2023-24 NBA Season Preview: Memphis Grizzlies
The 2023-24 NBA season is nearly here! After what feels like an eternity, we will soon be treated to this beautiful sport once again and will remain in that same sense of euphoria until April. Today, we will be taking a look at the Memphis Grizzlies, who look to establish themselves as legitimate threats in the West.
What happened last year?
The story for the Memphis Grizzlies last season was their inability to stay healthy, yet able to compete. The main trio of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane only played 29 games together during the regular season but had a NET rating of 12.9, the second-best in the league. Bane grew as a three-level scorer and took over primary scoring duties when Ja missed time. Jaren established himself as one of the best defenders in the league and won Defensive Player of the Year.
While the regular season was fun for Memphis fans, the playoffs were a huge letdown. A first-round exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers made the Grizzlies an easy punching bag by NBA Twitter (NBA X?). Anthony Davis went beast mode defensively and the same old injury story held Memphis back. It was a disappointing end to a team that finished second in the West despite the lack of consistency on the health side of basketball.
An underrated move by Memphis last season was the midseason acquisition of Luke Kennard. Kennard has consistently been a top-5 3-point shooter in the NBA. Pairing him and Bane, another top-5 3-point shooter, opened up the lanes for Ja and Jaren to operate in. David Roddy shined as a rookie and looks like he will continue his upward trend after a solid Summer League and preseason.
Offseason recap:
Let’s start with the bad first. Another flashing of a gun incident has landed Ja a 25-game suspension to start the season. There are two silver linings that Memphis Grizzlies fans can find. First, Ja is still able to be around and practice with the team; Dec. 19 is when Ja’s suspension is up and he can hit the ground running by practicing and building chemistry while also staying in shape. The other positive is Ja will have fresh legs while everyone else will have already played nearly a quarter of the season. If Memphis wants to make a deep playoff push, a fresh Ja makes that a possibility.
The other bad news for Memphis is that they will have to play all year without Steven Adams, who is having season-ending surgery. Adams is vital in a multitude of ways, with his greatest asset being his rebounding. He will be greatly missed and his absence may force Memphis to try and make a move for a rebounding big.
Now, for some good news. The Memphis Grizzlies let Dillon Brooks walk and replaced him by trading for Marcus Smart. Ironically, or poetically, this is the second time Memphis has traded for a defensive specialist from the Boston Celtics while in their 9th year in the league. Smart is a former defensive player of the year and is much better at distributing the ball than Brooks. It’s one of those odd times where trades work out for all involved, especially since Boston landed Jrue Holiday.
Projected Starting Five (Ja Suspension):
Marcus Smart, PG – Smart makes the most sense to start. When Ja comes back, Smart will most likely slide to the 2 and Bane to the 3. Some might push for Derrick Rose to start, but it will be better to preserve him as much as possible. Smart has experience in distributing the ball and can hold a solid command of the offense.
Desmond Bane, SG – Fairly simple here. Bane was averaging 25 points before getting hurt last year. He is going to be the primary scorer with Ja out and might even be a close second when Ja does come back. Bane has slowly worked on his mid-range game and has shown he can effectively attack the basket. A potential All-Star season is incoming.
Ziaire Williams, SF – A shocker, but let me explain. Kennard and Roddy are other candidates. Kennard plays best off the bench but has the potential to slide in here and finish games where he is hot. Roddy is similar in skillset to Williams, but it’s hard to ignore the great preseason Williams has had. The front office has been high on Williams since he was in high school and I think he takes a big leap this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr, PF – Jaren will miss Adams the most. His blocks per game go up when Adams is in and fouls go down. Both stats are important for Memphis. Even if Jaren doesn’t have it offensively, the presence of Adams helped elevate Jaren’s defense. He will still be great no doubt.
Xavier Tillman, C – With Adams out and unless Memphis trades for another big, Tillman is the guy. Tillman is a solid rotational player and plays a lot like a Montrezl Harrell-type center. A little undersized for the position but has the ability to rebound and play down low with the big dogs. Tillman will play the role well, but it would still be worth Memphis’ time to look for another rebounder with height.
Notable Reserves:
David Roddy, Wing – As previously mentioned, Roddy at best can start and at worst is still a valuable rotational piece for the Memphis Grizzlies. Roddy is a mixed bag of a lot of good things in rebounding, shooting, defense and slashing. He deserves high rotation minutes and should be able to build on a solid rookie campaign.
Santi Aldama, Wing – Aldama had a great summer playing for Spain in the FIBA World Cup and just as good of a preseason. He primarily plays the 4 but can shoot the ball and is sneaky when cutting to the basket. Aldama has the ability to be one of the primary scorers on the bench unit and a versatile tool coach Taylor Jenkins can use with different lineups.
Biggest X-Factor: Ja Morant
I know it’s weird to have their superstar player as the X-factor, but hear me out. This has a lot to do with the suspension and all the offseason talk. Ja has stayed out of the headlines all offseason, but that hasn’t stopped places like ESPN from publishing hit pieces that add nothing new or ranking Ja in the mid-30s of best players in the league. It’s obvious Ja sees the disrespect. The question is, what is Ja ready to do about it? Can Morant come out with that hunger from two years ago? Can he put the team on his back in late-game situations and elevate Memphis to another level?
Season projection:
The Memphis Grizzlies will hit the over on their win total (45.5) despite Ja missing a good amount of time. This team is still young with a lot of room to improve. If Memphis can keep its core healthy, this season will be a good one to watch.
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