Welcome back to your Grizzlies Insider, where we deliver the latest NBA news and analysis straight to your inbox.

Now it counts. 

After a month of exhibitions with the United States national team, Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will take the floor for the FIBA World Cup this weekend. 

This tournament is the first step for the U.S. towards the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It explains why Jackson is here. 

He is among only a few American bigs to also star in the NBA. The league’s other dominant post players — Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert, to name a few — from other parts of the world. 

So this is a major opportunity for Jackson to save his seat for the Olympics next summer. Lakers big Anthony Davis is getting older and is more injury prone. Evan Mobley isn’t playing for the Stars and Stripes this August, which surely places his odds to make the team behind Jackson. 

Great! So it looks like we are going to have our first Grizzlies player on the United States men’s basketball Olympic roster. 

But what if Memphis had two?

To read more of the Grizzlies Insider, click here.

Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: Is Ja still basketball’s best young American player?

Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: Consumer’s Guide to the 2023-2024 Grizzlies home schedule

Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: Disrespect? The Grizzlies won’t find much on NBA schedule

Memphis Grizzlies NBA releases full Memphis Grizzlies schedule

Memphis Grizzlies Grizzlies Insider: Will teams care about the in-season tournament? We must wait to find out.

.....