How Grizzlies can give GG Jackson room to grow amid NBA Playoffs push
01/18/2025 08:10 PM
NBA fans enjoy fiddling around with the various trade machines available. However, there are rare occasions when the best midseason additions are already sitting on the bench. The Memphis Grizzlies are sitting on a success recipe already but Taylor Jenkins is about to have another 6-foot-9, 225-pound phenom available. Sitting in third place and riding plenty of positive momentum, Ja Morant’s Grizzlies are still learning but Memphis should find ways for GG Jackson (foot) to get comfortable on the varsity squad soon as well.
By trade or by trial and error, Jenkins must find time for Jackson when ready. Finding someone who can score 14.6 points, grab 4.1 rebounds, and dish out 1.2 assists in about 25 minutes of action for cheap is a challenge. Shopping for those stats at the $1.89 million price point is nearly impossible. The Grizzlies are about to get that injection of talent for free.
Jackson, assigned to the Memphis Hustle (G-League), gave WREG a peek into the rehab process and says being ready to battle the Minnesota Timberwolves on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a goal.
“The plan was for me to fly to San Antonio but I told the coach I needed a little more time to find myself,” Jackson shared. “If it's Monday that they want me to play, I obviously will suit up. If not, I'm definitely looking to get more work with the Hustle.”
Jackson is always smiling and the energy comes back to him in a big way. While the rehab process is a test of patience and endurance, Jackson’s support system is helping keep spirits up and edges sharp.
“The people that fix you up and give you treatment every day they're telling you, like just take it step by step,” Jackson explained. “(It’s) just the competitive edge, they know I want to get out there as quickly as possible. But like they said, I just got to take it one step at a time.”
The Grizzlies have handled Jackson’s entire rehab process wonderfully while keeping pace in the Western Conference. Rushing GG Jackson back made little sense. Frankly, this wayward path back to the NBA hardwood is nothing new for the 20-year-old.
"It seems like every new year I'm starting at the bottom somewhere, so I've kind of got used to that,” Jackson began. “But it always feels good to shock people again so I'm waiting on that shocker.”
Memphis is betting on those shockingly good moments to come sooner rather than later. Jackson has been around the team all season, lounging around the locker room and celebrating every play on the sidelines. However, not being able to get on the court is a divide that no player can scale while dealing with an injury. Developing certain chemistries requires being on the court.
It’s been all mental reps with the Grizzlies so far for Jackson.
“I was there for training camp but I wasn't involved,” Jackson noted. “Those guys already have built-in chemistry that I kind of have a little bit of just from watching and asking questions and stuff. I just try to take at least one thing from the game, the how would I fit it in that scenario or what would I have done.”
The two recent games with the Hustle were encouraging though. GG Jackson had plenty of energy (five rebounds) to go along with the rust (four turnovers). He wound up with 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the field in the debut. A second G-League game to shake off rust went much better from a statistical standpoint. Jackson scored 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds while going 8-of-15 from the field. Three big three-pointers helped the Hustle earn a 135-121 victory.
As for the plan once recalled to the NBA roster?
“I just don't want to be a liability out there,” Jackson admitted. “Somebody they are calling up for a high ball screen. I got to find that extra edge that, well, what Jaylen Wells got. I’ve got to find that.”
Taylor Jenkins has to find some extra minutes and it’s tough to argue Wells should be the one to suffer. The Grizzlies have time to sort out the rotations but Jackson is too good to keep on the sidelines. Any trade should look to free up some space for the former second-round pick to be one of the first options off the bench.
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