What Jaren Jackson Jr.’s return means for the Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies: Jackson’s return could not come at a better time.

After finally playing a game together with their complete starting lineup, Desmond Bane will now miss two to three weeks with a toe injury. He will be back soon, but while Bane is out, we will see a lot more of Dillon Brooks and Jackson offensively. Hopefully, Jackson is up to the challenge so soon after his return.

In his first game back, Jackson started right away and played a total of 25 minutes. Offensively, he did not look great, scoring seven points on 3-14 shooting. He also missed all of his seven free-throw attempts. There is no reason to panic yet, though. Jackson did miss some significant time after all and simply needs to get his groove back, but he better do that soon because with Bane sidelined, the Grizzlies are missing a ton of reliable shooting.

Jackson’s primary role on this team is to be their defensive anchor, but he will have to get back on the scoring track too. While struggling offensively in his season debut, he did not look rusty at all on defense and even dunked, which justifies the hope that he will be ready to pick up where he left off last season sooner rather than later. By grabbing six rebounds and blocking five shots, Jackson had a great first defensive game of the season.

His ability to swat away several shot attempts a game might very well be the biggest asset he has to offer this Grizzlies team. Memphis went from leading the league in transition play frequency last season to sitting somewhere in the middle now. The same thing happened to their opponent’s turnover rate, which went from being in the top five during the last season to being only mediocre now, and that has impacted their offense.

Simply put; forcing fewer turnovers and grabbing fewer rebounds equals fewer fast breaks, and Jackson’s defense provides those opportunities. So, his return to the court and full health should increase the team’s pace on both ends of the floor.