MasterGMer wrote:Jaren Jackson Jr is very intriguing. A defensive big that can protect the rim. But is Memphis going to rebuild? Or are they selling off all their core including Ja?
We will see. JJj is going to be a target the whole league is watching and mark it. The question is on the Grizzlies if they want to start over with the emerge of rookie Coward.
Idea of Jaren Jackson for most teams sounds better in their head than it actually is. Him Bane and Ja never achieved anything because all 3 of them are so fundamentally flawed. I wrote once in GB that Grizzlies biggest problem, and biggest problem teams face with max contracts on not- max-contract- worthy players is expensive compensation to fix their issues.
Ja couldn't shoot- they needed to overpay Bane, who is nowhere near max contract guy.
Bane can't create own shots = they needed Ja to make dribble penetration.
Jackson couldn't rebound or play C = They needed to always find two great Cs
Center + Jackson+ Morant = No spacing
No spacing fix = expensive shooters (Bane)
Final result= expensive first round exit team with no ceiling.
He has $50M a year contract and yes he is excellent defender.
ButHe is one of worst rebounders i have ever seen in my life. For that very reason you either need elite PF rebounder ( nobody in current NBA has one ) or you need to play Center next to him.
Once you slot him at PF, his ugly a** offense becomes jarring and hurts your team.
He is 6'10 guy who is too slow to attack off dribble, too unskilled to play with back to basket, unrealiable shooter to have him at spot ups.
How impossible he is to use is best viewed in playoffs. 52,3% TS player on 23% usage & 16 ppg. Last year vs OKC they had him isolated on elbow on 6'2 Caruso, and what he did? Whooped his way to a rim? Nop. Always tried to dribble around guy who is foot shoter and gives up like 60 pounds. Every possession was turnover.
Jaren Jackson jr is not that much better or different player than Okongwu, who plays for like 30% of his contract, doesn't have ego, has no issues playing off bench and actually can rebound to play C from time to time.
If you look at some of Grizzlies stats early in season, Coward is already more impactful than both Morant and Jackson
Jackson simply isn't worth that money. Fastest way to new rebuild is to overpay role players. Jackson might be in DPOY conversations, but many DPOY players don't make nowhere near max contracts. Dyson Daniels plays for $25M , Zubac plays for $18M, Camara $20M etc.
Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. -John Lennon
