Memphis Grizzlies: Has Jaren Jackson Jr. thrown off team chemistry?

Memphis Grizzlies basketball in the month of April was a beautiful sight. Despite a distinct dropoff at the end, the Grizzlies ranked as the NBA’s top scoring team in the month through the first three weeks. Uncharacteristically, Memphis could not be stopped on the offensive end.

But lately, that hasn’t been the case.

In fact, in the past few games, the Memphis Grizzlies haven’t just taken a step down from the top of the league, they’ve been completely abysmal offensively. In the Grizzlies’ most recent three games, they rank 27th in the NBA in scoring and dead last in 3-point percentage.

Even in a win against the Orlando Magic on Friday night, they struggled badly from the field, showing why they’ve been the second-worst team in the league in terms of field goal percentage during that same stretch.

Could Memphis Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr. be contributing to the team’s recent shortcomings?

In short, yes.

Logically speaking, it’s not fair to say that Jaren Jackson Jr.’s return has caused the Grizzlies to go from the best scoring team in the league to one of the worst. It’s impossible for a player who has been playing 22 minutes per game since his return to have that much of an impact.

Not to mention the fact that he didn’t even play in two of the games in the aforementioned stretch as he continues his recovery.

Having said that, there are some clear chemistry issues right now when JJJ is on the court. He doesn’t have a jarringly negative impact on this team, but the offense doesn’t run as smoothly when he’s out on the court.

It’s the difference between having four players who can be considered guards on the court at the same time and not. The Grizzlies have only been playing with one true big man in Jonas Valanciunas all season, so JJJ’s return will take some time to get used to.

Jackson Jr. will also have some settling in to do as a shooter, as his 3-point shot has been… well, broken since his return. Maybe he has been spending too much time around Justise Winslow during both of their recoveries, as each of these players are shooting under 20% from long range.

This isn’t cause for alarm though, as we know that JJJ is one of the most capable shooters on this team. It’s only a matter of time before his shots start to fall.