Why Tuomas Iisalo Can’t Expect Jaren Jackson Jr. fix ‘all’

The The Memphis Grizzlies find themselves in a precarious position. Sitting three games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the final NBA playoff spot, the team has struggled to find consistency amid a brutal stretch that saw them drop six straight games after return from Europe in arrears. While their recent win over the Minnesota Timberwolves provided a much-needed reprieve, it also highlighted a troubling reality. Tuomas Iisalo‘s too much depends on Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jackson Jr.’s performance against the Timberwolves was undeniably impressive. The former Defensive Player of the Year led all scorers with 30 points while grabbing six rebounds, second most on the team. It was the fourth time in the last six games that he has matched the Grizzlies in scoring, a stretch in which the team has been without Ja Morant and Zach Eddy. But the statistical dominance of one player, no matter how talented, cannot mask a team’s fundamental flaws.

The numbers coming back tell a stark story. Over the past two weeks, Jackson has grabbed between 9-12 rebounds in multiple contests, but the Grizzlies have still found ways to lose those games. The uncomfortable truth is that Memphis can’t expect its All-Star forward to clean the glass on every missed shot while simultaneously shouldering the burden of the offense. It’s an unrealistic and unsustainable formula, especially with five of the next six games coming on the road.

Iisalo acknowledges Jackson’s multiple contributions as carefully avoiding the trap relying on him as a solution for everything.

“I mean, Jaren helps with everything. He definitely helps with the execution, but it’s not just the execution; it’s also what we call the menu that we have on the offensive side and the defensive side,” Iisalo explained. “Things we can go for. Now we’ve got (Ti Jerome) back, we’ve got that connection, we’ve got some guys that have played really well offensively, and then Jaren’s package on top of that has really helped us.”

The trainer’s emphasis on the concept of a “menu” is revealing. Winning in basketball requires a variety of options, multiple players capable of executing different actions, and collective responsibility on both ends of the floor. Jackson Jr. provides premium ingredients, but he can’t be the whole meal.

“Defensively, (Jackson Jr.) also made some big plays, which he always does,” Iisalo added. “So it’s great to have him back. It also gives us a little more size, and we’re able to do a better job rebounding.”

With the final spot in the NBA Play-In tournament ever more out of reach and a challenging stretch ahead of them, Iisalo faces an uphill battle. Jackson Jr. can be the catalyst for a turnaround, but he can’t be expected to fix everything. The sooner the Grizzlies accept that reality and rally around him with consistent contributions from the entire roster, the better chance they have of saving themselves this season.

Jaren Jackson Jr. can tilt games. He can erase fouls at the rim, stretch defenses with his shooting gravity and carry the load when the Grizzlies are short-handed. But Tuomas Iisalo was clear about the limits of even being the all-time defensive anchor and primary scorer. Memphis can’t hand their season over to one player and expect him to fix “everything.”