Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 17.0 points on the season, but just 9.8 points over his last four games, including six points against Portland. Even so, Tuomas Iisalo has been emphatic that Jackson’s value hasn’t changed. He’s anchoring Memphis’ defensive surge, drawing automatic double-teams, freeing teammates for open looks, and creating early offense with screening and playmaking.
Iisalo even pointed out how lineups with Jackson and Zach Edey are holding opponents to extremely low scoring numbers — one of the biggest reasons Memphis has won seven of nine.
So here’s the question: Do the Grizzlies need Jackson’s scoring to bounce back soon, or is this version — elite defense, playmaking, and gravity — enough as long as the team keeps winning?