Tuomas Iisalo bet on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s offense. ‘a matter of time’

Traditional numbers do not tell full story on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s season until now, but no one in the locker room is worried about those metrics. Tuomas Iisalo Nor is he concerned about diminishing offensive opportunities for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. The All-Star’s dual willingness to sacrifice individual production for team success has become a a cornerstone of the way the Memphis Grizzlies operateeven as two different coaching staffs worked to find the right balance.

Finding that balance between presenter and scorekeeper it remains an ongoing process.

“It’s always about finding a good balance,” Iisalo said after the Dec. 7 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. “The biggest thing he does is defensively. With (Jackson Jr.) and (Eddy) on the floor together, it’s no surprise that we hold opponents to very low points. They’ve been huge.”

Defensively, Jackson Jr.’s impact is undeniable, forming a powerful duo with Eddie that has opponents struggling to score. However, these Grizzlies still need more than another Joakim Noah or Draymond Green from the new era to get past the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Fortunately for all involved, it sounds like Iisalo will rely a little more on Jackson Jr.’s offensive skills. now that Edei has entered the rotations.

“There are several components that make (Jackson Jr.) a great player,” noted the Finnish tactician. “He’s a very good perimeter player, a very good inside player, it’s just a matter of time before (his stats) are up again.”

Iisalo even admitted that he was Jaren Jackson Jr. has been overlooked by the Grizzlies at times. in favorable scoring positions, especially in recent games where the veteran striker found himself open but ended up watching possession develop elsewhere.

“I have to watch the video before I comment too much,” Iisalo hedged. “In the Clippers game, I thought we were passing (Jackson Jr.), like we weren’t passing him the ball enough. He had good situations in layups where he was open and we went to the next option. That’s something we looked at.”

Still, Jackson Jr.’s willingness to set screens and draw attention fueled scoring outbursts from others, highlighting his role as an unselfish leader who prioritizes team success.

“Jaren has been great in providing flow for us offensively, being more of a screen and someone who draws attention,” Iisalo explained. “When you look at other guys scoring, it’s because of the attention (Jackson Jr.) gets in those lineups.”

Jackson Jr.’s unselfish style has already paid dividends in the playmaking department, where elite vision turns defensive pressure into easy assists. This made Iisal’s job much easier.

“We have a guy that automatically draws double teams and a lot of the time (Jaren Jackson Jr.) plays with (Zach Edei),” Iisalo explained. “He can find it in front of the rim. I mean, for example, (against the Trail Blazers) after the first quarter, Jaren already had three assists because he’s finding open guys.”

There is perhaps only one downside to this new-look Trip tactic.

“(Jackson Jr.) really wants to play in the flow of the game,” Iisalo began, “but now I find myself asking him to be a little more aggressive in some situations.”

The presence of Jackson Jr. bends the defense even when not shooting. The Michigan State alum’s screening, timing and reads have become essential to why Santi Aldama and Cam Spencer are getting cleaner looks. These are just a few of the nearly 300 million reasons the Grizzlies are betting Jackson’s subtle, team-oriented game is setting the Grizzlies up for long-term stability.

They’re also betting (not really, it’s illegal) that sooner rather than later the numbers will reflect how much of an impact Jaren Jackson Jr. makes on a win.