Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 65th game, eligible for NBA postseason honors

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 40 points and led the Memphis Grizzlies to a road win Monday night, but it was what he did at the start of the game that mattered more than the eventual result against the Detroit Pistons.

Monday was Jackson's 65th game of the season, meaning he has missed only 10 games in a season where it feels like every Grizzlies player has spent more time in street clothes than an actual basketball jersey on the court. And because he hit that milestone, Jackson is now eligible for NBA postseason honors.

The NBA instituted new rules this season that require players to hit the 65-game benchmark to be eligible for awards and All-NBA teams. That also means the All-Defensive team, which Jackson has a shot at.

"We have faced our fair share of challenges this year as a team, but it hasn’t deterred him from finding different ways to impact winning for this team and just growth for this team even though we’re not getting the results," coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters before Monday's game in Detroit. "I think even despite what our record is right now, you look at his own individual growth and I think he has taken huge steps on both sides of the floor."

Even though he's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson isn't a shoo-in for a spot on one of the All-Defensive teams. Marcus Smart won the award in 2022 when he was with the Boston Celtics and didn't make the team the following season).

The Grizzlies' injury crisis this season has meant a new role for Jackson at center, where he has been asked to shoulder more of the rebounding load and often has to guard bigger and more physical players.

He also has been Memphis' top offensive option for most of the games he's played in. He has responded well to that expanded role — the 40 points against the Pistons is a nice reminder of that — but it also means he has to spend more energy on that end of the floor than he has in years past.

Regardless of how the postseason awards shake out, Jackson has undoubtedly been one of the few bright spots for the Grizzlies this season. With Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and the rest of the Grizzlies roster expected to be ready and healthy at the start of next season, Jackson won't face the kind of defensive attention he has dealt with most of this season. He figures to have a much easier time scoring when he's being defended only as the team's second or third option.

“The durability has been one of the most impressive things," Jenkins said. "A credit to him having a healthy offseason, the amount of work he put in, dating back even to Team USA and the confidence boost it gave him to take the next step in his game."

The Grizzlies (25-50) have seven games left in the season, starting with Wednesday's trip to Milwaukee. Asked in his postgame interview on Bally Sports what his priorities are for those games, Jackson had a short answer.

"Shoot, man, play hard," he said. "That's really it."

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. eligible for NBA postseason honors