Two games remain in the regular season for the Memphis Grizzlies, and the play-in tournament feels like their likely outcome after spending the majority of the season battling within the top five. Their recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves marked their eighth consecutive loss to a Western Conference team with a winning record and fourth-straight home loss.
The Grizzlies' downfall in the second half of the season has been their defense, and it showed why in the third quarter against the Timberwolves. They led 72-67 at halftime but allowed a 52-point scoring quarter from Minnesota to trail 119-97 heading into the fourth quarter.
Another stat that lingered was the rebounding battle, as they lost 41-33 with one of their stars only grabbing one board. That stat, among others, are lingering issues the Grizzlies can't seem to overcome as the regular season winds down to postseason play.
Jaren Jackson Jr. playing center isn't sustainable at the moment
The Grizzlies have a depleted big man depth with the season-ending injury to Brandon Clarke and the finesse nature of Santi Aldama fitting more of a wing style of play. Clarke was the team's backup center, but now that belongs to Jackson Jr. as Marvin Bagley III and Jay Huff have been ineffective on the defensive end when they play those minutes.
In the past, the Grizzlies thrived with Jackson Jr. at center when Brandon Clarke was on the floor with him because of their switchability on defense. Clarke is also a plus-rebounder, meaning Jaren Jackson Jr. can play his roaming style defense without having to worry about getting the boards, too.
Santi Aldama and Zach Edey have those roles now, making the Grizzlies lose their advantage of matching up with nearly any lineup. While Edey and Aldama lead the team in rebounds per game, their defense leaves a lot to be desired, making Jackson Jr. have to do more, which limits the energy he has on the offensive end of the floor.
The Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage of the Grizzlies' misfortunes by using picks to attack Edey and Aldama with Anthony Edwards, and he destroyed them to the tune of 44 points through three quarters. Jaren Jackson Jr.'s playing style is fit to play next to another big that can not only eliminate his rebounding weakness but can also hold their own in pick-and-roll coverage.
Regardless of his rebounding ability, one rebound in 37 minutes of playing time against Minnesota is unacceptable and represented Jaren's lowest rebounding total in a game this season.