GG Jackson turned 21 years old in December, but the Memphis Grizzlies’ 6-foot-9 forward is practically an NBA veteran.
When the Grizzlies visit the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis, Jackson will be nearing the end of his third season in the league and playing some of the most consistent basketball of his career.
With Memphis being short-handed this season due to an abundance of injuries — the most significant being the multiple injuries to star guard Ja Morant and a lingering ankle issue with big man Zach Edey — Jackson has benefited from extended play.
In the team’s last six games, Jackson has emerged as an offensive presence. He has averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game during this stretch and produced season highs of 28 points and nine rebounds in a Feb. 21 loss at Miami.
He had 12 points, three boards and four assists in Friday’s 124-105 win at Dallas that snapped a three-game skid.
“GG has made big strides throughout the season,” said Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo. “We talked about it with GG during (the summer league). We said his superpower is getting to the paint. He’s been doing a great job of touching the paint. His (offensive) efficiency is (at a) career high right now. How he’s finishing in those situations is a testament to his hard work.”
Jackson, who missed most of last season due to an injury, has also been accurate from beyond the arc during the six-game stretch. He has made 12 of his 25 3-point attempts (48%), boosting his season percentage to 34.7% from long range.
Iisalo noted that Jackson has also been “playing way simpler” and passing the ball more effectively. He had five assists in each of the team’s games on Jan. 30 and 31 against New Orleans and Minnesota.
“Offensively, he’s playing well off the catch and finding the open guys,” Iisalo said. “He still has to toggle between the right amount of aggressiveness and patience.”
The team’s recent deal that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah has also created more playing time for GG Jackson, but at this early stage, he has yet to develop the same skills that earned Jaren Jackson the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2023.
“Defensively, (GG has) improved as a point-of-attack defender,” Iisalo said. “There are still some things that he needs to do better on the defensive end: being on a string, having that defensive awareness, rebounding better for his position. I think it’s very encouraging, the steps he’s making, and offensively, he has become a real weapon.”
Struggling Indiana hopes that the return of forward Obi Toppin will give the Pacers a boost. The sixth-year pro, who turns 28 on Wednesday, played Thursday in a 133-109 loss to Charlotte — his first action since suffering a stress fracture in his right foot in late October that required surgery. He scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes.
“It was heart-warming,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He brings energy to our team and our situation. It’s great to have him back (but) it’s clear this is going to be a slow process of getting him gradually up to speed. But we need him. We need bodies.”
Toppin’s playing time should gradually increase, beginning Sunday against Memphis.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there on the floor,” Toppin said. “To be out there, I felt really good offensively and defensively. Just being out there, I feel like I’m going to find my rhythm.”
