A horrible outing in game 1 of the Grizzlies' first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder has everyone still scratching their heads. Jaren Jackson Jr., in particular, has been taking on a heavy portion of the criticism after his All-Star season as the team's best player for most of the season.
He struggled with four points, three rebounds, and three turnovers on 2-13 shooting in 29 minutes of playing time. His previous low-scoring total in a game this season was 12 points, which was back in November. His draft class teammate, who was drafted two picks ahead of him, Marvin Bagley III, was the only Grizzlies player to have a decent game with 17 points and 5 rebounds on 8-8 shooting.
Jaren's performance had the Grizzlies' fanbase in an uproar with numerous arguments about his future with the team and playing style on social media, and it made its way to national TV. ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins said that Jackson Jr. was the most overhyped player in the NBA and isn't even a top 10 big man in the league in his eyes.
He specifically brought up his struggles defensively and rebounding, which the latter has been his biggest criticism throughout his seven-year career due to his 5.5 rebound average. He even responded to a Grizzlies fan with a list of 12 bigs in the NBA he would take over Jaren Jackson Jr.
While warranted, his criticism may have gone too far with the lack of a top 10 bigs ranking, and an updated players ranking list proved his opinion is irrelevant.
NBA99 ranked Jaren Jackson Jr. as a top 5 big
FanSided released a final ranking of their top 99 best players in the NBA right now, and Jaren Jackson Jr. was ranked 20th. Their list also gives position designations to the players as bigs, wings, guards, or forwards. Jackson Jr. came in as the number five big man on their list, only trailing Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Some notable players Kendrick Perkins ranked ahead of Jaren in his list were Evan Mobley (24), Alperen Sengun (34), and his first-round opposition, Chet Holmgren (38). The Grizzlies' two-time All-Star big has a career playoff average of 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 24 career games, which is a pause for concern, especially with a potential supermax contract opportunity coming up.
However, Jaren Jackson Jr. is still only 25 years old, meaning he hasn't reached his prime years as a player yet. Also, he has a Defensive Player of the Year award under his belt, made two All-Defensive First Teams, and two All-Star appearances in his career so far.
There is an argument to be made about his top 10 status as a big man, but his impact on the Grizzlies can't be disrespected, and he has a chance to quiet the doubters as their series against the Thunder progresses.