Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) stretches prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Imagesimage captionMemphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) stretches prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) stretches prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
The Memphis Grizzlies are now on a three-game losing streak following a 117-103 loss to the Boston Celtics at FedEx Forum on Monday. The Grizzlies are in complete free fall right now, and star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. had an interesting response postgame when asked about the feeling in the locker room amid their struggles.
"We've had wins, we've had losses, ain't no reason to feel crazy," Jackson said. "It always could be worse, you could be homeless."
You understand Jackson keeping things in perspective there, but Grizzlies fans certainly do not want to hear that at the moment. This might have been one of the worst responses the 25-year-old could have given.
The Grizzlies have now gone 2-7 in their last nine games and are 8-13 since the All-Star break. You'd want a player to be upset about that instead of talking about how things could have been so much worse on a personal level. It sure does give the impression that you're waving the white flag and aren't too bothered about the season potentially being a lost cause.
Jackson may not be thinking along those lines, but that's what the response conveys. The two-time All-Star certainly can't be accused of quitting, though, as he put in another solid performance against the Celtics.
Jackson had 20 points (8-16 FG), 15 rebounds, one assist, and one block against the Celtics. That was his season-high for rebounds, but the performance wasn't good enough to get the win.
The Grizzlies have now dropped to 44-31 and look set to finish outside the top six in the West and fall into the play-in spots. They had seemed a lock to finish in the top four when they entered the All-Star break with a 36-18 record, but have fallen apart since.
The Grizzlies' struggles could also hurt Jackson financially. When Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the season due to deep vein thrombosis, the Grizzlies star became one of the favorites to win the award. If he'd gone on and won DPOY, he would have been eligible for a five-year, $345 million extension this offseason.
With the Grizzlies struggling after the break, though, Jackson is no longer in the running for DPOY. He is also at risk of not making any of the All-NBA teams, and if he misses out on that as well, then the Grizzlies would only be able to offer him a four-year, $147 million extension.
Jackson would go from potentially making almost $70 million per year to about $36 million. That is just brutal. Maybe if the Grizzlies end the season well, he'd make the All-NBA Third Team.
The Grizzlies take on the Golden State Warriors next at FedEx Forum on Tuesday at 8 PM ET. Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo is still searching for his first win, and it would be quite a statement if they beat the Warriors.
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