The insane impact of Jaren Jackson Jr. on the Memphis Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. has some flaws, but still has a ton of room to improve, too

Jackson’s particularly excellent at lurking in the paint as a help defender, and coach Taylor Jenkins has permitted him to fly far from his man in order to challenge attackers.

On switches, Jaren does a remarkable job of keeping his kraken-like arms high in the air while sliding with ballhandlers, something that very few big men are capable of doing. It’s a key part of his success. A surprising number of his blocks come with him barely leaving the ground.

Jackson’s lateral movement is excellent for a man his size, and it allows the Memphis Grizzlies to play him at power forward next to Steven Adams. Adams is a perfect complement. He’s able to handle bigger post players and deliver punishing box-outs to supplement Jackson’s still-developing rebounding abilities.

The scary part is that Jackson’s defense can still get better. He still tends to pop out of his defensive stance on the perimeter at weird times, leaving him vulnerable to blow-bys. And he still fouls a little too often whilst chasing blocks. As mentioned above, his rebounding still depends on athleticism, not on fundamentals.

But much of that can be taught, and it’s clear that Jackson has an appetite to improve. He’s gotten better every year. If his shot returns to respectable levels, then the Memphis Grizzlies might have the best young core in the NBA.