GG Jackson's efficiency has taken a massive leap in year three. Here's why picking up his $2.4 million team option is an easy call for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Memphis Grizzlies have seen better days. All hope is not lost. The Grizzlies have some young, talented players and an opportunity to rebuild. Their long-term outlook is fine, but at the moment, they are not playing good basketball.
Among those young players, GG Jackson has been one of the most intriguing. He is a third-year pro, but somehow, he is still just 21. Jackson has flashed star potential, and picking up his team option this summer is a no-brainer.
It has arguably been the best season of his career.
Sure, Jackson scored more points per game as a rookie, averaging 14.6 per night compared to his current 12.0. His per-36-minute production, however, is identical at 20.4 points. The more significant development is efficiency, which was a major concern during his rookie year and downright dreadful in his sophomore campaign, when he posted a 48.2 true shooting percentage.
This season, that number has skyrocketed to 58.9%. That is roughly the difference between awful and fairly good, and it is an incredibly encouraging development for a third-year player.
Jackson has improved his shot selection and his touch around the rim. Interestingly, he is shooting a career-worst 32.7% from deep, which makes the efficiency boost even more impressive. If he can regress to his career mean from 3-point range next season, he will be hyper-efficient.
The Grizzlies had better make sure he is doing it in Memphis.
This is as close to a no-brainer as an NBA decision gets. Jackson's team option for next season is worth $2.4 million. In NBA terms, that is a pittance. On a production-per-dollar basis, it should be among the best contracts in the league.
The more interesting questions pertain to his long-term future. If he continues on his current trajectory, Jackson could be in line for a deal in the neighborhood of $25-30 million. Every NBA team wants to draft a player in the second round and be forced to decide whether he is worth starter money. Jackson has cornerstone potential.
There is no reason for the Grizzlies to get ahead of themselves, though. They do not need to have the long-term answer figured out right now. They only need to understand one thing: Jackson is one of the franchise's sole bright spots, and keeping him around for another year is an easy call.