Grizzlies
Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. did hit a 3-pointer as Jackson hesitated to close out on a pick-and-roll with 2:20 remaining Sunday.
Jackson stomped his feet on the floor and looked toward the bench as the ball fell through the net, giving the Knicks a 92-91 lead.
It was almost as if Jackson expected Bickerstaff to point toward guard Shelvin Mack or veteran power forward JaMychal Green to enter for him after Hardaway’s make.
But what the 19-year-old talent showed during the rest of the quarter made Bickerstaff ’s decision to keep Jackson on the floor easy.
“He was a monster on the defensive end,” Bickerstaff said. “All the shots that he blocked, the shots that he changed. They switched out to him with a small on him, and he kept the small in front of him and ended up blocking his shot – those are the things we need to be able to see.”
Jackson contributed a career-high seven blocks to a Grizzlies franchiserecord 19 blocks in the loss.
Four of them came in the fourth quarter, including one play in which Jackson found himself matched up with 6-foot-5 guard Allonzo Trier as the Knicks played a small lineup.
Trier attempted to drive around Jackson on the baseline. Jackson threw back Trier’s layup attempt, getting the best of his opponent in a moment that qualified as a test of the acumen Jackson must show to earn more late-game trust.
“Whenever you’re on the floor in the game, you’ve got to do what your assignment is, do your job to help the team win,” Jackson said.
“Being out there late, I knew I had to play smart.”
Offensively, Jackson hit all six of his shot attempts, including four from beyond the arc, against the Knicks.
Bickerstaff did not commit to playing Jackson in the final minutes of future games, calling his rookie “a work in progress” in that regard.
“He is putting in the time, coaching staff is putting in the time with him, and he will get there,” Bickerstaff said. “But I think what he did tonight at his size and his ability, there are not many guys who can do what he was able to do tonight.” Count Fizdale among the believers. “He’s a serious talent,” the former Grizzlies coach said.
Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercial appeal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidWCobb.