Forgive this old blogger if for a moment the fact that the Memphis Grizzlies have two names among the top vote getters for the NBA All-Star Game is bringing a tear to his eye.
Yes, Memphis has had numerous All-Stars in the same game in the past. And yes, it was the same two - Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. - that currently are in that mix according to the fan’s vote. But for a moment, let’s acknowledge how far away 2023 seems.
A lifetime, right? OK maybe not a lifetime, but still - it’s been a long couple years to get back to this point.
Thankfully, fan vote alone does not an All-Star make. The media and the players themselves get a say as well. But to see two members of the Memphis Grizzlies get some national fan love is still nice - even if they most certainly should be in the mix considering the Grizzlies are, once again, one of the NBA’s best teams.
It’s especially nice for Jaren Jackson Jr., whose All-NBA campaign got another nice boost from being named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for December on Thursday. It’s a well-deserved accolade - after all, as the press release states no other player in the NBA recorded at least 20 steals and 20 blocks last month. He’s a force to be reckoned with defensively.
But we already knew that - he is a former Defensive Player of the Year, after all.
It’s the continued evolution of “JJJ” as a two-way player that is why he’s a deserved All-Star contender. As the Grizzlies press release stated, Jaren is currently the team’s best offensive player in a season where Memphis is setting all sorts of franchise records on that end of the court.
Ja Morant is a superstar. When it comes to fan voting, him being on this list makes total sense. But Jaren is not that level of popular among the NBA fan base at large.
At least, not yet.
That is OK with Memphis Grizzlies fans, of course. Memphis is well aware of Jaren’s leadership both on and off the court - the work he does in the Memphis community and for women’s sports, the fact he’s the Vice President of the NBPA. He is the latest in a long line of Grizzlies that has come to love the city - and the city/fans of the Grizzlies love him back.
They;re very different, of course. Ja has his shoe deal, and viral highlights online. Jaren’s NBA career is much more quiet - but don’t mistake volume for impact. The Memphis Grizzlies now have not just one superstar talent.
They have two. And as NBA Trade Deadline deals approach, do not be surprised if the names of Brandon Clarke and John Konchar (especially Konchar) get bunched together again in a deal for a soon-to-be expiring deal that can help Memphis now while also coming off their books before 2026.
Because Jaren Jackson Jr. is about to be paid like an NBA superstar. And he will deserve every penny.
