The Memphis Grizzlies may be a franchise headlined by the generational talent that is Ja Morant, but their status as a legitimate title threat coming into 2023-24 is not a result of just one man. Rather, it’s due to the cohesive collection of ballers that surround the point guard, and easily his most notable rotational advisory is big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
Throughout their four-year tenure running alongside one another, they’ve gone on to become one of the more challenging one-two punches for opposing clubs to square off against and their cumulative accolades of three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive selections, and an All-NBA nod along with three postseason berths only strengthens said sentiment.
Now, heading into year five, it appears the expectation is for them to remain atop the charts as one of the game’s best pairs, especially when compared to other youngsters, as Brad Botkin of CBS Sports recently ranked Morant and Jackson as the top duo under the age of 25.
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. rank as the top duo under 25 years old
"“By far the most established duo on this list, it’s hard to believe that Morant is still just 24 and Jackson Jr. is 23,” Botkin said. “Right now I’d say Jackson is on the short list of big men for next summer’s Olympic team. Morant needs to get his act together off the court, but on it, this duo has the Grizzlies — who also have 25-year-old Desmond bane — set up for contention for years to come.”"
🥷 + 🦄@JaMorant x @jarenjacksonjr pic.twitter.com/oQdwa5q1WH
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 22, 2022
Both Morant and Jackson find themselves coming off perhaps their best seasons as members of the Memphis Grizzlies, as the former posted 26.2 points, 8.1 assists (career-high), and 5.9 rebounds (career-high) per game while the latter put up career-high averages in points (18.6), rebounds (6.8), and blocks (3.0).
The big man would also finish the year with his second-consecutive blocks-champion title as well as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
3 untouchable Memphis Grizzlies not named Ja Morant
There are three players on the Memphis Grizzlies roster not named Ja Morant that should be considered untouchable commodities.