Necessity may have forced the situation, but Jahmai Mashack, a 6-foot-3 rookie guard, has found himself playing power forward in the NBA—a role no one expected him to fill. Despite not fitting the traditional “big man” profile, the Tennessee alum has made this unusual assignment look routine in recent weeks. While Tuomas Iisalo’s rotations lack size without Zach Edey, the Memphis Grizzlies at least have Mashack providing dependable effort and versatility to close out the season.
Over the past ten games, Mashack has averaged 8.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.1 combined steals/blocks in 23.4 minutes per game while playing a hybrid 4-5 role.
Iisalo admitted, “It’s definitely not his natural position. But we saw in the summer that he reads screens well. It also allows our other players to stay in their usual roles, so not everyone has to adjust.”
Rather than being overmatched by bigger opponents, Mashack’s lateral quickness has actually turned him into a defensive asset.
“Defensively, he’s very flexible,” Iisalo said. “When he’s matched up against opposing bigs, he can switch onto primary ball handlers. There’s minimal drop-off—he’s a strong on-ball defender. Even against elite players like Nikola Jokic, he’s already shown he can navigate around them and disrupt the offense.”
Mashack’s development hasn’t gone unnoticed on the offensive end either. His improving three-point shooting is making opponents pay when they leave him open.
“Offensively, he’s very promising from outside,” Iisalo noted. “He’s taking advantage of open looks.”
While finding open three-point opportunities against bigger defenders will take time, Mashack’s willingness to sacrifice his body in the post now could earn him more chances to run the offense later. The Grizzlies recognize that he’ll eventually get to play his natural guard position, even if that comes during Summer League action.
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