The Memphis Grizzlies Need More Out Of Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Memphis Grizzlies are in a big slump recently and they need to find a way to break out of it. Jaren Jackson Jr. is the guy who can turn things around in a hurry.

It’s hard to critique Jaren Jackson Jr.’s game since he is playing well but with that comes higher expectations. He is one of the many Memphis Grizzlies who has struggled since they were a top of the west just a few weeks ago.

So far this season he is averaging 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1 steal per game. He does a little bit of everything for this team as he continues to impress everyone.

Despite some recent struggles he has shown the ability to stretch the floor from three-point range. He also does a good job attacking defenders off of the dribble which is even more effective when they have to guard him on the three-point line.

One area he does need to improve on is his rebounding. The Grizzlies are last in the NBA at just 39.6 rebounds per game.

For being such a tall and lengthy athlete he still doesn’t get the rebounds he should. That will improve as he continues to work to get stronger but he has to find a way to help in the rebounding department sooner rather than later.

An even bigger weakness for him may be his inability to stay out of foul trouble. It seems like nearly every game he has to sit out at least a portion of the game due to foul trouble.

Luckily for this team, they have been able to get by without him mainly because of the stellar play of veteran forward JaMychal Green.

Jackson has averaged 3.7 fouls per game which is the highest among players who have played in double-digit games. Kris Dunn and Dwight Howard are the only players who foul more often.

He doesn’t necessarily foul out in a lot of games but when he is only able to play a few minutes in the first quarter he has struggled to get into any rhythm.

When he is able to get into a rhythm he has been a handful for opposing defenses to handle. He had his best game of the season in a thrilling come from behind victory against the Brooklyn Nets.

Jackson finished that game with 36 points and eight rebounds. That includes scoring seven points in the final 35 seconds to force overtime.

He converted a four-point play to cut it to a one-possession game and then was key in forcing a Brooklyn turnover to get the ball back.

He then followed that up with a deep three to tie the game which was enough to force overtime where the Grizzlies would come out on top to get a big road win.

That is the signature moment in a rookie season that has plenty of highlights. Despite that, he hasn’t been a primary option on offense and the team has struggled as a result.

During the month of December, he is averaging just 10.1 points per game on just 7.8 shot attempts. 2.6 of those shots are coming from three-point range which has hurt this offense.

He has been shooting the ball better but he is only hitting 26% of his three-point attempts this month. They need to do a better job getting him touches around the rim.

He has shown off a very good hook shot as well as a variety of driving layups so far this season. They need to give him chances to make plays to get this offense going again.

The team as a whole is struggling to hit shots so they need to find a way to get easier looks instead of settling for those shots.

Jackson is a special talent and has shown a lot of potential but he needs to be more consistent to help this team get out of their slump.