Memphis Grizzlies: 3 Keys To Victory Against The Miami Heat
By Chris Kern
Feed Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has shown what he is capable of on many occasions throughout the first half of his rookie season.
His ability to impact the game in a variety of ways makes him very difficult to defend. The Grizzlies need to get him more involved on a consistent basis.
He can score the ball from anywhere on the floor and they need to use that to his advantage. There are very few bigs who can defend him on the perimeter as he has the capability to drive by them and get to the bucket.
So far this season through the first 41 games he is averaging 13.4 points per game. That is in just 25.4 minutes on average.
His minutes need to increase during the second half of the season but no matter how much he is on the floor he needs to get the ball more often.
He is shooting 52% from the floor while making 34% of his three-point shot attempts. He also makes 78% of his free-throw attempts.
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There’s no denying he has some areas in his game he needs to improve on such as getting stronger to help get rebounds and battling inside but the talent is there.
There’s no excuse for him not being a part of the offense late in games. This team needs a third option and they have one already on their roster.
In the first meeting with the Heat, he only played 22 minutes and while he did still score 15 minutes in that time he needs to be out there more.
Miami doesn’t have many guys who can defend him inside and out. James Johnson is a tough matchup and is probably the guy who can contain him the best.
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The way both these teams play we can expect a close game. If Memphis can do all the little things while focusing on these three areas then they will secure another victory as they look to remain in the playoff hunt.