Jaren Jackson Jr. believes Grizzlies' veteran swag has championship ceiling
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Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies have returned to form as one of the better teams in the Western Conference. And the defensive star has one reason to explain why the team has a ceiling of competing for an NBA championship.
Jackson Jr. spoke live on ESPN’s NBA Today show with reporter Malika Andrews, explaining why he believes the Grizzlies have a chance at a title. For him, he attributes it to the team’s veteran swag that has grown over the years they have played in the playoffs.
“You don’t see us with the mobs at the post-game interviews, and you don’t see us going absolutely crazy with everything, but it’s still there. The swag’s still there. The swag’s never gonna go anywhere,” Jackson Jr. said.
“We’re just a little bit older, so it’s kind of like a ‘vet’ swag. We’re putting that together now.”
How Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies have returned to form in West
Having missed the postseason last year with a 27-55 record, Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies made sure to get back on track with winning games.
The team has a 26-15 record on the season, holding the third seed in the Western Conference standings. They trail behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets for the top two spots.
They have the best scoring offense in the NBA with 123 points per game and the fifth-best offensive rating at 117.1. It’s the polar opposite of the dead-last offense (105.8 points per game; 107.2 offensive rating) they had last year due to the multiple injuries they suffered from key players.
Jackson Jr. has played a major role in improving the team’s chances of winning games. He appears to have entered his offensive peak as one of Memphis’ top scoring options, averaging a career-high 22.7 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the field and 34.3% from beyond the arc. He is also putting up 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.5 steals.
What makes the Grizzlies’ success this year significant is they’ve continued to win games without star guard Ja Morant. Of the 41 games played, Morant has missed 17 games as the team went 10-7 without his presence. He’s performed at a high level when he does play, producing 21.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per contest.
The furthest they’ve gone in the postseason with Morant and Jackson Jr. was the 2022 playoffs. After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the first round, they lost to eventual champions Golden State in a six-game series during the West semis.
After their last playoff appearance ended in disappointment, falling in six games to the seven-seed Los Angeles Lakers as the two-seed in the first round, they will look to make sure their next postseason turns out different this time around.
Following Friday’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies will face the Timberwolves on Jan. 20 and Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 22.
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