It feels like the Utah Jazz are going to run into a Jaren Jackson Jr. problem quicker than most people realize. When the Jazz traded for Jackson, they had Walker Kessler to play at the center position. Now, Kessler is gone. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers via a sign-and-trade, and it now seems like the Jazz could end up rolling out Jusuf Nurkic as their starting center.
Nurkic is a fine player. There's a reason that the Jazz decided to bring him back on a new contract this summer. But if he is going to be the starting center, that is going to put way too much pressure on Jackson. Not only is Jackson going to have to do a lot on defense, but he is also going to have to take a step up in the rebounding department.
In an ideal world, the Jazz would just have Jackson play his game, and from there, they could build around him. But that's not really what happened, especially after the departure of Kessler.
Jazz are going to force Jaren Jackson Jr. to do more than ever
Throughout the course of his career, Jackson has been an elite defender. He won a Defensive Player of the Year award and has been named to multiple All-Defensive Teams.
However, he has never been put in a position where he has had to do what he is going to have to do for the Jazz next season if they want to be a legitimate playoff contender in the Western Conference.
Offensively, Jackson isn't going to have to do too much more than what he has already been asked to do up to this point in his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. Utah has guys like Darren Peterson, Keyonte George, and Lauri Markkanen to take over most of those duties.
That said, from a defensive standpoint, Jackson has never really been in a situation like the one that he is being presented with this upcoming season with the Jazz.
Nurkic is going to be the worst defensive center that he has had to play with on a team that is legitimately trying to contend for a playoff spot. Up to this point, he has had guys playing center next to him who are good defenders and good rebounders.
Guys like Steven Adams and Zach Edey thrive in those specific areas, and the Grizzlies had them paired with Jackson for that reason. That's why Kessler would have been such a good fit.
Now, with Nurkic, there is going to be a lot more pressure on Jackson as an overall big man defender. He is going to have to help a lot more than he does now, and he is already an avid help defender.
Plus, even though Nurkic is a good rebounder, Jackson is going to have to attack the glass A lot. And that is not his strong suit.
The Jazz have put Jackson in a position that he is pretty unfamiliar with, and it's going to be up to him to see how he responds.
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