Jaren Jackson Jr. is best at power forward and more Memphis Grizzlies FIBA WC observations
August and early September are usually the quietest parts of the NBA offseason, but the 2023 FIBA World Cup gave NBA fans plenty to discuss.
The Memphis Grizzlies ended up being one of the most talked about NBA teams at the world tournament because of the play of their current and former players. Jaren Jackson’s role stood out, Dillon Brooks played like a man on a mission and Santi Aldama is no longer a name briefly mentioned in passing when discussing the Spain National Team.
Each of the aforementioned players felt strongly about their chances of winning the World Cup, but in the end, only Brooks’ Canadian squad received a bronze medal. Ironically, Canada was the last team to beat both Jackson and Aldama’s USA and Spain squads.
Brooks looked like he was on a revenge tour as he outshined Aldama in an elimination game, then put up his best performance of the World Cup against USA with Jackson out due to illness.
"I really wanted to play against Jaren Jackson, but I don't know what happened to him,” Brooks said after the game on Sunday. “I hope he is all right."
Here are some Grizzlies observations from the FIBA tournament
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a power forward
The conversation can be ended for now. Jackson is a power forward, and it should be that way for the foreseeable future. Jackson’s mediocre rebounding numbers may have been a surprise to viewers who don’t regularly watch the Grizzlies, but rebounding has never been considered a strength of his NBA game. Playing power forward alongside Steven Adams allows Jackson to operate as a roaming shot-blocker on defense and take advantage of mismatches on offense while Adams swallows up everything on the glass. Team USA never attempted to use Jackson in that sort of role, and that didn’t work out. Since Adams is expected to be healthy and Jackson will likely start at power forward, the FIBA World Cup served little indication on how the Grizzlies all-star will perform this upcoming season.
Santi Aldama’s offensive creation
While Jackson’s role wasn’t pleasing to the eye, the same can’t be said for Santi Aldama. Spain used the skilled forward in a variety of ways on offense. He caught passes off screens, got isolations against smaller opponents and stayed engaged on offense. A patented fadeaway shot also should be an encouraging sign for a Grizzlies team hoping to see more players create shots to improve the half-court offense. Aldama has a lot of moves in his offensive bag. Even if his defense continues to be inconsistent, Aldama’s shooting, driving and offensive touch are encouraging.
Dillon Brooks’ exclamation point
It was revealed early in the offseason that Brooks was unlikely to return to Memphis, but maybe there was more meat on the bone. Brooks shined for Canada and played well in a secondary role to Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Even though his efficiency has often been below league average, Brooks has an ability to create shots that the Grizzlies will miss. And on top of that, Brooks was named the best defender at the FIBA World Cup. A lot of attention in Memphis is on the Grizzlies pairing the last two Defensive Player of the Year winners on one team after acquiring Marcus Smart, but is that an upgrade over Brooks? It’s safe to say the Canadian star doesn’t think so.
“I'm the best perimeter defender in this tournament, in the world, in the NBA,” Brooks said.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies observations from the 2023 FIBA World Cup tournament
