Team USA and Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. spoke about the foul trouble he got into during their surprising 110-104 loss against Lithuania in the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
"You just gotta be super, super careful [with fouls]. You have to understand you're very, very valuable," the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year said.
The 23-year-old fouled out of the game, picking up five infractions, one less in FIBA than the NBA rule, disqualifying a player when he reaches six fouls.
Jackson picked up two in the first three minutes of the game, finishing with 3 points on 1-of-3 shooting, alongside one rebound and three assists. He played 15 minutes in the game.
Steve Kerr comments on Jaren Jackson Jr. being foul-prone
Team USA and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also noticed Jackson's penchant for fouling, saying that the Grizzlies big man "has the ability to block everything," but sometimes he needs to dial it back slightly.
The four-time NBA champion coach added that Jackson is foul-prone in the NBA, and there's always one or two plays where they want him to let it go because he's too important to the team.
"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," Kerr said.
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