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NLL Insider - Team by Team: Memphis Grizzlies

by dazman32, updated on Saturday, October 07 2017, 06:31 pm EST



2016-17 Finish:
23-59

Season Highlight:

The rookies were so good from game one right until the final game of the season. Marquese Chriss and Georgios Papagiannis, both big men who are only still 20 years old thrilled fans with size, strength, athleticism and skill on both ends of the floor. They rebounded like mad men, blocked shots and finished around the rim like seasoned pros. Their seasons were capped off with a 4th and 7th place in the rookie of the year voting. An amazing feat for the franchise to have two players in the top 8.

Season Lowlight:

Chris Bosh struggled with blood clots all season and was unable to suit up, a sad end for a great of the game. The team also only managed 23 wins, despite some amazing play from its all-rookie front court. The problem lied with a lack of production from the wings once Wes Matthews was traded, and the cold shooting of point guard Dante Exum who called his own number far too much when the shots weren't falling. More wins will be required next season to show that this team is on an upward trajectory to appease the fans and owner alike.

Best Trade:

The Boston Celtics send Courtney Lee and Darrell Arthur to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Memphis Grizzlies send Wesley Matthews and Adreian Payne to the Boston Celtics. 
The Boston Celtics send a 1st-Rounder (Det) to the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Boston Celtics receive 14 GM points. The Memphis Grizzlies trade -14 GM points.

The Grizz didn't make many moves, but I feel this was the best one. I don't think there is a lot of difference between Wes Matthew and Courtney Lee, and the Grizz get a potential lottery pick in the deal. The best of a group of solid trades for Memphis.

Worst Trade:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Mike Scott to the Chicago Bulls. 
The Chicago Bulls send a 2nd-Rounder (Atl) to the Memphis Grizzlies. 
The Chicago Bulls use their trade exception over $ 3,333,334. 

This was a real stretch as a liked all of the trades, and they all made sense for a rebuilding Memphis. The only thing I can say here is perhaps Memphis could have gotten more for Mike Scott who was a serious 2K glitch, until his late season NBA waiving.

Other Notable Trades:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Jeff Teague to the Boston Celtics. 
The Boston Celtics send a 1st-Rounder (Pho) and 1st-Rounder (Bkn) to the Memphis Grizzlies. 
The Boston Celtics use their trade exception over $ 8,800,000. 

These picks became 11 - Frank Ntilikina and 21 - Terrance Ferguson, you would expect Frank can hopefully become a similar player to Teague in time, and anything Ferguson becomes is a bonus. Nice deal.

The Memphis Grizzlies send Courtney Lee and Jarnell Stokes to the San Antonio Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs send Aron Baynes and Rashad Vaughn to the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Lee was moved on to the eventual champs, the San Antonio Spurs where he played a solid role for them. The main piece in return here was Vaughn who has shown glimpses but still has a long way to go. Jury's out on this for now.

The Detroit Pistons send Jayson Tatum to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Memphis Grizzlies send DeAaron Fox to the Detroit Pistons. 

This draft day deal saw Memphis pick Fox at 5, and then move him just before their next pick at 11. With Ntilikina on the board, the Grizz decided instead of drafting two point guards it would be better to essentially redo pick 5 and get Jayson Tatum, who went at 6 instead. Tatum impressed in the NBA summer league, so this move looks pretty smart so far.

Best FA Signing:

Troy Daniels - Daniels was a handy addition, shooting well from beyond the arc and providing a spark as a starter or off the bench. The best part is he just netted the Grizzlies Raul Neto and Tyus Jones in a recent trade.

Worst FA Signing:

Anthony Tolliver - For 8 million dollars, Tolliver was not at all worth the price tag, only managing 34 games to average 3 points in just 11 minutes per game. His team option was wisely declined this off-season.

Star:

Marquese Chriss - Pick 4 in the draft, and what a selection it appears to be. Chriss was fantastic all season long for the Grizzlies. The rookie started 81 games in his debut season, averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and a block and a steal. Chriss displayed ultra athleticism and fantastic raw ability for a man his size, drawing comparisons to a young Amare Stoudamire. And he's only 20 years old. The sky is the limit for this kid.

Surprise:

Georgios Papagiannis - Pick 24 in the draft, Papa G as he is now known was a huge surprise, also in his debut season. He teamed brilliantly with Chriss to form a young front court that is now probably the envy of most teams. Papagiannis averaged 11 points, 11 rebounds and almost 2 blocks in 53 starts. And at 7-2, this 20 year old is going to be a handful for opposing big's for years to come.

Goat:

Chris Bosh - A very harsh selection, when you consider his circumstances. But this man was paid 24 million dollars in 16-17 for a grant total of 0 games. I can't look past that. Imagine all the things that the Grizzlies could have done with that money. To his credit, he did attend many games and acted as a mentor for the young big's. Bosh was a star in his prime though, and it's really unfortunate to see his career end due to life threatening blood clots.

Draft Report Card:

The Grizzlies did well to set themselves up with a nice bunch of picks, two lottery selections, as well as a pick in the early 20's and 30's.

#6 - Jayson Tatum - Tatum is a readymade offensive talent, who is great in ISO situations and a real threat from midrange. The forward actually reminds me a little of Carmello Anthony in the way he moves and scores the basketball.

#11 – Frank Ntilikina -  Ntilikina is a real speedster at point guard with high upside. He can really run an offense, but will need to put a lot of work into his jumpshot which is spotty at best at this stage.

#21 – Terrance Ferguson -  Ferguson is another good athlete who loves to run and finish in transition. He is an above the rim type wing, and will be given every opportunity to shine with the Grizzlies.

#33 – Isaiah Hartenstein -  Hartenstein fell to the second round due to red flags about his health. He is a solid bigman, who is mobile and loves the pick and roll. The Lithuanian won't be coming over just yet.

GM Jessedunne did a good job thinking fast and putting together a nice compliment of players. If any of these guys have the years that Chriss and Papa G had this season, then Jessedunne will have knocked it out of the park two years running. I think he's gone close, with a B+

Looking to the Future:

Jessedunne has done a good job so far, patiently rebuilding this struggling franchise into a team that should improve quickly as the young guys mature. They have a lot of guys with plenty of untapped talent. Dante Exum, Alec Burks and Rashad Vaughn have been in the system for long enough now to know what it takes to make it. It will be interesting to see if they can play important roles. The real talent lies in the incoming rookies and sophomores however who's play will decide how competitive the Grizz will be this coming season. Kenneth Faried was also brought in, in a somewhat strange move considering the rookie seasons that Chriss and Papagiannis had. But one thing's for sure, you won't be winning the rebounds against this Grizzlies squad next season.

Upcoming Free Agents:

None - Everyone is locked away, with just the rookies to sign. With Bosh off the books, the team will have about 27 million salary space heading into free agency, so will likely be looking to bring in some talented wings and perhaps a backup center.

 

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