In a time where the Memphis Grizzlies and their fans have to be feeling beat down by the news and even overwhelmed at times as the dark cloud covering the franchise that is Ja Morant’s impending suspension, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Monday was a breath of fresh air.
First, Jaren’s recent appearance on “Podcast P” with Paul George was released, and “JJJ” was saying all the right things. From his relationship with Ja Morant…
“That’s my brother though. Like no matter what, like I stand by my brother and I think that’s like the lesson everybody should take away from this….Everybody’s gonna say whatever but they’re everybody, and it never matters at the end of the day. It’s your family, it’s your brother. That’s just how I am. It’s not like a code thing, that’s my dog, so I’m gonna ride with him. He’s gonna get right back to running the league like he does, he gonna get right back to jumping over everybody. He gonna get back to running it just like he does. He already knows that, you know, he works hard.”
…to what the Grizzlies can take away from their loss to the Lakers in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs…
“I think getting humbled was the best thing for us. It’s gonna make us way more hungry. Hungry like we were Like three years ago when no expectations on anything…We got leveled at the end of the year so we gotta sit with that all summer. We’re done in May and I’m watching the other games, like really not happy, tripping. This is gonna be the best thing for us. We’re gonna have that edge, were gonna come back and and we’re gonna be so hungry. We’re gonna remember that feeling up until playoffs. We’re gonna get it done.”
…the entire 2-hour episode is well-worth your time if you are looking for a reason to be optimistic in tough Grizzlies days. Desmond Bane has looked the part of a leader for Memphis in the wake of the Lakers disaster, but Jaren – who was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabaar Social Justice Champion award and of course is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year – is a shining example in his own way. He’s nor abandoning Ja Morant – he acknowledges the need for improvement while wanting to be part of the solution. He sees the failure of the first round as a reason to return to the hunger that made the Memphis Grizzlies beloved in the 2021-2022 season, as opposed to the braggadocious stylings that led to them becoming among the NBA’s most hated squads this past season.
He balances interests off the floor (music, fashion) with on the court production extremely well. He supports civic engagement and empowering women while dominating opposing offenses and uses his free time to create, not distract.
But this summer – the first one Jaren has been healthy in the last couple – he will be giving some of that free time to his game at the highest level possible in the offseason.
FIBA-style play for Jaren will be highly beneficial (players can take the ball off the rim and it not be goaltending – 7 blocks a game incoming) but not just for his strengths. Regardless of the potential new styles of play Team USA Head Coach Steve Kerr will bring to the team, Jaren will absolutely be asked to build his skill set offensively – as a screen-setter, as a creator off the dribble, and as a secondary facilitator. Team USA historically has relied on isolation possessions offensively given their usually superior talent and lack of practice time together compared to international squads like Spain, but basic penetration off the bounce and kickouts to open shooters would in and of themselves be welcome sights for Jaren’s own personal development.
Jackson Jr. won’t be asked to be “the man” for Team USA like he likely will be in a few months for the Memphis Grizzlies. But through practicing and playing with some of the best young talents in the NBA and across the globe, Jaren should see a summer of growth in his game the likes of which we haven’t seen since he came to Memphis in 2018. With Morant almost certain to miss substantial time (a 16-20 game suspension feels like a safe bet) the Grizzlies will need Jackson Jr. to step up and be a fellow pillar alongside Desmond Bane to carry the burden of leadership as Memphis enters their title contention window.
Thankfully, after a marvelous Monday, Grizzlies fans should feel more than ever that even in adverse times, the team is in good hands.