The Memphis Grizzlies‘ roster is filled with young talent. You’ve got Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and a handful of other players. But lost in the shuffle, you’ll find 6th-year point guard Tyus Jones.
He’s not the flashiest player and it’s clear that he’ll never be a superstar in this league, but his value to this team does not get enough attention.
As Ja Morant’s backup, he’s sure to be forgotten about, but his contributions off of the bench cannot be undersold. At 8 points per contest, it’s easy to see why this has happened, but those watching each game cannot ignore the truth.
Tyus Jones is one of the most talented players on the Memphis Grizzlies
The unique part about Tyus Jones is that he’ll sort of just disappear for a while. We won’t see him make many contributions and he’ll fade into the background. He’s not playing poorly, he just doesn’t need to contribute in those moments.
Then, when Ja Morant is having a bad game, we’ll see him completely ball out. It’s a very interesting dynamic between the two point guards.
He’s the perfect robin to Morant’s batman. While Morant is extremely athletic and carries this team with energy, Jones calms the team down when he comes into the game. His energy level is lower with a bench unit that doesn’t require a fast-paced game.
That being said, he is no slouch on the court. Despite averaging just 8 points per game, this man can take over a basketball game. We saw it in a 20-point game a few weeks ago, but more commonly, we see it on a play-to-play basis.
He may not score frequently, but the fact that opposing teams know that he can gives him enough space to work as a playmaker. His playmaking abilities are good enough to earn him 4 assists per game, getting these numbers with consistency throughout the year.
Perhaps the most valuable part of his game is his ability to step up when the rest of the team is struggling. It’s an area that almost every player on this Grizzlies team is good at, allowing this team to float around .500 without JJJ. The offense will run stagnant and out of nowhere, we’ll see a 10-2 run where Jones contributed on every single play.
It’s a part of his game that was more prevalent at the high school and college levels, but continues to be important for him in the NBA.
We’ll continue to see Tyus Jones in small doses. His play-style is perfectly complimentary to Ja Morant’s in-your-face attitude, so he could stick around in Memphis for a while.