Memphis Grizzlies: GG Jackson Inks New Four-Year Deal
In the midst of an injury-riddled, let down of a season, the Memphis Grizzlies still have something to be optimistic about.
GG Jackson – the Grizzlies' 45th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft – has been playing to a high degree after being called up from the G League in early January.
And after securing a 27-point, nine-rebound performance on Thursday night, Memphis signed the 19-year-old forward to a standard four-year contract – with financial terms not released to the public.
Jackson seemed to have truly been slighted on draft night last June. A 15.4-point per game scorer in college, the former Gamecock's stock descended due to concerns of efficiency. And while any advocated for him to stay in Columbia for another year of collegiate experience, he decided to take that leap.
Registering 19 minutes across four games throughout the first three months of the season saw Jackson spend much of his time with the Memphis Hustle. There, the 6-foot-9 rookie was highly productive in six games – generating 19.3 points on 50.6% shooting while adding 7.7 rebounds in 36.7 minutes.
Seeing Jackson record these numbers, and with a ton of scoring power sidelined to injury, the Grizzlies called him up from the Hustle on Jan. 9.
He saw just 11 minutes in his first two outings, producing four points on some fairly inefficient shooting numbers, though a small sample size.
But the next game is where he began to flourish, and hasn't seem to take his pedal off the gas. A 20-point performance, and contradicting those inefficiency discussions with a 64.3% shooting night, his 27 minutes versus the New York Knicks gave Memphis' coaching staff and front office a glimpse as to what he really might be capable of.
And directly after that outing, he went to notch 23 points on 6-of-9 from the field to help the Grizzlies edge out the Golden State Warriors.
His consistency in January – having 10.6 points on 50-46-73 shooting splits in 11 games – and his aforementioned outing against the Bulls ultimately dispelled those concerned about his preparation for the NBA.
And with his new deal, Memphis has a formidable forward to gush over for the coming seasons. As they get their health back in order, the Grizzlies will eventually be a team to look out for in the West yet again.
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