The Grizzlies’ patience is paying off for GG Jackson

LONDON — GG Jackson has plenty of talents. Scoring instincts, physical tools, and a rapidly improving feel for the game all sit comfortably on that list. Accents, however, do not. Before getting into the patience, defense, and behind the scenes development that have defined his season in Memphis, it is worth acknowledging that even as Jackson sharpens his NBA craft, some skills may remain works in progress.

Beyond the joke, Jackson has carried himself with a positive, lively energy throughout the trip, pairing that openness with a growing sense of professionalism. He has been engaged, present, and comfortable in the environment, reflecting a level of maturity for a player still early in his NBA career. In a setting like NBA Europe, where routines are disrupted and attention increases, Jackson embraced the experience rather than being distracted by it, treating the trip as another opportunity to learn, represent the organization, and continue his progression.

Jackson’s season has been a quiet lesson in patience, both from the outside looking in and from inside the Grizzlies organization. For a fanbase that saw flashes of his scoring talent early in his career, the wait for consistent minutes this year has been deliberate, sometimes frustrating, but developmental by design.

After a 2024–25 season disrupted by a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot that limited him to just 29 games, Jackson’s offseason started earlier than most. He made a point of it.

“Well, guys like me, Jaylen (Wells), Cam (Spencer), we all came back a little bit earlier than others,” Jackson said. The focus was clear. Defence first.

“And just mainly defense for me, that was huge last year. I kind of was a liability on the court. And that was my biggest thing coming into this year. I didn’t want to be a liability. And being a young guy, second round pick, I know defense is the one way I can stay on the floor.”

That self awareness has shaped everything about Jackson’s progression. The Grizzlies coaching staff have not rushed him, even when the offensive talent was obvious. Instead, they prioritized habits that would hold up at NBA speed. Head coach Tuomas Isalo has been candid about how nonlinear that process can be for young players.

“Well, even though the production has come recently, the work he’s been putting already started in the summertime where he was in the gym constantly,” Isalo said. “With young players, you want to see the results right away. But it doesn’t always happen like that.”

There was a stretch where Jackson was doing the right things without the obvious payoff. No rotation security. Limited production. That was intentional.

“Even though GG was doing the right things, the results weren’t there yet in terms of rotation minutes or production,” Isalo said. “Because of this, it was very important for him to play with hustle in the G League. He got reps there, and then he brought back a completely different type of confidence.”

That confidence is now showing up both in the numbers and in Memphis’ lineup data. According to Cleaning the Glass, Jackson has taken a massive leap as a finisher, converting 78 percent of his attempts at the rim, up from 50 percent last season. That improvement is not just about touch. It is about intent and physicality, something Jackson alluded to when discussing his post injury adjustment.

“Coach Tomas stressed it not only to me but to everybody. Aggressive but patient,” Jackson said. “He always told me my superpower is getting downhill. Coming back from rehab, I added a little more weight, and I’m just trying to use it differently instead of floating around the three point line. My dad gets mad about that.”

Whether it is the NBA or high school basketball, some truths are universal, and disappointing your dad remains near the top of the list.

There were positive signs in London, with Jackson making a concerted effort to get downhill, either off the dribble or through well timed cuts.

As one of the top players of his high school class and during his time at South Carolina, Jackson grew up with the ball in his hands. That transition, as many high level scorers learn in the pros, is rarely seamless. But there are signs he is adapting. Watch how Jackson cuts with purpose and finishes strong at the rim in the clip below.

That downhill pressure has quietly transformed Memphis’ offense when he is on the floor. The Grizzlies are plus 9.2 offensively with Jackson playing, the best on off offensive impact of any Memphis player this season. For a young wing still earning trust, that is not noise.

Defensively, the growth is even more striking. Jackson has doubled both his block rate and steal rate from last season, with both now sitting in the 80 plus percentile among wings per Cleaning the Glass. That jump reflects the detail oriented approach he described.

When asked whether that development has come more through film or on court work, Jackson pointed to the balance between the two.

“It’s a combination of all those things, but you really have to be detail oriented,” he said. “Not so your foot has to be at a perfect angle, but knowing a guy’s tendencies, and knowing your own limits.”

The shooting profile is still settling. At first glance, the 29 percent mark from three looks like a downturn, but a closer look suggests something more encouraging. Jackson is converting 52 percent of his corner threes while struggling above the break, where he has hit just 15 percent so far. Given that his career average on above the break attempts sits around 34 percent, there is reason to believe those numbers will stabilise as the sample grows.

What matters more is that Jackson has carved out a role that makes sense. He is no longer just a scorer waiting for the ball to find him. He is defending, cutting, getting downhill, and making Memphis better possession by possession.

“And now he’s carved out a nice niche and he’s really developed in the process,” Isalo said.

For Jackson, this stretch is not about proving he belongs long term. It is about proving he can be trusted right now. The patience he has shown, from early summer workouts to G League reps to incremental NBA minutes, is starting to pay off.

Across the two games in Berlin and London, Jackson went 8-of-13 from the field for 22 points and finished a combined plus 28. The scoring is the obvious entry point, but it cannot be the only one. The difference was his willingness to influence possessions that did not end with the ball in his hands. He ran the floor harder, made quicker decisions as a secondary option, and stayed engaged as a cutter and screener rather than drifting to the perimeter.

The most accessible growth area has been on the defensive end, and it has started to show. Jackson was more connected off the ball, sharper navigating rotations, and showed a better motor to stay in the play. None of it was flashy, but it was functional. And for a player with his offensive ceiling, functionality on defense is often the difference between being in or out of the rotation.

If the recent trend holds, those games may feel less like a breakout and more like the continuation of a process that has been quietly building behind the scenes all year.