The need for more on-ball usage for Cedric Coward and more top-notch play from Jaren Jackson Jr.

Washington loses games by an average of 14.4 points so the Grizzlies better not keep this close, embarrassing themselves

Dec 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) dribbles the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) plays defense in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Hard work and commitment have been paying off for the Memphis Grizzlies as they have a chance to get back to .500 at home in a tune-up against the Washington Wizards, who have been the worst team in the NBA in 2025-26 (4-21). It’s their first home game since they dropped one to the Utah Jazz on Dec. 12, so expect greater attention to detail.

Memphis is 2-2 when coming back after two days of rest, yet it logs a 111.9 defensive rating at home, which is on par with a top-five defense. Aside from a few guys, Washington doesn't have the horsepower to contend with Memphis’ schemes if everyone does their jobs. 

Here’s what you need to know.

Keying in on Sarr and McCollum 

The main defensive responsibility will be containing Alex Sarr’s face-up scoring. He makes 56.5 percent of his attempts within 10 feet of the hoop, and 26 percent of his actions will be rolls to the basket. So the Grizzlies will need to play at the level of the screen, not allowing Sarr to capitalize on space. Most of his feeds will come from Kyshawn George and CJ McCollum.

As far as McCollum, staying attached to him is of paramount importance because he can turn into a flamethrower in a hurry. He has to be played tight when he is attacking through screen rolls, which is something he will do on a third of his actions. To boot, they should stay away from helping off him because he is making 39 percent of his shots off the catch.

Keep hitting the gas 

A prime weakness to expose is that Washington is the worst transition defense in the NBA. Part of that is because they struggle to score and are near the bottom in ball security. 

Keep in mind that the second-most attempts (18.1) the Grizzlies take in the shot clock come when there are 18-15 seconds left, which is considered “early.” They have the highest efficiency on those types of shots within the shot clock (56.7). They should be able to hover at the same efficiency while raising their attempts.

More on-ball opportunities for Cedric Coward and going back to Jaren Jackson Jr.

Coward’s growth can be seen from week to week, and one of those areas of improvement is his ball handling. He looked sweet, slashing to the basket in the team's win against Minnesota, and should get more reps against weaker coverages to build his confidence further.

On top of that, Jackson is coming off his best two-game stretch of the season, averaging 29.5 points on a 72.2 effective field goal percentage. When cooking the Timberwolves, a noticeable chunk of his offense started behind the arc. He is capable of boogie-ing past his man from out there, but his teammates need to make his life easier by helping him start off the catch closer to the basket.