said he noticed in pictures of himself that he was getting bigger – and not necessarily in the muscle department.

For Jackson, some added weight from what he was pre-injury – about 220 pounds – could help. He’s always been nimble on his feet yet extremely athletic, a useful combo for a taller player. But his on-the-ground power in the post has always been lacking. More weight to throw around could go a long way.

But it had to be healthy, and usable, weight. So Jackson, who knew he needed to drop some pounds anyway, needed to diet. No more Raising Cane’s. Way fewer snacks and candy. He went on a gluten-free plan.

“I had to sort of slow down. It was a lot harder losing [weight] than gaining it for sure,” Jackson said.

Once he was healthy enough to play again, the pounds fell off. They were replaced by muscle – some of which he built during his rehab last season. While he couldn’t run much while his torn achilles recovered, he could train with a heavier basketball.

As he healed, he checked in with a Pacers strength coach about getting down to the right weight. He was lifting often and working on his conditioning even more.

That got him to the start of training camp weighing 240 pounds. It’s more than his old playing weight, and Jackson hopes he can throw that around in a way that makes him a better player. But at the same time, more size could come with a tradeoff. Jackson’s old strengths were his natural speed and athletic gifts. If those fade, his skill set will look different.

At times in the rehab process, Jackson admitted he doubted his own athleticism. But his teammates, he said, told him otherwise. They could see his bounce at level it was pre-injury. “It looks fine to me,” head coach Rick Carlisle said.

So Jackson entered preseason action bigger, yet he had largely the same traits. The four-year pro would have to shake off some rust – his last game was in November of 2024. But the exhibitions were his first games back, and they provided him a chance to show what his added weight could allow him to do.

Why is Jackson so important to the Pacers?

But preseason was about more than that for the young center. He also had to prove that he could be additive as a starter. Indiana’s best center last season was Myles Turner, and he left for the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. That left Jackson as the most-likely candidate to be in the Pacers opening lineup on the interior.

Indeed, Jackson began training camp and game action as Indiana’s starting center. In the team’s intrasquad scrimmage, he leapt from close to the free throw line and just barely got a dunk in over the rim, an impressive display of athleticism. If that could blend with his new weight against other opponents, Jackson would be in for a strong year.

But the Pacers first preseason game was all over the place for the young big man. In his first stint, which lasted less than 2.5 minutes, Jackson missed his only shot attempt, committed three fouls, and had a turnover. He quickly went to the bench. Of course, he was as rusty as one could be. But it was a poor start, and fouling has been a concern for the Kentucky product throughout his career.

His second stint was much better – two points, a rebound, and no fouls in about seven minutes. The inconsistency wasn’t surprising for a career backup who was playing his first game in 11 months. But the expectation, fair or not, is now higher for Jackson. He’s projected to start and has to produce.

In preseason outing number two, Jackson shot 50%, albeit on just two shot attempts, and had three boards in 12 minutes. He kept his fouls and turnovers down in a win over the OKC Thunder. It was an improvement, and one his team needed to see. But unstable play continued for the rest of the preseason.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs presented a major challenge. They faced off with the Pacers twice to end the preseason, and while Jackson’s defense was solid in the first game (three steals and one block), he committed five fouls and didn’t make a shot. It was a poor night for every Pacers center, and Jackson in particular needed a more complete outing. His final preseason game was that – against the same Spurs team he finished with eight points, two rebounds, and two steals without a turnover. He had three fouls in 15 minutes, still a high rate but an improvement.

Even from game-to-game against the same opponent, Jackson showed improvement and inconsistency. His overall preseason numbers ended at 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game on 38.5% shooting. His defense was much better, though – he averaged 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game in about 13 minutes a night.

In some moments, Jackson was productive, mobile, and disruptive. But it wasn’t constant, and that polarity isn’t easily defined. Is he a young player returning from injury who is playing with a new lineup and learning how to play within his new body? Or is this just an inconsistent player, and that should be expected?

Jackson admitted that he’s re-learning some things while playing with new units, though some lineups feel familiar to him. There is some newness, and that will take him time to work through.

He is likely going to be the opening night starter, though, and that’s a role that comes with expectations for production. Jackson’s added size will help as he navigates the role coming his way with that lineup. “Him getting back to playing at our pace every day and understanding what’s being asked of him. And what’s being asked of him is not easy,” Pacers starting wing Aaron Nesmith said of Jackson’s return and role. “It’s just with everybody having done it for another year longer than him, just trying to get him up to speed. He’s done a great job.”

Nesmith went on to describe the specific challenges Jackson faces – running rim-to-rim and setting hard screens isn’t a glamorous role, but it’s an important one. To do it well, Jackson has to be who he used to be – mobile disruptive, and an ace finisher above the rim – while also being powerful when setting picks and defending bigs. It’s a tough balance to strike yet an important one.

His teammates and coaches see progress in many of those areas. “He looks good coming off of what he went through. To come back, man, he looks really good,” center Tony Bradley said. “He didn’t miss a beat or a step, so he looks good. He’s explosive, he’s moving well, he’s running well.”

Added Carlisle, “He’s added strength, you know, that helps with contact around the basket and being able to finish in a crowd.”

When the four preseason games were done, Jackson was asked to assess his play. He liked his defense, and that was clearly his better side of the ball. His ability to end possessions before the opponent shoots at all is valuable.

Jackson was pleased with his work on the glass, too, and that he found space to take a mid-range jumper. On top of progress with his body, the young center practiced his handle and jump shot in the offseason.

On the flip side of those successes, Jackson is aware of where he came up short. Fouling and positioning were two areas he mentioned. Discipline, too. These are some of the key skills that the big man, who re-signed with Indiana this offseason, has been working on his whole career.

And that’s where he finds himself now. Isaiah Jackson, fresh off of a torn achilles, has to identify his spots in a new lineup, recover, improve other skills, re-build his body, and simultaneously keep addressing his weaknesses that he was looking to improve on pre-injury. It’s a lot to ask of a 23-year old.

Jackson knows he is needed on this team. They’ve been lenient as he works his way back, and patience may be required when the regular season starts for the Pacers on Thursday. But his teammates were happy with his preseason mostly because he made progress from start to finish.

“I think I did pretty [well]. I mean, the first game… I was in a lot of foul trouble,” Jackson said when addressing his preseason play. “But I think as the preseason went on, I got better and better. And as a team, we got better and better.”

That’s where optimism comes for the Pacers. Jackson improved throughout the preseason. That needs to continue into the regular season. As Indiana heads into the 2025-26 campaign, how Jackson handles his new size and new role will be one of the defining parts of their success. In exhibitions, he was up-and-down – perhaps as expected. When the games count toward the standings, he’ll have to be dependable.