Why I am buying Jaren Jackson Jr.'s sports cards
Patrick Stoddard
March 30, 2022
This article will explain why I am buying Jaren Jackson Jr.'s sports cards. This article is my opinion and is not meant to make sports card collectors buy or sell Jackson Jr.
Ja Morant is all the rage in the NBA right now; according to Card Ladders player index scale, Ja Morant is on an astronomical ascent regarding his sports card market.
Graph from Cardladder.com
As you can see from the above chart, the Card Ladders player index graphs summarize a particular athlete's current sports card market. Morant has been "going to the moon" since early to mid-February 2022. With Morant's card index at a newly established ceiling, now is not a good time to buy Ja Morant cards.
The best possible outcome for Morant's cards would be Morant leads the Memphis Grizzlies to an NBA Championship this season, which is semi-likely. The other thing would be Morant winning the NBA MVP Award, which given his recent injury, seems highly improbable. So, with those two factors being considered, can Morant's cards go even higher and sustain their current prices?
Unlikely
A more realistic scenario is Morant leads Memphis on an exciting NBA Playoff run where they lose to the Phoenix Suns, or even if Memphis does make the NBA Finals. I find it unlikely they can beat one of the NBA Eastern Conference juggernauts in the Finals.
Morant's card market is so high that I doubt his cards could go much higher in value. The more likely scenario presents potential Morant card buyers with a scenario where the cards they bought depreciate after the Grizzlies are eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. Again, even if Memphis wins the NBA Championship.
This leads me to my recent interest in Jaren Jackson Jr, the Power Forward on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have a young core that looks poised to make deep NBA Playoff runs for many future seasons. Ja Morant will be leading these Playoff charges, but who could be the number two option for the Grizzlies?
The number two option seems to come down to Jaren Jackson Jr. or Shooting Guard Desmond Bane, who will be the number two to Morant's number one. My prediction for Bane is he becomes a lite version of Klay Thompson, an excellent two-way guard who can spot take pressure off Morant.
Jaren Jackson Jr., or Triple J, is the Grizzly who intrigues me and who I believe has the most upside on the Grizzles other than Morant. Jackson Jr. was the fourth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft class. High performers have slightly hidden Jackson Jr. out of the 2018 class like Luka Doncic or Trae Young.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a stretch forward who has a well-rounded offensive game. His shooting numbers have decreased from last year to where his three-point percentage is hovering around 30%. However, many NBA insiders believe this is a temporary hiccup, and he should regain his shoot to where his three-point percentage is back to around the high 30%.
Jackson Jr. is also among the consensus top five for NBA Defensive Player of the year and leads the NBA in blocks per game, averaging over two blocks per game. Jackson Jr. has all the tools to turn into a more offensively potent version of Draymond Green, albeit with less playmaking ability. I feel the Grizzlies with Morant, Bane, and Jackson Jr. can turn into a new version of the Golden State Warriors big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
If Jackson Jr. can turn into a more potent offensive threat version of Draymond Green (who will be a future NBA Hall of Fame Inductee) and serve as a Robin to Morant's Batman, then Jackson Jr.'s card prices are undervalued and can only go up.
Even if Jackson Jr. does not turn into the next Draymond Green, he seems to be a consensus NBA Defensive Player of the Year for many years to come, along with his offensive game, to dictate that Jackson Jr.'s card prices can only go up.
Looking at Jackson Jr.'s card index, we can see his index rankings have stayed the same since February 2021.
Graph from Cardladder.com
Ultimately, I think Jaren Jackson Jr. is a buy comes down to three reasons.
One, I believe the Memphis Grizzles will make a deep NBA Playoff run where all Grizzlies players will gain more national attention, which will increase their sports card values.
Two, with all the attention on Ja Morant and his sports cards, other Grizzlies like Triple J are probably undervalued. Morant's card prices are so high; they really can only come down. In comparison, Jaren Jackson Jr.'s are lower and can move upward without being too highly inflated and crashing. Also, Jackson Jr. has a far smaller card population than Morant. I think Jackson Jr. will see slower organic growth than Morant's card market.
Three, I believe in Jaren Jackson Jr and am personally invested in him doing well. I think he can turn into a consistent NBA All-Star with possible All-NBA team potential. If Jackson Jr. can remain a candidate for NBA Defensive Player of the Year and average between 16-20 points per game, I feel that trajectory makes him a potential future NBA Hall of Fame player.
Disclaimer: I'm a paying customer of Card Ladder. This content is for informational and/or entertainment purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, investment, financial, or other advice.
The Thumbnail photo credit "2013 Memphis Grizzlies 1" by RMTip21 is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
