Draymond Green singles out GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr. after loss to Grizzlies
By Mark Nilon
During a primetime, MLK Day matchup, the Memphis Grizzlies sunk their rivals, the Golden State Warriors in front of a raucous FedEx Forum crowd by a final score of 116-107.
A tremendous, overall team effort, Taylor Jenkins' squad saw seven of their nine utilized players score in double figures and had four register a shooting clip of 50 percent or better from beyond the arc.
Though franchise big Jaren Jackson Jr. was a full go for the team, surprisingly, his efforts took a back seat to the likes of Vince Williams Jr. and rookie GG Jackson II, who combined for roughly 40 percent of Memphis' points with 47 (24 and 23, respectively).
Following the contest, a vocally depleted Draymond Green ripped his Warriors for their efforts on the night, though found a way to give credit to both Williams and Jackson for their standout performances against his dynastic club.
Grizzlies studs Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson get props from Dubs star
"We got to take pride in ourselves. We keep talking about how, 'oh man these teams are hitting shots, guys are hitting shots that they aren't supposed to hit!' We're the Golden State Warriors. I'd hit shots against us too. Like I'd be excited to play against Hall of Fame Steph Curry, Klay Thompson. Absolutely I'd be excited. I'd make every shot. We can talk about guys who don't normally make shots making shots all we want. Credit GG Jackson. I don't know what his three-point percentage is, but he answered the bell. He had an opportunity to play against some Hall of Famers and he answered the bell. So you gotta give guys credit. Vince Williams just earned himself a contract. He earned himself a contract for a reason. "
- Draymond Green
Along with shouting out Williams Jr. and the "Player of the Game" in Jackson, Green would also heap praise upon second-year guard Jacob Gilyard, highlighting his shooting splits on the night as he shot 75 percent from distance and tallied 11 points.
As noted by coach Taylor Jenkins during his post-game press conference, an outing such as this is a testimony to just how effective and successful Memphis' developmental team can be when working with their young and raw talents.
With this bout now in the books, the Grizzlies have managed to rattle off wins in six of their last eight games despite dealing with a tremendous amount of adversity throughout this stretch.