The Grizzlies' season got a much-needed boost when Zach Edey returned to the lineup, as the team has gone 5-4 after beginning the season 4-9 with him out for the first 13 games. Jaren Jackson Jr. has particularly struggled after returning from offseason turf toe to begin the regular season.
Starting next to Jock Landale in the frontcourt versus starting next to Edey provided a difference for Jackson Jr. His points average went up over three points from 17.2 to 20.7 in Edey's first six games. However, he only scored 7 points in their last game against the San Antonio Spurs, which was the lowest he has scored in a game since he scored 4 points against the Orlando Magic on March 30, 2024 (minimum of 25 minutes played).
The most disturbing part of his latest performance was the foul issues that have continued to plague him, even with Edey back in the lineup to take some pressure off of him defensively. His issues with fouling have made him one of the worst in NBA history.
JJJ averages the most fouls since 1985 among current players
With a 3.7 career average in fouls per game, Jaren Jackson Jr. finds himself as the most foul-prone player since 1985. This stat includes players who have played at least 250 games, and he is tied with former NBA players Willis Reed and DeMarcus Cousins, who also played in the league after 1985.
Jackson Jr. has a ways to go to catch George Mikan's record of 4.2 fouls per game, but his trajectory isn't promising. He is currently averaging Mikan's 4.2 fouls per game record in his 8th season in the league. That average also marks Jackson Jr.'s career high at the moment, which is 4.1 fouls per game during his second season.
He averaged a career low in fouls per game last season with 3.5. But after a promising 3.3 average in his first 59 games of the season, he ended the season averaging 3.9 fouls in his final 15 regular-season games. His playoff average is even worse, with a 4.1 average in fouls per game.
It appears that his foul troubles this season are affecting him the most on defense, as he is averaging a career low in blocks per game (1.0) and steals per game (0.7). This is likely what Jaren Jackson Jr. is in year eight, but he and the team must find a way to bring the best out of him in the areas he is best at, despite his propensity to foul.