Grizzlies star reveals what he questions ‘more than I probably should’

The Memphis Grizzlies may have just claimed their second consecutive second-seeded finish in the Western Conference standings last season but considering their lackluster first-round ouster from the playoffs, there’s clearly still plenty for this team to strive for moving forward.

During a recent interview at Team USA training camp in Las Vegas, star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. revealed Grind City’s mindset heading into 2023-24 and beyond and suggested that their series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers is the predominant motivating factor heading into the upcoming campaign.

“I’m motivated by [the loss to the Lakers] every day,” Jackson told Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. “[I] Probably won’t ever stop being motivated by that until we get to where we want to go which is a championship and we know that. I probably think about it more than I probably should.”

Jackson finds himself coming off a career-best campaign, boasting sensational averages of 18.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting a highly efficient 50.6 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from deep.

As a result of his phenomenal efforts, the big man finished off the year claiming his first All-Star selection as well as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Though motivation coming into the new year will certainly serve as a great asset for the Grizzlies to have in their pursuit of glory, so too will the club’s new additions to the rotation.

Easily the most noteworthy move made by Zach Kleiman and company this summer was the blockbuster trade that landed them Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics.

With him in tow, not only will Memphis boast one of the league’s most menacing one-two defensive punches between him and Jackson (i.e. the NBA’s two most recent DPOY recipients), but Taylor Jenkins will also have a tremendous replacement option for Ja Morant at the point guard position while the superstar serves out his 25-game suspension at the beginning of the year.

With that said, while having an enviable collection of high-end players and contributors should be a top priority for every organization to possess, talent can often dissolve into obscurity without drive.

According to Jackson, however, it seems as though the Grizzlies have an influx of both in tow heading into the new season.

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