Following a disastrous 2023-24 campaign marred with injuries, the Memphis Grizzlies have bounced back remarkably this season. Memphis currently boasts a 34-16 record, fourth-best in the league and second-best in the Western Conference. With a healthier roster and a talented cast starting to gel, Grizzlies forward GG Jackson believes they are bona fide title contenders this postseason.
Advertisement
When Chandler Parsons asked the second-year forward if he thought the team needed to make any moves before the deadline to be legitimate contenders, Jackson didn’t brush off the possibility of a trade. But he showed enough confidence in the roster as currently constructed and declared that he believes the Grizzlies already possess a loaded rotation.
“We can win now with our head of the snake, Ja Morant. I feel like we got the best point guard in the league. And the way Jaren’s [Jackson] been playing…it’s just how bad we want it in my opinion now. I feel we got the pieces,” Jackson said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
Jackson pointed out their troubles playing against physical teams like the Rockets. But the 20-year-old thinks that that’s an issue they can address in the games leading up to the playoffs.
A key element in the youngster’s remarks was the mention of Jaren Jackson Jr, who was named an All-Star for the second time in his career last week. The former Defensive Player of the Year hasn’t taken his foot off the gas after being the team’s healthiest starter last year. Even with Ja Morant back in the fold, Jackson Jr. is averaging a career-high 23.3 points while maintaining his status as one of the league’s premier defenders.
“We can win now with our head of the snake, Ja Morant. I feel like we got the best point guard in the league. And the way Jaren Jackson’s been playing, it’s just how bad we want it.” @_ggjackson & the Grizzlies are ready to contend this season pic.twitter.com/5wPTLk2VBE
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 4, 2025
While Memphis hasn’t dominated every night en route to their great record, the team certainly looks like they have a desperate desire to win each contest.
GG Jackson praised the Grizzlies’ roster from top to bottom
While it’s possible Jackson is simply hoping the team’s current roster sticks together, he also believes in the talent the Grizzlies already have. During his praise of Morant and Jackson Jr, the South Carolina native emphasized how skilled the Grizzlies roster is from top to bottom. “I feel like we have two starting lineups on our roster,” Jackson told Parsons.
To be fair, Jackson has been the main victim of the Grizzlies’ loaded rotation. After averaging 14.6 points and 4.1 rebounds over 48 contests as a rookie, Jackson has only seen the court eight times this season. However, as one the of the youngest players in the league, Jackson knows his time will come and it’s clear his top priority right now is winning.
Only time will tell if the Grizzlies attempt to make a big move to catapult themselves into a more dominant position. But GG Jackson believes the core of a title team already resides in Memphis.
