NLL Insider - Team by Team: Memphis Grizzliesby dazman32, updated on Saturday, October 07 2017, 06:31 pm EST
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 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. 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. 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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