Over the past few years, we’ve seen more rookie bigs show up and make a positive impact from the jump than we ever really had before. Not that there weren’t any dominant rookie bigs in the past–because that’s just factually inaccurate–but it just feels like there’ve been more the past couple of seasons. We’ve had guys like Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, and even Nikola Jokic step up and excel from Day One. Through the opening salvo of the NBA season, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies has already proved to be no different.
After only one season at Michigan State, Jackson made the leap to the NBA and in just 20 games, has already estbalished himself as a legitimate weapon for Memphis while simultaneously showing massive star potential.
Even if he never becomes a super-duper star, he’s shown more than enough so far to make the Grizzlies front office believe that he could be the cornerstone they’re looking for, especially defensively. Whereas most young bigs–*hacking cough, like the kind where people think you might be dying* DeAndre Ayton *cough–have trouble adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NBA, Jackson seems to be right at home. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he was the best defender in the draft last June, but it’s almost incredible just how seamlessly he appears to have transitioned into the Association.
The most encouraging thing so far is that he’s been able to keep up with just about everyone opposing offenses are putting in front of him and at times, force them into tough shots. He still has a ways to go in terms of technique and discipline but the raw results are looking really good for Jackson. He’s already showing the raw ability to handle speedier guards on the perimeter and stand his ground in the post against stronger bigs:
Once he becomes a more disciplined player, though, it’s pretty clear that he’s going to be really special on defense. Obviously, counting stats don’t tell the whole story and are relatively arbitrary, but it is worth noting that he’s averaging around a steal and two blocks per game while arguably playing out of position. Those numbers are almost as impressive for a rookie as his 3.3 defensive box plus minus rating, which is basically unheard of for first-year bigs.
Even if you don’t believe in advanced analytics, the eye test confirms that he’s well on his way to becoming a defensive anchor for Memphis. He has at least one moment defensively every game that makes you think, “wow, he’s going to be really good.” Like the play below where he makes a strong close on Danilo Gallinari, hangs with him through the paint and swats his shot:
Keeping Gallo in front of you and getting a block while not being called for a foul is almost like playing Operation, blind.
Another example below, where he sits down in the pick-and-roll, hangs with Allonzo Trier to the rim, and erases his shot from memory:
Those are just the flashy plays. What’s arguably made his transition to the NBA so interesting, is the surprising ease with which he seems to have picked up the principles and nuances of team defense. Of course, he’ll always be somewhat of a liability if he can’t learn to keep his hands to himself, but he doesn’t make the kinds of mistakes you usually expect to see from rookie bigs. He rotates well, he executes the scheme in the pick-and-roll, he keeps his head on a swivel, he fights for rebounds; he basically does all the little things that usually take guys a few years to understand.
At the very least, he’s giving the Grizzlies a weapon they haven’t had in a while. For a team that’s built it’s identity on defense, they haven’t exactly had a ton of switchy guys who could keep up with the demands of the modern NBA. Their best bet, JaMychal Green, has been injured for the vast majority of the past few years while all of the guys they’ve acquired to try and fill that role like Andrew Harrison, Chandler Parsons, and Wade Baldwin pretty much flamed out.
Jaren Jackson Jr is quickly becoming someone who can fill that role.
His defense isn’t the only thing that has the potential to change the dimensions of the Memphis Grizzlies, though. His offense–for all its current inconsistency–has the bones of something special. The big talking point about Jackson’s offense coming into this season was about the way he shot the ball from the perimeter at Michigan State. While there’s good reason to believe that his shot might never work the way it did last year, he could still be a game-changing offensive player.
The part of Jackson’s game that’s more intriguing than probably anything else, is the way he can make plays with the ball in his hands. His off-the-dribble stuff–which we’ll get to in just a second–comes and goes, but he’s already a pretty reliable passer from the low-post and the top of the key. Not only is he seeing the cutters, but he’s hitting them through tight windows and closing doors, like in the play below where he threads the needle to Mike Conley for an easy layup:
That’s a play that a lot of vets couldn’t make and he’s making those reads on a fairly consistent basis–which is the same deal for him off the bounce. He came into his rookie year with significantly more polished ball-handling than anyone could have expected and he doesn’t appear to be that far away from becoming a real threat driving to the rim. Watch how he takes the ball on the baseline, throws a nasty hesitation move at DeAndre Jordan and accelerates to the basket for a smooth finish:
Jaren Jackson Jr gets by DeAndre Jordan with a saucy in and out dribble move (via @GrizzliesOnFSSE) pic.twitter.com/be0gfaXji8
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) November 20, 2018
And the play below where he breaks down Enes Kanter off the dribble–which, admittedly, isn’t saying much–attacks the rim and throws a beautiful pass to Omri Casspi for the lay-up:
Jackson’s basically like Spider-Man right now right after getting bitten by the spider where he’s starting to discover all of his powers and how to use them.
It’s important to remember, however, that he is still learning how to use these powers. At this stage, he’s almost like an athletic, young guard; he has some of the million dollar moves to get to the basket, but he finishes them off with thousand dollar finishes. It’s a problem that takes a while to solve, but the solution is essentially just more reps. The same sentiment goes for his shooting, as well. Over the most recent stretch of game for the Grizzlies, he’s started to knock down three’s at a higher clip than before. Once he gets that down consistently, it’s all over for defenses.
Though his release is fairly unorthodox, it’s high enough that he can get it off over most guards without any trouble. Plus, he’s already crafty enough as a ball-handler to get around most bigs off the bounce, so once you combine those two, it’s possible that we’re looking at a foundational offensive piece for the Grizzlies.
That’s why the Memphis Grizzlies need to give Jackson as many touches as possible. He’s not super far from becoming a full-fledged cornerstone. The path for Jackson to get there is simple; a bit more polish as a rim protector and more touch around the rim are all he needs to become one of the most dynamic bigs in the NBA. Both of which are problems that can be solved with more opportunity.
From Memphis’ perspective, it makes sense to try and cling onto playoff success for as long as they possibly can with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. As one of the smallest markets in the league, they need to stay relevant in both the national picture and their local scene for as long as they can and the most surefire way to do that is by consistently hanging around through April. But the future is clearly with Jaren Jackson Jr. and the sooner they can accept that the sooner he can develop into the player they need him to be.
