The Future Of The Memphis Grizzlies Has Never Looked Brighter
The 2023-24 NBA season has been a bad one for the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis already came into the season with a massive hill to climb because of Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension, but just before the season started, news came out that starting center Steven Adams would miss the entire season after knee surgery. Morant came back and there was a path back to the playoffs, but shoulder surgery will cause Morant to miss the rest of the season now too.
That’s not the end of Memphis’ injuries. Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane will both miss significant amounts of time; the only starter left standing is Jaren Jackson Jr. along with Luke Kennard and a bunch of players that have spent time in the G-League and on the Grizzlies Summer League team.
Everyone is counting out the Memphis Grizzlies. I even saw a Bleacher Report article that had the Grizzlies embracing a full-blown tank job and trading a lot of pieces away (the title has “Finish the Grizzlies” in it). But what people don’t understand is that the best is yet to come from this Memphis unit.
Diamond Hands:
The Grizzlies VP of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman has gotten a lot of flack from Grizzlies fans over roster construction. The roster outside of Adams is undersized and is constantly outrebounded in games. In acquiring Smart, the Grizzlies traded away the best backup point guard in the NBA in Tyus Jones (though he will be expensive on his next contract).
Some of Kleiman’s recent first-round picks–Jake LaRavia, David Roddy and Ziaire Williams–have been pretty hit-or-miss (mostly missing) in their recent play, but where this front office shines is in the deeper parts of the draft, where scouts and front office personnel really earn their paychecks.
The easy first answer here is Bane, who was selected No. 30 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. I could also point out that Xavier Tillman, who was taken just five picks after Bane, has been a solid contributor in the rotation. But the real focus will be on two recent draft additions. Two guys that Memphis drafted in the middle of the second round, originally signed to two-way contracts and will both be established pieces of this roster for years to come.
The first player is Vince Williams Jr, who was taken with the No. 47 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Williams has spent most of his time with the Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate. Injuries this season forced Williams to take a more prominent role and he has thrived. Williams has a nose for the basket and on occasion can get on a heater, but it is on the defensive side that has become his speciality.
Williams’ efforts have not gone unnoticed by the front office. On Jan. 10, the Grizzlies announced they had signed Williams on a multi-year deal that is super team-friendly.
G.G. EZ:
But Williams isn’t the only youngster to take advantage of his opportunity this year. The Memphis Grizzlies traded out of the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft and eventually decided to pull the trigger on a player with the No. 45: G.G. Jackson, who’s currently the youngest player in the NBA.
Jackson had spent pretty much all season in the G-League. Like Willaims, the injuries for Memphis mounted and help was needed. Jackson is a pure hooper and student of the game. During his time with the Hustle, Jackson has become a lights-out shooter, a trait that has carried over to the NBA. Jackson has great athleticism and looks like he could be the wing the Grizzlies have been looking for the past few seasons.
Rebellions Are Built On Hope:
I’m a big Star Wars fan. As I’ve gotten older, I have become a nerd of many forms of entertainment, but Star Wars will always be one of my most beloved franchises. Ever since Disney purchased Lucasfilm, it’s been pretty hit or miss with the movies and shows. Arguably the best movie under Disney has been Rogue One. There is little hope in the galaxy at the start of the film. The rebellion has started but many involved are hesitant to partake in a large-scale assault against the Empire.
Rogue One is a darker film than other Star Wars films that sees the *spoilers* death of all the main characters and countless more, yet securing the plans of the Death Star lays the foundation of hope that the Rebellion has. It is the events of this film that set off the chain of events that leads to the discovery of Luke Skywalker and the eventual destruction of the Empire and a rebalancing of the Force.
For Grizzlies fans everywhere, this is their Rogue One. In a time when all hope seems lost, when everything that can go wrong has gone wrong, there is hope for the future. The victories might be small and few and far between, but in actuality, the groundwork of something larger is being laid.
Memphis continues to find ways to win games and role players vital to the future of the franchise are rising to the occasion. Williams and Jackson led the Grizzlies to a win against the fully healthy Golden State Warriors on MLK Day, when Draymond Green made his return from suspension. A small, ragtag group of men against an empire that has ruled over the NBA for a decade.
We Shall Watch Their Careers With Great Interest:
The Grizzlies do have some cap issues on the horizon, but finding players like Williams and Jackson that you can sign to cheap contracts is what allows the Grizzlies to have so many high-paid players. As much as I hate to wait, seeing this team fully healthy next season is going to be a treat for hoop lovers everywhere. The hope the Memphis Grizzlies needed is here and the future has never looked brighter.
***
Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch
Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube
Check out the Vendetta Shop
Click here for more NBA content
