This isn’t quite what the Memphis Grizzlies had in mind when they opened the 2023-24 regular season.
Ja Morant’s suspension was tough to swallow and had deprived the team of their engine, but between Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., veteran additions in Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose, and their young talent, the Grizzlies were expected to field a competitive enough unit to stay afloat in the Western Conference. Plans of avenging their previous playoff embarrassment were still alive and well.
Then, injuries happened.
By the time the dust settled, Memphis was fielding nightly rosters comprised of two-way contracts, 10-day signings and bottom-tier talent. Smart played 20 games. Rose played 24. Luke Kennard appeared in 39. And that’s before even getting to the All-Star core. Bane played a total of 42 games. Morant returned from suspension, played nine games, injured his shoulder and was out for the remainder of the season. David Roddy and Ziaire Williams, two young players the Grizzlies had banked on, didn’t develop as quickly as they had hoped.
Memphis, with a 27-51 record, is on track to finish with its fewest number of wins in seven years — yet the Grizzlies’ future is anything but bleak. Morant and Bane will return healthy next season, along with the improved Jackson. Rookies GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr. have been bright spots and have staying power under head coach Taylor Jenkins’ rotation. A lottery pick awaits, as well as free agency.
The Grizzlies have the tools to get back to winning, but how will they navigate these next few months? To discuss, senior writer and former Memphis front office executive John Hollinger shares his insight.
Kelly Iko: Thanks for doing this, John. Let’s get right to it.
With the unique situation the Grizzlies find themselves in — 13th in the West and a lottery pick awaiting their future along with the returns of a healthy All-Star core next season (Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr.) — how does that impact the next few months in Memphis? Should it take the patient approach or, given how unpredictable and strong the rest of the conference is, get aggressive?
Both paths have merit. Morant’s suspension and subsequent shoulder injury removed any contending hopes but also resulted in individual growth from Bane and Jaren Jackson. The leaps both took in their games are timely, given how much the team has relied on their superstar point guard in the past — and also showed head coach Taylor Jenkins potential wrinkles on both sides of the ball. This team is desperate to get back to winning after its last playoff appearance, falling flat against the Lakers in 2023.
The Grizzlies’ roster should look slightly different on opening night than it does right now in early April, but I would argue they’re more retooling than rebuilding. It’s rare to see the two-timeline approach they’ll be on in 2024-25 — and Ziaire Williams and David Roddy didn’t pan out — but with rookies GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. looking like contributors at this level, it’s a group that can make some noise down the line. A decision will need to be made on Kennard this summer, but I wonder if he’s considered expendable, especially with how capable GG Jackson and Williams are as floor spacers.
John Hollinger: I can mostly answer that part of the question. There are four guys you can count on to be in Memphis next year: the three young stars and Marcus Smart.
After that, everything is about opportunism. The Grizzlies need a starting center, another ballhandler and, as ever, a starting-caliber wing with size. Kennard hasn’t panned out the way they hoped, and his knee issues might prevent him from ever being that guy; with a $14.7 million player option that would put them above the tax apron and take away their nontaxpayer midlevel exception, nobody will be shocked if the Grizzlies either trade him or decline the option.
To be clear, I don’t think Robert Pera would shrink…
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