Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. is coming off arguably his best NBA season to date, with the Michigan State product recording career-high numbers across the board during the 2023-24 campaign.
Jackson became a dominant force on both ends of the basketball floor, especially on the defensive end, where he earned NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors for the first time in his career.
Along with earning the distinction as the best defender in the league last year, Jackson was named an All-Star for the first time while imposing his will as arguably the undisputed leader of the Grizzlies.
Although everything is trending in the right direction for Jackson, getting in foul trouble seems to be a common occurrence for the Grizzlies and Team USA star.
But he will make no apologies for his intensity on defense, as he told Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Whether in FIBA or the NBA, Jaren Jackson Jr. is unbothered by his foul troubles.
“If I’m gonna be less aggressive… I’m gonna bring less rim protection,” Jackson told @YahooSports. “Pick one or the other. Do you want me to be great or not?” https://t.co/K4UlVISXDF
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) August 27, 2023
Great defenders don’t come without having their fair share of fouls, as they tend to take more chances on the basketball floor than other players, which is also why they stick out as much as they do.
As Jackson points out, if he wants to be great, he needs to come with the same intensity defensively, as that is what he’s known for, and that was never more apparent than it was during the 2022-23 campaign.
Jackson has also made an impression on Team USA as arguably Steve Kerr’s best defender on the squad, as he made his presence felt in the paint in the same way he does for the Grizzlies.
