The Grizzlies' first winning streak of the season was snapped at two games when the Denver Nuggets defeated them in Memphis. A valiant effort from the Grizzlies fell short after Zach Edey left the game early with a head injury. While defeating a Nikola Jokic-led team was already a tall task with the Grizzlies' injury list, Jaren Jackson Jr. was expected to provide a spark in his return from a two-game absence.
The eight-year veteran missed the Grizzlies' two-game winning streak due to an ankle sprain and returned to a team that felt it was moving in the right direction. However, his early-season struggles continued as he got into foul trouble again in his 11th game with at least 4 fouls, and struggled shooting from the field. Grizzlies fans are legitimately starting to worry that Jackson Jr. may not be who the team thinks he is.
Can Jaren Jackson Jr. return to his near All-NBA level?
It is fair to ask this question now, given the same mistakes he makes on the court in the eighth year of his career. His foul trouble has gotten worse, and he has only scored over 20 points in three out of 16 games this season after leading the team in scoring for most of last season.
The Grizzlies were a team-worse -27 when he was on the court against the Nuggets, in a game where they only lost by 10 points. The truth right now is that Jaren Jackson Jr. isn't very good at the moment, but that doesn't mean that he can't snap out of his funk.
There is no secret that Jackson Jr. is a much better player when playing next to a bruising and/or athletic big man, and he has only played 52 minutes with Zach Edey this season. Their matchup against the Nuggets, particularly, required Edey's presence against Nikola Jokic. While it is true that the player the team signed to a massive extension this offseason has certain needs to bring out the best in him, that is their reality.
Another big man Jackson Jr. has notoriously played well with throughout his career is the super-athletic Brandon Clarke, who won't return to the court until at least the end of December, and most likely in January. Jaren Jackson Jr. isn't a true big man despite his size, and the team already knows that. So, his early struggles will have to wait until the team can consistently get the bigs he plays well next to back on the court.