Jackson Jr. silences critics, spearheading the Grizzlies' surge with dominant offensive and defensive displays. Memphis rides his resurgence.
Jaren Jackson Jr. did not overthink the question, nor did he entertain the premise. After a brief stretch of quiet nights offensively, the Memphis Grizzlies forward was asked whether adjustments under first-year coach Tuomas Iisalo were contributing to his dip in production. Jackson waved it off. His shots simply were not falling.
The answer has aged well.
Jackson enters Saturday’s home game against the Washington Wizards playing with the rhythm and authority that have defined his rise into one of the league’s most versatile frontcourt stars. Over the Grizzlies’ last two road wins — against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves — Jackson has reasserted himself as the fulcrum of Memphis’ half-court offense and its most disruptive defensive force.
He poured in 31 points with five blocks against the Clippers, then followed it with a 28-point, 12-rebound, three-block performance in Minnesota. The outings came on the heels of a five-game stretch in which he had been held to 15 points or fewer, a blip that now looks more like variance than vulnerability.
Iisalo said there was never much concern internally. He explained that Jackson had been getting to his preferred spots throughout the downturn and that the production was bound to follow once confidence aligned with opportunity.
“Jaren’s been in his spots for a while now, and that’s why we’re like, it’s just a matter of time before he gets going, and he got it going against the Clippers,” Iisalo said. “He’s now playing with a lot of confidence.”
Iisalo pointed to subtle improvements in how Memphis is entering its offensive actions, particularly with spacing around Jackson, allowing him to attack mismatches decisively rather than settling.
“I think our spacing around him and also getting him into those actions has been better,” Iisalo said. “The spacing has been better and we’ve been getting more dynamically into those actions.”
The timing has been critical for a Grizzlies team navigating a crowded injury report. Memphis remains without rookie big man Zach Edey and has cycled through multiple absences at backup point guard. Star guard Ja Morant sat out Wednesday’s win in Minnesota with a left ankle injury and will not play Saturday.
There was, however, a meaningful addition in the Timberwolves game. Veteran forward Brandon Clarke made his season debut after a high-grade PCL sprain ended his previous campaign in March and a subsequent arthroscopic knee procedure sidelined him into December. Clarke scored six points in nearly 17 minutes, providing energy and rim pressure in limited action.
Memphis was also without sharpshooting guard Cam Spencer in Minnesota due to a personal matter. Spencer has been a steady contributor during the Grizzlies’ recent surge, particularly from beyond the arc, as Memphis has won seven of its past nine games.
The Wizards arrive with far less momentum. Washington has dropped five of its last six games and owns a 4-21 record, though there have been signs of stabilization with the return of key young pieces.
Forwards Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly both returned from injuries this week. Sarr missed six games with a right adductor strain before scoring 18 points in 24 minutes Thursday against San Antonio. Coulibaly, back from an oblique injury, struggled to find his shot but helped defensively.
History also favors Memphis. The Wizards have lost seven straight games in Memphis, a streak they will try to halt against a Grizzlies team finding its footing — and a star forward who never doubted the shots would start to fall.