Halfway through the season, the Memphis Grizzlies surprisingly find themselves in the hunt for the postseason, sitting on an eighth and final playoff spot in the loaded West. They now hope that addition from the G League could help them stay there.
Grizzlies announced on Monday that they have recalled Josh Jackson, a former lottery pick, from their G League affiliate Memphis Hustle. Jackson made 26 appearances this season in G League, contributing with eye-catching 20.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He was also impactful on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks.
Josh Jackson broke into the league with Phoenix Suns, who took him fourth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. Jackson showed promise in his rookie season, averaging 13.1 points and 4.6 rebounds en route to NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection. However, he regressed in his sophomore year, struggling to remain consistent on the court, while also dealing with off-court issues.
Suns ended up trading Jackson to Grizzlies in a salary dump move in the summer of 2019. Memphis decided not to include them into their roster, and instead ship the 22-year-old to G League. From this perspective, it looks like a good move as he finally might begin to show his potential.
Led by rookie Ja Morant, Grizzlies have been playing some great basketball recently and are currently 22-24. They are five games behind Oklahoma City Thunder on seventh, but two games ahead of San Antonio Spurs on the ninth.
