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Michigan State Basketball: Jaren Jackson Jr. has career game vs. Nets

By Connor Muldowney

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 12, 2018 in Tarrytown, New York.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 12, 2018 in Tarrytown, New York.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Former Michigan State basketball star Jaren Jackson Jr. had a career game against the Nets on Friday. Is he making a case for Rookie of the Year?

Jaren Jackson Jr. is a unicorn. The former Spartan star has been playing exceptional basketball in his rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies and on Friday night, he had the best game of his young career.

Spare the “but Ben Carter is better” jokes, because we’ve all heard them and, at this point, they’re pretty stale. Let’s not beat the dead horse here and let’s just acknowledge the special talent that is Jackson Jr.

The Spartan rookie racked up 36 points against Brooklyn on Friday night — which was the most by a rookie this year — and had eight rebounds with the game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime. He was arguably the reason Memphis went on to win the game in a comeback effort.

These highlights are impressive, but don’t quite do his performance justice:

https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1068919342291656706

Jackson Jr. is taking the NBA by storm, averaging 13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, and he’s only getting better. He’s getting more playing time — including 43 minutes on Friday — and he’s molding into one of the NBA’s best young big men.

The 19-year-old sensation is joining some elite company with his performance, becoming the second-youngest player to ever score 36 — the youngest was LeBron James.

Also, there’s this stat:

Not bad company to be in, especially since he’s the only true big man on that list.

Next. MSU basketball: 10 bold predictions for 2018-19. dark

Michigan State fans didn’t quite get to enjoy him enough while he was in East Lansing because it felt like his time flew by, but it’s going to be fun to watch him mold into a top-five big man in the NBA over the years.

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