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The Memphis Grizzlies are used to Ja Morant's needle-moving methods. His whirling dervish ways bring in fans and boost broadcast numbers. Despite missing 14 of 34 games, Morant is sitting seventh in Western Conference backcourt tallies. Grizzlies (23-11) big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has been the most available star in Memphis this season but is unfortunately not getting any early NBA All-Star voting respect.
Two former NBA MVPs with NBA Finals rings, Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), top the voting charts. Oddly, six frontcourt players have raked in over one million votes already while Shai Gilgeious-Alexander (1.05m) is the only backcourt option to cross the seven-figure threshold. Comparatively, Antetokounmpo (1.7m) and Jokić (1.4m) are leaving Jackson Jr. (103,142) in the dust at the ballot.
It does not quite make sense statistically but that's not the point of an NBA All-Star vote. Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Victor Wembanyama are behind Jokić out West. That result is understandable given the Hall of Fame resumes of James and Durant. Wembanyama is the next new seven-foot phenom and has an entire nation behind his campaign. Those are NBA All-Star-level names.
Alperen Sengun, Jalen Williams, Andrew Wiggins, and Domantas Sabonis are not. They are fine players capable of contributing to a playoff team, sure. None come close to Jackson Jr.'s production with the Grizzlies while shouldering fewer burdens on either end of the court. The Houston Rockets (Fred VanVleet), Oklahoma City Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander), Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry), and Sacramento Kings (De'Aaron Fox) all run through other options.
A look at the per 36-minute numbers (20+ games played, 20+ minutes per game) makes Jackson Jr.'s importance clear. He is sixth overall in points, just ahead of Durant. Morant, Anthony Davis, and Donovan Mitchell. Jackson Jr. is 0.4 points behind Luka Doncic in this sorting on 1.2 fewer shots per 36 minutes. If the NBA All-Star game is about anything besides getting buckets, no one was told.
Jaren Jackson Jr. can get buckets. Those 38 points he gave the Suns on New Year's Eve were hard-earned buckets. Phoenix was focused on Jackson Jr. because Morant (shoulder) was watching from the sidelines. Another 33 helped sink the Pelicans (Dec. 27) earlier that week. He led the team in scoring almost every night between November 2 (27 @ Philadelphia 76ers) through December 1 (25 vs. Indiana Pacers).
It's become the norm for a Grizzlies team handling business regardless of who is on the court.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies handling business
An unshakeable, 15-man deep Memphis squad coached up by Taylor Jenkins has been leaning on Jaren Jackson Jr. more than ever. The 25-year-old has been up for the fight at every turn while Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Zach Edey missed significant time. The Grizzlies, thanks to Jackson Jr.'s blue-collar consistency, have a better overall record than the Bucks and Nuggets. The Lakers, Suns, and Spurs are fighting for NBA Play-In Tournament spots.
Jenkins has been mindful of playing the stars too much, too often, or too soon. Jackson Jr. is averaging 28.5 minutes per game a year after logging over 32 a night. The Grizzlies also have 16 wins by a 13+ points margin, meaning stars got to sit down a little earlier than usual in the fourth quarter.
Being the most consistent player for a top team is All-Star worth in and of itself. Jackson Jr.'s long stretches of being the best player on an NBA court in a given night are examples of All-World level leadership.
Yet ‘Trip' is getting overlooked in NBA All-Star voting. Fans may not care much but the coaching staff should be able to find Jaren Jackson Jr. a spot in the NBA All-Star Game locker room. The 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year might even inject a bit of pride on the less glamorous side of the ball in the new format.
