The Memphis Grizzlies have several players out with injuries. However, they hope to have GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr. back “by the end of the month,” according to head coach Taylor Jenkins.
On Jan. 7 and Jan. 9, the organization assigned Jackson to a practice with their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. The second-year forward has yet to play this season after undergoing a procedure to repair his fifth metatarsal in the offseason. Williams has received no such assignments from the Grizzlies, yet. Nonetheless, he’s recovering from a Grade 3 ankle sprain after missing the start of the season with a shin injury. The third-year wing has played just three games this season.
Grizzlies Hope GG Jackson II, Vince Williams Jr. Back From Injury In Near Future
“They’re still on the timeline,” Jenkins tells reporters prior to their matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “I think their timelines take them up to at some point by the end of the month.”
Jenkins ends pregame press conference reiterating that the hope/expectation is to have both GG Jackson (foot surgery) and Vince Williams Jr (ankle) back “by the end of the month.” https://t.co/pxmRFJSzPd pic.twitter.com/lu28xtstwP
— Michael Wallace (@MyMikeCheck) January 11, 2025
“So I’m very hopeful that by the end of the month we get both of those guys back.”
Gregg Popovich’s Influence
Without having been at full health this season, the Grizzlies are still third in the West at 25-14.
Like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets –first and second in the West respectively –they’re young, their average age (25.4 years) ranking 10th. Yet, they’re obviously elite. So much so that they’re ahead of teams led by a two-time league MVP (Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry), three-time league MVP (Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic) and a four-time league MVP (Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James).
The secret sauce cooked up by Jenkins has them believing in the power of pace, space, and ball-movement. That these pillars would be their foundation is expected given Jenkins’s background. Like Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and others, he’s part of Gregg Popovich’s highly-touted coaching tree.
Currently recovering from a stroke, Popovich’s future as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs is up in the air. Nonetheless, what he’s done in the 28 years since being hired by the Spurs is popularize philosophies that people equate with winning culture. His emphasis on quick decision-making –shooting, driving, or passing within half a second –is just one tenet.
Getting With The Program
When Jackson and Williams return, this will be the biggest adjustment from last season.
Because they were in development mode, Jenkins tended to let them freewheel. There will likely still be opportunities for both players to play their games. However, Memphis’s egalitarian flavor will require them to sacrifice some individualism to make the offense more efficient.
At the end of the day, Jackson and Williams will only make it easier for Grizzlies to come away with wins though.
In Jackson, Memphis has found a scoring-minded star-caliber player with two-way upside. His 2023-24 performance included a dazzling 20.8 points per game in April.
Williams is his complement; a defensive-minded role player with scoring upside and playmaking potential. After the 2024 All-Star Break, he averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 assists, 1.0 block, and 0.9 steals per game and made 46.4 percent of his threes.
