NEW YORK — Jaren Jackson Jr. has a breathtakingly high ceiling, but his focus on the smaller details of the game is what makes him a tantalizing prospect. After posting a career-high 36 points — including seven straight in 33 seconds to send the game to overtime — in a win over Brooklyn on Nov. 30, Jackson turned his focus to the defensive lessons he’s learned from Marc Gasol.
“You have to continue to do the little things, especially down the stretch,” Jackson said. “Continue to do the little things because even if your shot is falling, even if you are playing well, the little things are what is going to make the difference.”
It’s rare to hear a player hone in on defense after such an offensive explosion, but Jackson is a rare prospect. He is on pace to join Joel Embiid as only the second rookie ever to average 15 points, two blocks, one steal and one three-pointer made per 36 minutes.
Despite his ability to get buckets (which we’ll get to in a bit), discussions about Jackson’s potential starts on the defensive end. His rare combination of length (7’5 wingspan) and athleticism allows him to deftly help and recover in ball screen actions, as he does here.
The rookie isn’t limited to playing traditional drop coverage in the Grizzlies’ usually-conservative scheme. Watch here as Andrew Wiggins appears to gain an advantage by using his strength to brush Jackson back at the rim. Jackson is able to recover by overwhelming Wiggins with his length and blocks the layup with his off-hand.
As with most rookie big men, the Michigan State product has struggled with fouls, a problem that also he faced as a freshman in college — he registered 5.9 fouls called per 40 minutes in East Lansing, according to KenPom. Jackson has committed a foul on 6.3 percent of team defensive possessions, which ranks in just the ninth percentile.
There are times when Jackson can be overly-aggressive, especially with his arms careening down on offensive players as he attempts to swat their shots. When he puts it all together, though, the results can be awe-inspiring. Jackson is especially adept at recognizing that his man is setting what amounts to a token off-ball screen meant to capture his attention long enough for the offense to develop on the strong side.
Watch here as he notices Noah Vonleh doing just that and abandons him to cut off Trey Burke as he drives to the basket. An impressive play already, but Jackson makes it elite with a two-handed block that he recovers to jump-start the offense the other way.
The rookie has blocked 4.4 percent of opposing shot attempts — which ranks fifth in the NBA — and has been an integral part of Memphis’ jump to the top of the league in turnovers forced, posting a steal rate in the 77th percentile of all big men.
What makes Jackson potentially special is his two-way ability. As the NBA continues to evolve into a game dominated by positional versatility, the rookie serves as a beacon for where the game might go. He is a true stretch center, not only because of his ability to shoot the three (35 percent on 3.4 attempts per-36 minutes), but also because of his verve off the dribble.
“We believe that Jaren is going to be a top-five two-way player in the league for a long, long time,” Memphis head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Some people can do [it on defense], some people can make that shot, but we believe Jaren has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor and what’s scary is he’s just scratching the surface. His upside, there’s still room to grow and if he gets to that point, he’s going to be special.”
And special he was, at least against the Nets. With the Grizzlies trailing by seven with 33 seconds to go on a seemingly inconsequential Friday night in Brooklyn, many teams and players would have folded. Instead, Jackson single-handedly dragged Memphis back, draining a difficult three through contract, burying the free throw, and launching the game-tying triple from well beyond the arc.
At such an early stage, he has already impressed the veterans in the locker room.
“He is built for [the moment],” Mike Conley said. “The shots he made were shots that a lot of young guys wouldn’t even attempt and he didn’t even bat an eye at it. He went and took ‘em even with myself and Marc on the floor, he was ready to make those plays and he did tonight.”
It’s no secret that Jackson’s jumper is unorthodox. His release is more of a low catapult than the textbook eye-level load and his follow-through looks like he’s asking for a double high-five. Unlike many big men experimenting with newfound range for the first time, though, Jackson’s release is quick and fluid while his jumper is consistent, even when he’s asked to do more than simply spot-up.
Here, Bickerstaff employs an action that has swept the league to create an open three for Jackson. Watch as the initial back screen for Conley forces Paul Millsap to drop into the paint and frees Jackson to pop for three.
While three-point explosions have fueled his largest scoring outputs to date, Jackson’s game isn’t anchored beyond the arc. Despite being right-handed, the Michigan State product strongly favors his left hand. On his 63 Spot Up possessions, Jackson has driven to the basket 18 times. All 18 of them have been with his left hand.
While defenders may be cognizant of his preference, he can still exploit players who close-out too hard. Watch here as Rondae-Hollis Jefferson gets too high on the floor, allowing Jackson to use that left hand for a tough drive and bucket.
The rookie’s bags of tricks is deeper than just a straight-line drive. He pulled out a nasty, left-handed in-out dribble to freeze DeAndre Jordan and finish on the opposite side of the rim with the left.
This might have been one of the things Conley was referring to when he said, “Everyday, [Jackson] will do something and we will all look at each other and he won’t even know what he did. He has no idea how good he can be. He’s got a very high ceiling and we are excited about him.”
Perhaps it was Jackson’s burgeoning post game. After just 65 Post Up possessions at Michigan State, Jackson has already posted up 70 times in the NBA and Memphis is scoring 1.07 points per play on those possessions.
Jackson has played 64 percent of his minutes at power forward thus far, largely next to Gasol. As a response to the two-big pairing, he has become adept at sprinting to exploit a post mismatch in semi-transition while Gasol spaces beyond the arc.
Jackson uses his body to pin Jimmy Butler deep off the turnover and creates an easy two-points as a result. These early post touches have played a large role in Jackson leading Memphis in field goal percentage with 18 or more seconds remaining on the shot clock at 63 percent.
For Jackson, the versatility in his game at such a young age has allowed him to adjust his style of play for the matchup.
“It is kind of just whatever I am feeling and however they are guarding me and who is guarding me,” Jackson said. “I try to feel it out, game to game. It is dependent on who the matchup is.”
But for teammates, it’s a sign of bigger things to come.
“He’s got what not a lot of people have, that ability to block out everything and do what is necessary,” Conley said. “If we needed a block tonight, he would have got a block. If we needed a charge, anything, he’s that kind of guy.”
Other Grizzlies can focus on the bigger picture. As Jackson continues to adjust to the NBA, he will continue to find comfort in the little things.
