LOS ANGELES – If only it were that simple.
Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. wants people to believe his best performance of the season was inspired by a demand from teammate Ja Morant ahead of Monday’s game.
“Right before the game, Ja told me to go out there and get 30,” Jackson shared of Morant’s push to be more aggressive entering the matchup with the Clippers. “When you’ve got guys around you that do that . . . it just symbolizes what we’ve got going on over here.”
Of course, that wasn’t all it took for Jackson to emerge from a sluggish stretch of games.
But the plea from Morant contributed to levels of dominance and desperation the Grizzlies need Jackson to build upon. Jackson posted a season-high 31 points, five blocks, four rebounds, four assists and a steal in 33 minutes to spark the Grizzlies’ 121-103 victory over the Clippers.
He not only answered Morant’s call to action; Jackson also largely filled the massive void in the middle as Memphis faces at least a month-long injury absence of 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey.
The Grizzlies will need the version of Jackson Jr. they got in Los Angeles to turn around a season that got off to a 4-11 start. Against the Clippers, Jackson Jr. showed flashes of the rim-protecting anchor who won NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
On the other end, Jackson Jr.’s three-level scoring and attacking style were reminiscent of the 2023-24 season when he averaged career highs in multiple offensive categories. His 13 made shots marked the first time this season Jackson converted double-digit field goal attempts.
Individually, it’s been a struggle for Jackson to reach this point. Even with the Grizzlies (12-14) in the midst of their most successful stint, having won eight of their last 11 games, Jackson has endured an erratic start to his eighth NBA season.
Before Monday’s breakout, Jackson’s production dipped in December to just 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds on 41.4-percent shooting from the field through his first four games this month. Both Jackson and coach Tuomas Iisalo acknowledged that getting the two-time NBA All-Star on track was both a high priority and a work in progress within the team’s new system.
The evidence that emerged Monday provided reassurance entering a big, looming test. The Grizzlies wrap up a two-game trip Wednesday against the Timberwolves (17-9) seeking just their second victory of the season against a team with a winning record.
“He’s been working very hard,” Iisalo said of Jackson finding a balance and comfort zone. “The guys around him are looking to put him in better situations, and I think he feels very comfortable right now making those simple but not easy reads. On most nights, Jaren’s a mismatch nightmare. Put a bigger guy on him and now, he’ll probably fly in from the perimeter. Put a smaller guy on him, he can finish on the inside. If you double him, he’ll find the open player. So just learn to make those basic reads. Knowing where the other guys are going to be positioned has taken some time. That’s just normal in the process.”
Jackson had often attributed his struggles earlier this season to missing too often what he considered to be makeable shots. After Friday’s disappointing home loss to the Jazz, he admitted some of his touches were coming from different spots than in previous season.
But with Edey again sidelined and Morant leaving Monday’s game with an ankle injury just three days after he returned from a calf injury, the offense may run more through Jackson for now.
“My teammates give me confidence to just go out there and play freer, and not really think about anything,” Jackson said of building on his first 30-point game of the season after posting 11 such games last season. “We need to keep doing a lot of the good things that went right in (Monday’s) game, repeat some of those things and know you just have to bring it defensively. That’s what starts everything.”
Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells believes Jackson Jr. personifies the resilience of a team that’s been hindered by injuries and adversity from the outset.
Still, confidence blooms with each victory.
“When Jaren dominates, it impacts everything and opens things up for everyone,” Wells said. “We’ve got great leaders in Jaren, Ja, Kenny (Caldwell-Pope) and Coach. We’re so bought in. We all invest a lot into this on and off the court, and that’s what it’s all about.”
The Grizzlies now sit only a half-game behind Golden State for eighth place in the Western Conference standings. Jackson sees growth through the growing pains as the Grizzlies first try to battle back to a .500 record and then set up a late-season run.
“Every win is going to count, especially in the West hunt,” Jackson assured. “You want to put yourself in good position for later in the year. We’ve got a new coach, a lot of stuff going on and guys have been in and out. But we’ve been handling it fairly well, even though we’re pretty hard on ourselves. I think we’ve been weathering the storm. But we’ve got to keep going.”
The Grizzlies’ midseason journey toward stability continues.
Next stop: Minnesota.
Someone tell Jaren to go get another 30.