Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. came into the 2023 FIBA World Cup branded as Team USA’s standout contributor though, during these early stages of meaningful action, it appears he’s struggled a bit with his on-court play, particularly on the less glamorous side of the ball.
In their first bout against Team New Zealand on Saturday, the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year surprisingly fouled out with 5:55 remaining in the fourth period. Though he put forth many impressive defensive efforts — including racking up two blocks in the first half alone –, his struggles to avoid hacking have been put on notice by many of his cohorts, including the club’s head coach, Steve Kerr.
Steve Kerr, Anthony Edwards dish on Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr.’s foul troubles
When discussing the big’s struggles, Kerr suggested that he’s unsurprised by such happenings here during the World Cup, as he has noticed Jackson’s propensity to rack up fouls even when playing with the Grizzlies in the NBA.
"“He’s foul-prone in the NBA,” Kerr said of Jackson. “So, there’s always one or two plays where you just want him to let it go, because he’s too important to us. So we share those clips and just remind him sometimes the best play is to just let the guy go and don’t pick up the foul.”"
Anthony Edwards on their performance vs. NZ, playing with pace, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Austin Reaves: pic.twitter.com/ZQxRj2B3UI
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) August 27, 2023
As noted, Kerr is not the only member of Team USA to have called out the Grizzlies star for his fouling troubles, as his World Cup running mate and Minnesota Timberwolves cornerstone Anthony Edwards recently told Joe Viray of SB Nation that the entire team has voiced their concerns about his costly miscues.
"“We get on him all the time about fouling,” Edwards said. “We trying to keep him out of foul trouble cause we know we gonna need him.”"
Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. responds to foul criticisms
Naturally, such chatter has made its way back to the likes of Jackson, who recently responded on the matter by noting that he’s not going to change his way of playing due to these public criticisms.
"“If I’m gonna be less aggressive, I’m gonna have less blocks, I’m gonna bring less rim protection, and [I’m gonna] have less fouls with all that. Pick one or the other. Which one do you want? Do you want me to be great or not?”"
Despite being one of the best defensive presences in the game today, Kerr and Edwards both have fair gripes when it comes to the negative effects of his self-described aggressive play. This past season, the Grizzlies stud averaged the most personal fouls per contest out of those who played 50 or more games (3.6) and racked up a whopping 227 in total.
Nevertheless, Jackson seems to believe his track record should give him the benefit of the doubt, and fans of both Memphis and Team USA are hoping he can find a way to work on such hiccups while continuing to provide top-notch efforts on defense.
3 FIBA World Cup players Grizzlies must consider trades for
During this year's FIBA World Cup, there are a few players participating that the Memphis Grizzlies should consider entering trade negotiations for.