Despite holding a strong 42-25 record and sitting second in the Western Conference entering Friday’s game, the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled against elite teams this season, as noted by William Guillory of The Athletic.
Their record in games against top-tier teams such as Cleveland, Boston, and Oklahoma City is a disappointing 1-5, and they’ve found themselves trailing by at least 20 points in four of those five losses.
Jaren Jackson Jr. acknowledged the challenge of facing such high-level competition but emphasized the need for better performance, particularly on the defensive end.
“They’re good teams. They’re on a roll,” Jackson Jr. said. “We’ve just got to be better defensively in those situations. We can’t make excuses about anything, even when we’re not shooting well. We’ve got to be able to guard.”
The Grizzlies’ defensive lapses in these key matchups have been a significant factor in their struggles, even when their offense is not firing on all cylinders.
Jackson Jr. has played 7 seasons for the Grizzlies. He has averaged 18.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 394 regular-season games.
He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game and has won 1 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Wells, Edey, Williams, Allen https://t.co/OVih58jOlT pic.twitter.com/HrtYNZJoRR
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 16, 2025
