Jahmai Mashack may have entered the league as a late second-round pick, but right now, he’s playing like a guy who didn’t get the memo about staying in the shadows.
In Wednesday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, Mashack delivered one of the most electric moments of the game - and he did it at the expense of none other than Nikola Jokic. With the first half winding down, Jokic, the two-time MVP and former Finals MVP, was doing what he does best: backing down a defender in the paint, this time Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
But just as Jokic spun toward the lane, Mashack swooped in from the help side and cleanly stripped the ball, igniting a fast break. He pushed the pace, ran a textbook give-and-go with Cam Spencer, and capped it off with a smooth finish at the rim.
It wasn’t just a highlight - it was a statement.
Mashack, starting for the Grizzlies in a game where the roster was stretched thin, finished with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting. He added three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block - a well-rounded stat line that reflects the energy he’s been bringing since getting real minutes in February.
And that’s the real story here. From November through January, Mashack logged just 25 total minutes.
But in February? He’s averaging over 23 minutes per game across five contests.
Injuries and post-deadline roster shuffling have opened the door, and Mashack has sprinted through it - literally and figuratively.
Here’s the twist: he’s been playing center. Yes, center.
At 6’4”, maybe 6’5” in sneakers, Mashack is undersized for the position by any traditional standard. But what he lacks in size, he’s making up for in hustle, instincts, and flat-out defensive chaos.
Over the last five games, he’s racked up 16 steals, including a career-high six in a recent loss to Portland. That’s not just good - that’s elite-level disruption.
To put it in perspective, Mashack is averaging 3.2 steals per game in those five contests. For comparison, Kawhi Leonard and Cason Wallace lead the entire NBA at 2.1 steals per game - and they’ve played significantly more minutes. Sure, it's a small sample size, but the pace Mashack is on is eye-popping.
Monday night’s game against the Warriors showed another side of his game. Mashack posted a career-high 17 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-10 shooting, including knocking down one of his two three-point attempts.
He added two rebounds, an assist, and two steals in just 22 minutes. It was the kind of performance that makes you pause and ask: is this just a hot stretch, or is something real developing here?
Drafted 59th overall out of Tennessee in 2025, Mashack came into the league with a defensive reputation and a motor that never quits. Now, with the Grizzlies in a stretch where they’re looking for answers - and bodies - he’s proving he belongs.
He’s not just filling minutes; he’s impacting games. Whether he’s guarding bigger players in the post, jumping passing lanes, or finishing in transition, Mashack is showing that effort and versatility can go a long way in this league.
The Grizzlies may be short-handed, but Jahmai Mashack is making sure they’re not short on heart.