Isaiah Jackson gained 15 pounds of muscle this summer

AdamStrattonKSR

On3 image — Photo by Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images

Thanks to the hard-hitting reporting of Big Blue Nation’s favorite non-Kentucky sports writer, Gregg Doyel, we now know Isaiah Jackson consumed a lot of calories this summer. He couldn’t really say exactly how much, but, you know, it was a lot.

In sum, four meals and two protein shakes per day combined with five to seven weight-lifting sessions per week have equated to an additional 15 pounds of muscle to the slender frame of Isaiah Jackson.

In all seriousness, this is actually great news for the springy and athletic big man. He told Doyel, “Last year I was getting bumped around…but this year I feel like I’m more stable. I can hold my own.”

The paint in the NBA is not for the light of heart, and it definitely not for the light of weight either. Adding bulk will help Jackson battle the gauntlet of beasts down low every night, and help his body endure the grind of an 82-game season. Durability will be crucial because he will likely play an expanded role this season for the Indian Pacers.

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Jackson excelled in this year’s summer league, leading the Las Vegas exhibitions in blocks per game (again), shooting over 50% from the field, and throwing down a breakaway dunk so fierce the common onlooker would have assumed there was a trampoline on the court.

When Isaiah Jackson takes off it's always something special #PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/5LlKxUo1n1
— NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2022

With one year of NBA experience along with momentum from a solid Summer League and an additional 15 pounds, Jackson enters year two with more confidence. The 6’10”, now 221-pound forward plans to use all the above to take the next step.

“Last year, I came in with a lot of nerves, just wondering what the NBA was like, what practice was gonna be like. This year it was just way more — I knew what I was coming into. It was like one of those feelings. I just felt comfortable coming in. I know my work, all the work I put in this summer, and I know as a team we’ve been working hard this summer too.”
Isaiah Jackson via The Indy Star

In short, look for a potential big jump, both literally and figuratively, for the former Kentucky big (albeit lanky) man. If nothing else, maybe he can give Daimion Collins that protein shake recipe.