Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said rookie Isaiah Jackson will remain with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G League through at least the weekend.

Jackson is with the Mad Ants rehabbing after suffering a hyperextended left knee on Oct. 27 against the Toronto Raptors. He was considered week to week with the injury and had made enough progress to be cleared to play this week.

Carlisle outlined the plan for Jackson with the Mad Ants.

He is going to stay with the G League team and play at least one of the two games this weekend (versus the Wisconsin Herd) and then we’ll see where we are. This is good for a couple of reasons. No. 1, it helps him with his rehab. No. 2, it gets him some minutes on the floor. He is doing well, which is great news.

Jackson finished with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field during his debut with the Mad Ants on Wednesday. He also hauled in eight rebounds and blocked two shots in 21 minutes of work as the Mad Ants played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

He has spent much of the past week with the Mad Ants in an effort to accelerate his rehab from the injury. He looked to have no lingering effects from the injury and had minimal rust in the contest on Wednesday on both ends of the floor.

Jackson has impressed Carlisle during his short time with the team.

He is a great kid, a great teammate. He is, obviously, one of our best athletes. His shot-blocking, his ability to finish above the rim, his ability to get deflections and get his hands on balls — all of those things are certainly positive things. He has worked really hard on his shooting. His shooting is getting better. I don’t have any doubt that, at some point, in the next several months that he’ll be able to step out and consistently shoot the 3-point shot, which will be a big game-changer for us.

The Pacers love what Jackson brings to the floor, and believe he can develop into an elite defender. He hasn’t played much with the Pacers this season but projects to have a bright future. Certainly, his performance on Wednesday showed what he can do in a bigger role.

The Mad Ants play the Herd on Friday and Sunday in Wisconsin.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!