With the off-season going on and the FIBA World Cup nearing, Grizzlies players continue to make noise. This time, it's reigning Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. The ‘Block Panther’ was voted the best player of the FIBA training camp by teammates and coaches.
The vote was by a landslide according to The Athletic. According to teammates, Jackson Jr. has brought the most energy and presence on both ends of the court.
It's safe to say they are not wrong as it's been evident in scrimmages that the 23-year-old is excellent at the paint as well as a phenomenal two in the pick & roll game. In multiple videos, Jackson Jr. has proved to everyone that he is willing to take on the main role on a young USA team.
What This Means for Jackson Jr.
For that kind of honor from his teammates, this is exactly the route that Jackson Jr. needs to take right now. Playing alongside some of the NBA’s best upcoming superstars such as Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson will do wonders for his game. Especially when you consider that Jackson has the perfect chance to develop his game as a player.
The main flaw with Jackson Jr’s game is he can be too physical at times and get into foul trouble too easily at times. With the FIBA rules, players can only commit five fouls before fouling out.
The World Cup is some of the more physical basketball there is as players get away with a lot of chest action. This will force the power forward to work on his timing when defending shots as well as learning to not commit the early ticky-tack fouls that could affect him in crunch time.
It goes without saying that Jackson Jr will be depended on as Team USA’s defensive anchor in the paint. Although, something that people should be on the lookout for is Jackson’s ability to improve as a perimeter defender.
He is by all means not a terrible perimeter defender at all, being able to hold his own versus some of the best players in the NBA. With a fast-paced environment such as the FIBA World Cup, Jackson will find himself switched on to some of the best talents in the world, giving him reps to improve greatly.
With the chance to learn from one of the most prestigious coaches in Steve Kerr, the young power forward will without a doubt walk into next season a better player than before.
Team USA kicks off exhibition play this Monday versus Puerto Rico at 9 PM CT on FS1.
Jackson Jr’s Potential for Next Season
Jaren Jackson has stated that winning a gold medal for his country is a great accomplishment, but his main focus still sits on the Grizzlies’ chances as a contender. With the 25-game suspension for Ja Morant, a franchise player in Jaren Jackson Jr will be expected to take on a very big role in Morant’s absence.
"We just gotta navigate it,” Jackson said. "Obviously, we know that not having Ja is a real big hole to fill, but, you know, he's not, it's not like he's not gonna be around. He's gonna give us all the tools to be able to get that done."
Jackson has made it clear that the team will be prepared to win games without Morant at the beginning of the season in the same way as if Morant was available.
With multiple acquisitions and trades, the Grizzlies will take some time to build chemistry as the team adds Marcus Smart and regains a healthy Desmond Bane and Steven Adams.
This gives all the room for Jaren Jackson Jr. to make the jump as an All-NBA player at his position. The all-star will most likely have the keys to run the offense whether it is low post or a two-man game at the perimeter.
Either way, fans should not be surprised to see Jackson Jr possibly become an all-star once again and a back-to-back DPOY winner. The key to that success is simply staying healthy, humble, and taking on the role of the on-court leader.
