By Thomas Grant Jr.
The 2023-24 rookie season for Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II ended on a positive note.
It appears the former Ridge View state champion and University of South Carolina forward’s 2024-25 season may have started on a negative one following an off-season injury.
On Aug. 30, the Grizzlies PR on Twitter released a medical update:
“While playing outside of Dallas on Aug. 27, after attempting a contested layup, Jackson II experienced an unstable landing on his right foot. Subsequent imaging revealed a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot, which will require surgery to repair.
“An update will be provided following surgery, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4.”
Reports indicated Jackson suffered what’s commonly known as a Jones fracture, with the surgery repairing the bone that connects your little toe with the base of the foot closer to the ankle. This fracture is not uncommon among NBA players and the length of healing depends on where the fracture is along the bone, how severe is the break (is it displaced), and what steps are taken during surgery to repair it (including if pins or rods are needed to keep the bone in place).
Jackson could return to action as early as Thanksgiving or longer.
The youngest player in the NBA last season, Jackson was the 48th overall pick and began last season with the Memphis Hustle of the G-League on a 2-way contract.
Jackson quickly moved up to the adult club, accepting a four-year contract with a club option of $2.4 million. In 48 games, he scored 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
Last January, he became the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 20 or more points in back-to-back games as a reserve. A month later, Jackson scored 27 points to break broke Kobe Bryant’s NBA record as the youngest player to score 25 or more points off the bench.
Jackson then scored 27 points a week later against Milwaukee, including becoming the youngest player to make six 3-pointers in a game. Jackson surpassed that mark on March 25 against Golden State. In the process of hitting seven 3- pointers, he scored a career-high 35 points.
He finished the season with a career-best 44 points, 12 rebounds and four 3-pointers in the 126-111 season-end. It was reportedly the first time an NBA rookie posted these numbers in a game.
“What stands out to me is just his ability to play within himself and not trying to do too much,” Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins said last season. “As you said it, every now and then we’ll run a play for him. A lot of times it’s him as a screener, roller and being a creator for us, but he’s playing on the second side a lot, he’s shooting with confidence.
The ball is finding him in good spots, the spacing has been really good. Then when it’s time to go and catch and get downhill, he’s got to figure out playing in crowds, teams swiping down, two guys collapse, creating some advantages, that’s all going to come in time. We want to continue to grow the playmaking for him but especially into that closeout situation.”
Photo courtesy of the NBA. Credit – Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images