Grizzlies
somebody like that, so I was just like, ‘Congrats for all that.’”
True to form, though, that’s where the reverence ended.
“He said, ‘Yeah, man, it’s been awhile,’” Jackson recalled. “So I kind of just said, ‘Yeah, man, isn’t this like your 30th preseason?’ I love messin’ with people older than me. I just try make 'em to feel older. I’m the youngest one doing it (in the NBA this season), so I’ve gotta get on the old heads.”
Jackson looked across the locker room, mid-interview, and pivoted.
“Like Mike over there,” he said, referencing Grizzlies veteran Mike Conley, who celebrated his 31st birthday a day earlier. “He’s like 40. Happy birthday, bro – the big 4-0, ayyyyy. But they’ll be telling me I’m 12. So, if I’m 12, you’re a good 4-0, Pops.”
Minutes later – also, mid-interview – Jackson, genuinely interested, paused to ask Conley what brand his outfit was.
That gregarious side of Jackson’s personality is part of what the Grizzlies, who open the season at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Pacers, are counting on to help the fourth overall pick navigate the surefire roller coaster season most rookies experience.
The former Michigan State star and reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year already has had his share of ups and downs. In five preseason games, Jackson scored 13.4 points per game, showing off a strong offensive presence under the basket (70.3 percent from 2point range) as well as an effective proficiency along the perimeter (5-for-9 from 3-point range).
Meanwhile, Jackson managed just two blocks after averaging 3.0 per game at Michigan State in 2017-18. He stayed in foul trouble throughout the preseason, fouling out twice, and was whistled for four fouls on two other occasions. His 3.8 rebounds per game and 14 turnovers sparked a minor cause for concern.
Never more evident was the up-anddown nature of being a rookie in the NBA than two weeks ago, when the Grizzlies traveled to Atlanta before returning home for a game against Indiana the next night. In a 120-110 win over the Hawks, Jackson was 2-of-5 from the field for a preseason-low six points. Against the Pacers, he dropped 18 points and pulled down six boards.
“He struggled a little bit last night, but just being who he is, he came back and showed himself tonight,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the win over the Pacers. “We got him the ball down there on the block and he was able to score. He knocked down a 3. Defensively, he’s able to do things just to clog the paint. He might not always get the shot block, but the shots are changed when he’s around.
“Again, give the kid a ton of credit for being able to bounce back so quickly.”
In last week’s loss to the Rockets, Jackson was not only tasked with defending and trying to score against Anthony, but also the reigning NBA MVP James Harden and nine-time All-Star Chris Paul. In the second quarter, the latter of Houston’s three-headed monster drained a 40-footer in front of Jackson and hit another 3 on the next possession with Jackson in his face. After the second one, Jackson hung his head and his shoulders sank as Bickerstaff called a timeout.
“I’m emotional,” Jackson said. “Which is fine, but you don’t let it carry over and affect you negatively. If you’re going to get frustrated, channel it into something positive. That’s how I look at it.”
And that’s exactly how the Grizzlies, who plan to employ Jackson relatively extensively, have taught him.
“It’s going to take time, and all of us need to be patient with him,” Bickerstaff said. “His ceiling is extremely high, and he will get there. But it’s going to be a process for him. You go back and you look at all of the guys that have come in sort of at his age and most of them had their ups and downs their first year.
“But he’s got the confidence in his ability. He’s got the mental toughness to carry through adversity.”
Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies’ elder statesman at 33, has seen flashes from Jackson in the preseason, enough of them to be confident that his young teammate will help the team more than he hurts it.
“I like his game offensively,” Gasol said. “He’s able to shoot. He’s able to drive. He finishes with his left hand really well. He puts in the work. He wants to learn. He has a lot of tools, a lot of boxes he checks. He’s even created new boxes that we didn’t have before.
“The things that he does, he’s special. No doubt.”