Where Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr.'s Grizzlies are getting bullied in 2025

03/24/2025 05:43 PM

It is getting hard to ignore how the fifth-placed Memphis Grizzlies have been getting bullied off of the boards and out of the paint recently. Unfortunately, Santi Aldama is more of a sharpshooting, backdoor-cutting swingman who cannot be counted on to come up with rebounds or rim protection consistently. Thankfully, the fix is straightforward. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey are being tasked with stemming the paint-threatening tide before the NBA Playoffs begin. Those two twin towers are the Grizzlies’ last hope now that Brandon Clarke (PCL) has been ruled out for the season.

Taylor Jenkins knows the team cannot put everything on their NBA Defensive Player of the Year’s shoulders when it comes to clearing boards. However, the franchise’s record holder for wins is not worried about the All-Star’s effort following an ankle injury.

“(Jackson Jr.) obviously had a couple of tough ones here on the road trip so far. Teams are definitely loading up on him,” Jenkins noted. “It's just, you know, him put in the work. He is relentless in his work and is getting back into his rhythm and in his groove. Obviously, we lean on him a lot offensively and defensively, so I don't doubt that he is going to get back into it sooner rather than later with the work he is putting in.”

With Brandon Clarke out for the season, Santi Aldama and Zach Edey must start boxing out and bullying opposing power forwards more often. The Grizzlies need Jaren Jackson Jr. freed up to clean up other mistakes and contribute on the offensive end. Failing to rebound with force collectively will lead to more than a few first-round frustrations individually. The stats show a team losing strength down the stretch, (per NBA.com as of March 24).

• Rebounds per Game
  • Season: 47.4 (2nd)
  • 2025: 46.3 (3rd)
  • Last 15: 45.6 (7th)
  • Last 5: 44.8 (7th)
• Blocks per Game
  • Season: 5.9 (3rd)
  • 2025: 5.3 (7th)
  • Last 15: 5.3 (7th)
  • Last 5: 4.6 (19th)

Zach Edey is averaging 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in 20.6 minutes per game and should get more time with Clarke out. Team-wide those stats are trending down though, suggesting a regression back to the mean for Memphis. The Grizzlies cannot blame the recent lack of production completely on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s ankle injury either. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate only missed five games, not including the early exit on March 3.

Swarming the paint and squeezing out extra possessions would go a long way in papering over some other problems. The Grizzlies are getting 3.5 offensive rebounds, 3.1 second-chance points, and 6.9 points in the paint from Edey. Jenkins will not have the rookie ramped up to a full 36 minutes per game in the NBA Playoffs but an increase to 25-28 a night is not out of the question.

Could Edey scale up the shooting volume while avoiding undisciplined fouls in pursuit of postseason double-double averages? There is no better time to find out than the last 10 games of the regular season.

• Points in the Paint
  • Season: 56.8 (2nd)
  • 2025: 56.9 (2nd)
  • Last 15: 56.7 (4th)
  • Last 5: 57.2 (3rd)
• Offensive Rebounds
  • Season: 13.2 (2nd)
  • 2025: 13.4 (2nd)
  • Last 15: 12.7 (6th)
  • Last 5: 11.2 (10th)
• Second Chance Points
  • Season: 16.6 (3rd)
  • 2025: 16 (5th)
  • Last 15: 16.5 (16th)
  • Last 5: 13.2 (19th)

Plays to get Edey’s offense going are a secondary concern at the moment though. Everything positive will start on the defensive end as opponents have scored 20.7 points in the paint in Edey’s 20.6 minutes per game. That’s an unsustainable rate as the pressure ramps up. Pushing those foes further away from the paint should depress the shooting numbers though. Likewise, altering attempts around the restricted area can always be improved, especially given the Grizziles’ free points and foul problems.

• Opponent Field Goal %
  • Season: 45.7% (6th)
  • 2025: 47.1 (16th)
  • Last 15: 48.0% (19th)
  • Last 5: 47.9% (17th)
• Opponent FG% 0-10 feet
  • Season: 57.1 % (7th)
  • 2025:58.4 (13th)
  • Last 15: 58.7 (17th)
  • Last 5: 61.2 (22nd)
• Opponent Points in the Paint
  • Season: 48.6 (13th)
  • 2025: 48.3 (13th)
  • Last 15: 47.5 (9th)
  • Last 5: 45.2 (7th)
• Opponent Second Chance Points
  • Season: 15.3 (26th)
  • 2025: 15.8(25th)
  • Last 15: 14.3 (18th)
  • Last 5: 12.2 (7th)

The Grizzlies' defense, once elite, has softened in 2025, particularly in recent games, possibly due to injuries, fatigue, or matchup challenges. Their once-stout interior defense has eroded lately, especially in the last five games, where opponents are feasting near the basket. Still, Memphis excels offensively in the paint (consistently top-3) and remains a rebounding force, particularly on the offensive end. Their season-long defensive metrics (e.g., blocks, OFG%) show a team capable of stifling opponents when focused and in a beneficial matchup.

Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s upping the on-ball aggressiveness would reignite some offensive glass dominance, leading to easier scoring opportunities. However, the Grizzlies must address the 0-10 ft defensive lapses with new schemes or different rotations. Those are just two significant factors for Taylor Jenkins to juggle down the stretch. Regardless of how the standings shake out, now is the time for Zach Edey to earn some more NBA Rookie of the Year votes and a bigger NBA Playoffs role.

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