Jaren Jackson Jr. is entering his eighth season in the NBA and will be turning 26 years old before the start of the season. He is slated to enter the beginning of his prime and has the backing of the franchise, along with a new five-year, $239.9 million contract extension to prove it.
At this point in his career, Jackson Jr. has done everything he’s thought of doing individually. He’s a multi-time All-Star, All-Rookie Selection, Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Defensive team selection, and has been a fringe All-NBA guy for multiple years now.
Additionally, as mentioned before, he has a max contract to his name. “Triple J” has received the accolades and now the money. The only thing left to achieve is overall team success. Jackson Jr. has been documented several times stating how he feels like the Grizzlies, and he has underperformed in the playoffs.
Now going into the year with a new coach, a new contract, a new number, and a new initiative by the franchise positioning himself and Ja Morant as the sole cornerstones, it’s a pivotal year for Jackson Jr. The stage is set where he controls his own destiny and a big part of the destiny of the Grizzlies as a whole. It’s time for him to make that leap.
He has to become the best version of himself
Jackson Jr. isn’t the best player on the Memphis Grizzlies, but he is the most important player on the Grizzlies. If Ja Morant is healthy, he’s going to be the All-NBA caliber player he is known to be. However, he needs Jackson Jr. to consistently be his best self to solidify them as one of the best duos in the league.
Unfortunately, the Grizzlies haven’t gotten enough of Morant and Jackson Jr. on the court together. They have played 218 of a possible 482 games together in their career. That’s a little over 45% of possible games. Even when they play together, Jackson Jr. doesn’t play his best ball consistently. In games with Moranrt. Morant puts up numbers close to his career averages with 23.1, 7.4 assists, and 4.9 rebounds a game. In games with Morant, Jackson Jr.'s numbers are below his career average with 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists a game.
This can’t be the trend anymore. The Grizzlies are only going to be successful if both Morant and Jackson Jr. are clicking on all cylinders at the same time. Jackson Jr. has to consistently be engaged and a dominant force on both ends of the floor night in and night out. Grizzlies fans don’t want to see the Jackson Jr. that struggles with foul trouble and gets taken out of games physically and mentally when other elite bigs challenge him.
Most importantly, he has to show up more in postseason play. Jackson Jr. has never averaged 20 points or shot above 43% from the field in a playoff series. If the Grizzlies have championship aspirations, their most important player has to show up when the lights are the brightest. All the excuses are gone. It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for Memphis, and the conversation starts and ends with Jaren Jackson Jr.