Jaren Jackson Jr. had the best season of his seven-year career last season, which resulted in a second NBA All-Star game appearance and a second team All-Defense nod. The Grizzlies' star big man has developed into one of the best players in the NBA, but the criticism of his game from both the fan base and outside has been aggressive.
The former Defensive Player of the Year winner didn't help his case after a disappointing playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he only averaged 16 points on 37.9% shooting from the field. His unique game that mostly revolves around his ability to space the floor and attack the paint off the dribble drive is unorthodox, but has garnered some success.
Now, with a $240 million contract extension in tow, the whispers for him to take another leap will only get louder. This reality was set in motion following a list of the NBA's most overrated players that included him.
Bleacher Report ranked Jaren Jackson Jr. in their top five of most overrated players
Jaren Jackson Jr. ranked third in Bleacher Report's ranking of the top five most overrated players in the NBA. He ranked below Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, but just ahead of his Western Conference counterparts, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves and San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox.
This shouldn't come as a surprise, as ESPN's Kendrick Perkins made a claim that Jackson Jr. was the most overhyped player in the league, and wasn't a top 10 big man following his blunder in game 1 of their series against the Thunder. Jackson Jr. rebounded with 26 and 22-point performances in games 2 and 3 of that series, but it wasn't enough as the eventual NBA champions swept the team.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report mentioned Jaren's rebounding (or lack thereof) as a primary reason for him being overrated. At 6'10", he has a career average of 5.5 rebounds with only one season of averaging over six rebounds in seven seasons in the NBA. Also, his foul issues have been well-documented over the years and haven't consistently gotten better.
While the criticism of Jaren Jackson jr. is warranted, especially his playoff performances to date, the impact and positivity he has on the team is overshadowed more often than not. The Grizzlies are always significantly worse on defense when he is off the floor or out of the lineup, and he has gotten better offensively every season of his career.
He just outplayed his recent contract by a large margin, making his new contract a deserving one for a team that drafted and developed him. Despite playing seven seasons, he is only 25 years old, meaning the Grizzlies are banking on him continuing to get better. He has his flaws, as anyone does in the NBA, but the good outweighs the bad, and if the bad ever becomes even close to being good, then the Grizzlies will truly have two superstar players in the prime of their careers.