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NLL Insider - Team by Team: Memphis Grizzlies

by proid, updated on Wednesday, October 26 2016, 12:55 pm EST

2015-16 Finish: 14-68

 

Season Highlight:

Having their old GM step down and a new GM come in pretty seamlessly is a pretty good situation. Top that off with getting a top 5 pick in the draft on a team that already has some measure of talent and you can see some spark of life in where this team can eventually go.

 

Season Lowlight:

The Grizzlies suffered a pair of season ending injuries. Before the season could get started prized youngster Dante Exum tore his ACL and became a permanent fixture on the sideline sporting a suite and tie instead of a Jordan’s and a tank top. The second season ending injury was Team Captain Chris Bosh going down with blood clots halfway through the season. Bosh’s status was not immediately classified as season ending

 

Best Trade:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Brook Lopez to the Orlando Magic. The Orlando Magic send Wesley Matthews and Kevin Seraphin to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Memphis Grizzlies send a 1st-Rounder (Mia) to the Orlando Magic. The Orlando Magic send a 1st-Rounder (Den) and 1st-Rounder (Orl) to the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Lopez is a very solid player. But Mathews has proven that he was bouncing back from his surgery quite well and landing two 1st  for and a Solid scoring wing was a nice haul even if it did cost him his starting center and a late 1st rounder.

Worst Trade:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Jeremy Lamb, C.J. McCollum and Kelly Oubre to the Orlando Magic. The Orlando Magic send Chris Bosh to the Memphis Grizzlies.

This is actually a great deal. But its gone sour do Bosh’s on going blood clot issues. His status as a pro player is up in the air and that sends his value as a productive player as well as a trade asset down into the toilet.

Other Notable Trades:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Cory Jefferson to the Charlotte Hornets. The Memphis Grizzlies send Bruno Caboclo to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder send Nik Stauskas to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Memphis Grizzlies send a 2nd-Rounder (Mem) to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder send a 2nd-Rounder (Ind) to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Staukus is clearly no all-star but he is a solid talent and can slide in nicely as a complimentary player and is still on his rookie deal for at least one more season. Corey Jefferson and a 2nd rounder is not a bad trade off.

 

Best FA Signing:

The Grizzlies signed mostly min salaried players that were either waived or traded. Jonas Jerebko was signed with the MLE but was also traded after barely any playing time.

 

Worst FA Signing:

No Free Agent signed was around long enough to make a negative impact.

 

Star:

Wesley Mathews was the hands down star. He came in and hit the court for 23+ points a game and made every attempt to breathe some life into the Grizzlies sagging.

 

Surprise:

To be honest the surprise was that this was not able to do better. Bad luck with injuries and a GM change at a time when not much could be done to right the ship pretty much sent the season left when it should have been going right.

 

Goat:

The Injury Bug is going to be the Goat here. No Bosh and Exum really handcuffed this team. With those two on the court along with Mathews and Teague this team reallycould have had a chance to make some noise. No doubt the fans and GM where relieved when the season was mercifully over.

 

Draft Report Card:

The Grizzlies had two 1st rounders and a 2nd.

They drafted big man Marquese Chriss at #4. They must have had a crystal ball because with Bosh in limbo. Its going to be trial by fire for the lanky big man out of Washington. He will be pretty much thrown to the wolves as there is no other big man on the team right now that can really start ahead of him.

At #24 the Grizzlies took Georgios Papagiannis from Greece. At over 7” and 250+ lbs. He can really clog up the middle. He will be extremely raw for sure. But the Grizzlies have nothing to lose by putting him out there as well and learn on the fly. They have solid wings that will do most of the ball handling and scoring. The rookie bigs can focus on boxing out, learning defense and generally staying out of the way.

 

At #46 it was Michael Gbinije. Tall PG’s are always enticing. Its like everybody wants the next Penny Hardaway or better yet Magic Johnson. Gbinije is a long way from that and will be lucky to make the team.

Upcoming Free Agents:

Corey Brewer is the biggest FA on the team right now and all though not really a major player. He is a key cog and will be expected to return.

Troy Daniels will likely be dealt after signing.

Jarnell Stokes situation is uncertain. But with a team lacking depth. Stokes return would make him the veteran big man on the team with all of his two years of experience.

Looking at the future

Memphis landed some promising players in the draft and their core is young enough that they can 2-3 years from now when these recently drafted players start to find their game and challenge for a playoff birth. It will be tempting for them to trade their vets for more draft picks. But should instead hold the course and see how much this teams record can improve from last years. At this point they can only go up.

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