Following Tuesday night's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies fell to 14-8 and a tie for third place in the Western Conference standings with the aforementioned Dallas Mavericks. The following day marked three months from the time Memphis forward GG Jackson II underwent surgery to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot, and it was announced that he would be reevaluated in three months on September 4th.
The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update for GG Jackson II. pic.twitter.com/yOaICQptrt
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) December 4, 2024
The reevaluation was had and determined that GG Jackson II will return in another six to eight weeks, which means he will play his first game of the season between the middle to the end of January presumably. Considering the severity of that injury and the bad injury luck the Grizzlies have endured since January 2023, his update is promising for a full recovery and return to the court before the NBA All-Star break.
GG Jackson was on @RunItBackFDTV this morning and gave an update on his timeline. Expecting a Late December-January return
— Bryson Wright (@BrysonWright3) October 29, 2024
The most important thing is that he comes back 100% healthy🫡 pic.twitter.com/a5SouktJWt
Reintroducing GG Jackson II
The 6'9" forward from the University of South Carolina was drafted 45th overall in the second round of the NBA Draft last year by the Memphis Grizzlies and began his career on a two-way contract. He spent most of the first half of his rookie year campaign playing with the Grizzlies' NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle before injuries gave him more opportunity in January 2024.
In his first real playing time that consisted of him playing double-digit minutes, he scored 20+ points in back-to-back games. Less than a month later he signed a four-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies as one of their bright spots of the season and as a prospect for the future of their wing position in the starting unit.
"Honestly, the most fulfilling thing about tonight was GG Jackson."
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 21, 2024
Chris Paul used to coach GG Jackson on his AAU team, and tonight they got the chance to go head-to-head 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JNxIfNiB1w
He later scored 30+ points in three games and 44 points in their final game of the season to close out a successful rookie campaign that earned him second-team NBA All-Rookie honors. His performance continued as he played an integral part in the Grizzlies' run to the Summer League championship game and earned NBA 2K25 All-Summer League First-Team honors alongsida longside fellow teammate Scotty Pippen Jr.
The hype surrounding GG Jackson was undeniable at that point as the Grizzlies fanbase started to make the case for him to be the starting small forward this season. However, he suffered a broken foot in early September, sidelining him for every game the team has played thus far and beyond.
GG Jackson had never played a game with Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, as he played a few minutes the game before Morant returned from his 25-game suspension last season, and was inactive in all nine games played by Morant. However, the excitement is there for GG Jackson's eventual return as his potential is endless for a player who won't turn 20 years old until December 17th.