Snippet: As Jaren Jackson Jr. can attest, it's been all smiles for the Grizzlies since Ja Morant arrived as the second overall pick last summer. The Rookie of the Year front-runner has been nothing short of a fortune-changer for the franchise, catapulting it from 49 losses the previous season (and 60 the year before that) to a near-.500 record and sole possession of eighth place in the West.
Memphis Grizzlies key players according to BR: PG Ja Morant (20) F/C Jaren Jackson Jr. (20), SG Dillon Brooks (24), PF Brandon Clarke (23), F Justise Winslow (24)'
After years of draft flops, the Grizzlies selected Jackson No. 4 overall in 2018 while picking up Morant (No. 2) and Clarke (No. 21) in 2019.
Trading for De'Anthony Melton (21 years old) and signing Tyus Jones (23) last offseason has helped Morant ease into his playmaking duties, an area in which he has already excelled.
Putting Memphis ahead of other franchises with young talent like the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns comes down to winning. The Grizzlies have held strong to the eighth seed in the Western Conference and, at 32-33, are far ahead of expectations in Morant's first season.
The point guard's averages of 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 0.9 steals on 49.1 percent shooting should easily win him Rookie of the Year honors, and he's on pace to join Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson as the only rookie guards in NBA history to average at least 17 points and five assists while shooting 49.0 percent or better from the field.
While Jackson's rebounding needs improvement (8.8 total rebound percentage), the second-year big man is actually a month younger than Morant and has the skill set to become an elite scorer and defender.
Clarke's athleticism and Brooks' scoring chops help balance out the Grizzlies' versatility, and we've yet to see how Winslow (11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game with the Miami Heat) will fit in after he was acquired in a mid season trade.
While the success of the team will ultimately come down to the play of Morant and Jackson, there's plenty of talent throughout the roster that could grow into a tremendous supporting cast.
I'll add these as key players too:
Josh Jackson 10.4 pts, 3.2rbg, 1.7 ast who is showing signs of promise and benefiting from solid coaching and a great environment. I don't know if he sticks around but if I'm Josh Jackson I want at least one more year with the Grizzlies and this core and to continue my forward progress. Hopefully 8 million is enough to keep him around.
Jonas Valanciunas is Mr. Double Double and a force in the post. At 27 he is the oldest true cog on this team. 2019/20 averages of 14.9ppg and 11.2 rbg. do not tell the tale of his contribution and toughness.
So our top talent is 9 deep, 8 of them between 20-25 years old. (Not even counting Grayson Allen or Jon Konchar)
After this season we will have all of our draft picks, and then some.
Melton and Jones I think are the x factors to help us contend. They give us the efficiency off the bench to allow Jenkins to implement the Bucks under-30-minute system, without losing much in productivity. Jones may be the best backup PG we've had this decade, and Melton is a Net rating superstar. The guys ahead of them definitely need to be great, and frequently are, but having solid, dependable backups (kind of like Koufas back in the day) is what will propel us deep into the playoffs. Whether it is because of the rest during the season that will allow starters to play at a higher level for longer minutes, or whether it's just being able to use the regular season system in the playoffs.
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Grizzlies young players
