Steve Kerr Gets Brutally Honest About Jaren Jackson Jr.

Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. is very important for Team USA

The NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. is undoubtedly an elite defender. Still just 23 years old, Jackson of course has room for improvement, with a lot of that being his foul trouble. 

Very foul-prone at times, Jackson can find himself in foul trouble, which limits his ability to be aggressive - or even on the floor at all. This is something his Team USA teammates have been on him about, and something Golden State Warriors and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr emphasized when speaking about Jackson.

"He's foul-prone in the NBA," Kerr said of Jackson, via Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. "So, there's always one or two plays where you just want him to let it go, because he's too important to us. So we share those clips and just remind him sometimes the best play is to just let the guy go and don't pick up the foul."

This is constructive criticism from Kerr, who clearly sees the value in Jackson, which is why he wants the Grizzlies star on the court as much as possible. With the FIBA rules allowing for Jackson's rim protection to be an even greater factor, Team USA wants their defensive anchor to play as many minutes as possible. Staying out of foul trouble is something Jackson will have to do for Team USA to be the best version of themselves during the FIBA World Cup.

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