The Grizzlies are collapsing (ignore this win), but they’re still playing rotations like a playoff team. Give it a rest, Bickerstaff. No one wants to see Shelvin Mack anymore. Same as last year, it took them a while to realize that what they really should be doing is tanking. And see what that got them! Jaren Jackson. Hopefully they come to the same realization this year. And soon.
It doesn’t have to be a full tankjob. But it has to be letting Jackson get as many touches and shots as he wants. It has to be Ivan Rabb doing things with his pizzaface. I would demand more MarShon Brooks, but they foolishly traded him for a “win-now” piece in Justin Holiday. What the heck was that? I like Wayne Selden too, by the way. And don’t even get me started about how Bruno Caboclo needs to receive the keys to the franchise. But the other dudes, the veterans, they can still play. Just not very much.
Memphis commentator Brevin Knight basically spent this entire game demanding that Jackson get the ball more. I understand his frustration; there are times where it seems like his teammates don’t want him to score. Jealously, perhaps? The atmosphere and chemistry in Memphis is hard to read right now, but I wouldn’t be wholly surprised that Marc Gasol is ever so slightly resentful of the excitement surrounding Jackson. Yeah, those are some aspersions I just cast. Deal with it.