Grizzlies Star Named Top-Three 'Most Overrated' NBA Player

The Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, reducing their core to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., though doubts exist about their ability to elevate the team.

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley ranked Jaren Jackson Jr. as the NBA's third "most overrated" player, criticizing his rebounding, frequent fouling, inconsistent scoring efficiency ("spoon-fed stuff"), and underwhelming playoff performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder where he averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and poor shooting splits over four games.

Buckley argued that Jackson Jr. is paid like a superstar but his production doesn't match, citing inconsistency in availability and impact (negative net differential in four of seven seasons), limited ball-handling and playmaking, and that his value is primarily tied to defense and floor-spacing, making him more like a "jumbo-sized three-and-D wing" than franchise cornerstone material.

Former player Kendrick Perkins echoed the sentiment, calling Jackson Jr. "the most overhyped player in this league" and stating he isn't a top-10 big man.

The article acknowledges Jackson Jr. is the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year and a high-impact player, potentially slightly overpaid after his $240 million extension, but defends him, stating that calling him one of the league's most overrated is unfair and that he remains one of the NBA's premier two-way big men.