Can Jaren Jackson stay out of foul trouble for the Memphis Grizzlies?
One of the biggest disappointments in the first-round series for the Grizzlies has been the lack of Jaren Jackson on the court.
That’s not by design, of course. He’s one of the most talented players on this roster. The reason he’s not been on the floor much is because he can’t seem to stop fouling.
Jackson has recorded 14 person fouls in just three games. It’s forced Jenkins to get creative with his lineups (especially with Steven Adams out of the picture).
Jaren’s shooting woes continue to plague the team, too. He knows he’s got to play better. We’ve seen flashes of it: 7 blocks in Game 1, 4 made threes in Game 2.
Jackson has to find that balance of being aggressive in challenging shots and yielding to the Minnesota player in order to save a would-be foul.
Jackson can’t help the team if he’s not on the bench. He’s playing extremely hard, but he’s also got to play smarter moving forward.
If the Grizzlies advance to the second round, he’ll likely be challenged by veteran All-Star and all-time great defender Draymond Green. That’s going to be a problem. Green has been annihilating reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the Denver-Golden State first-round series. He’ll do the same to Jackson in the hypothetical second-round matchup.