"He's not even a top 10 big in my eyes" - Kendrick Perkins bluntly dubs Grizzlies' 22 PPG star as 'most overhyped' player in NBA

The Memphis Grizzlies absorbed a stunning defeat to the top-seeded OKC Thunder on Sunday, losing by 51 points, 131-80. The Thunder controlled the game from start to finish and made the Grizzlies look sluggish throughout the game after being just two days removed from the play-in tournament.

With a tough loss against the Thunder, Grizzlies players received numerous criticisms, including one from former OKC player and now ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins. The former center criticized All-Star Jaren Jackson, bluntly calling him an "overhyped" player:

“I believed in Ja Morant. But I don’t believe in Jaren Jackson Jr. He is the most overhyped player in this league. He's not even a top 10 big in my eyes,” Perkins said.

Perkins then called for Jackson Jr. to step up for the Grizzlies, especially as he is their lone All-Star on the team. The Thunder, on the other hand, have an MVP frontrunner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an All-Star, Jalen Williams, on their roster this year.

“You’re an All-Star. They need you to step up at the biggest times. I don’t care if it’s a make-or-miss league. You’re going to miss shots. But there’s no way in hell that Jaren Jackson should leave a game without having double-digit rebounds, and being impactful on the defensive side of things … You've got to impose your will,” Perkins said.

Jackson Jr. was held to just four points, three rebounds and two assists in the blowout loss against OKC after playing for over 28 minutes on the court. It was a far cry from his regular-season averages of 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Against the switching defense of the Thunder, Jackson struggled to find his tempo, shooting 2-of-13 from the field and 0-of-4 from the 3-point line. He also had three turnovers in the game.

Kendrick Perkins does not believe the Grizzlies are contenders this season

Last February, Perkins had already cleared the air on his opinions about the Memphis Grizzlies' season, saying that they are not real contenders for the title this year.

"If you are trying to be a legit title contender, if you're trying to go match-up with Denver, if you're going toe-to-toe with Oklahoma City, Jaren Jackson Jr. can't be your best player in a seven-game series. Ja Morant needs to be that guy. And Ja Morant honestly hasn't been that guy all season," he said.

Morant averaged 23.2 points per game this season, his worst since his sophomore year. He also put up 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game this season.

After being in the top three in the Western Conference standings, the Grizzlies fell to the eighth spot in the latter stages of the regular season. They also fired their coach, Taylor Jenkins, late in the season.

They had to go through the play-in tournament to make it to the playoffs, matching with the Thunder, who had beaten the Grizzlies in all their meetings this NBA season.