Grizzlies forward H. G. Jackson II suffered a “relatively serious foot injury” during Saturday’s game against Brooklyn, the coach Tuomas Iisala told reporters (Link to video on Twitter by Matt Infield of Action News 5 in Memphis).
“Very, very sad for him,” – said Iisalo “…There will be more tests, but it’s not looking good so far.”
Jackson was one of the first players Iisala used off the bench, but he played less than three minutes before leaving the game in the first quarter. After being examined by team doctors, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter) that it was made at night.
Jackson has played a role in the team’s surprising 9-4 start, appearing in 11 games and averaging 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes starting tonight. He’s shooting a career-low 37.1% from the field, but is shooting 40% from three-point range on 2.7 attempts a night.
Jackson was viewed as potential trade candidate before the start of the season, when Memphis faced a roster shortage with 17 players under standard contracts. The team started refusal guards Walter Clayton Jr and Micah Peavy to reach the 15 person limit.
The 45th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Jackson has been in and out of the rotation during his time with the Grizzlies. He played 48, 29 and 55 games in his first three years with the team, with surgery on his right foot contributing to a low number in 2024/25.
Jackson is making $2.4 million in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Jackson’s extended absence could lead to more playing time Taylor Hendrixwho scored a career-high 22 points in 29 minutes tonight. The fourth-year forward was acquired in February in a trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr to Utah.
After tonight’s game, Hendricks talked about how he’s managed to become a more efficient scorer on screen plays (Link to video on Twitter by Michael Wallace of Grind City Media).
“I practice it literally every day, and like I said, I just watch film on it,” Hendricks said. “Reads become clearer and when guys are in the right spots, it makes things a lot easier.”
