Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the Memphis Grizzlies – the fast (and sudden) improvers of last season.
Introduction
The Memphis Grizzlies’ first era of sustained success came in the 2010s thanks to the core of Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. The Grizzlies franchise, previously located in Vancouver, took years to find and build an identity, often struggling to retain good players for bigger and more enticing teams and markets. The Gasol-Conley-Randolph-Allen core would be more commonly known as the “Grit ‘n Grid” era of Grizzlies basketball.
This core of hard-nosed, defensive-minded veterans made 7 consecutive playoff appearances from 2011 to 2017. In the previous 15 seasons of Grizzlies basketball, they had made the playoffs 3 times, losing in the 1st round and getting swept each time. It was a tough start for the expansion franchise, but this core of misfits and unwanted role players helped define the future of the Memphis Grizzlies.
In those 7 seasons of playoff basketball, the Grizzlies had a win percentage of 59.7% and made two 2nd round and a Western Conference finals appearance during that stretch. The Grizzlies ultimately got knocked out by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals in 2013, while having their 2nd round appearances spoilt by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011 and Golden State Warriors in 2015. The team just couldn’t get through those that were more offensively expansive than the limited Grizzlies. By the time Allen and Randolph moved on and the team dealt with injuries to Conley and Gasol, it was time to start afresh and rebuild.
The team hit rock bottom in 2018, finishing with a 22-60 record and being rewarded with the 4th selection in the NBA draft, selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. Another mediocre season of 33-49 followed, but the team found some lottery luck. Despite finishing 12th in the Western Conference and predicted to get the 8th pick, the Grizzlies got lucky and were awarded the 2nd pick, ultimately selecting Ja Morant.
With a cornerstone to build around, the Morant selection would change the course of the franchise. From the get go, he proved to be a winner, being awarded Rookie of the Year and getting the Grizzlies to the 9th seed in 2020. In 2021, the team broke through and made the playoffs by winning two straight games in the play-in tournament. They lost the series to the #1 seeded Utah Jazz in 5 games, but the future was bright with the core of Jackson Jr, Morant and Dillon Brooks.
Last Season
The Memphis Grizzlies used the off-season to tinker and get the right pieces to complement their young stars, with the most notable trade sending Jonas Valanciunas to the New Orleans Pelicans for Steven Adams and Ziaire Williams. This trade proved important as it brought in a high-upside wing in Williams, but swapped a high-usage Centre in Valanciunas for defensive-minded rim-runner Adams, freeing up the usage for Morant.
The team got off to a slow start, being stuck at .500 for the first 20 games. In the 19th game of the season, Morant sprained his knee and missed 12 games. Instantaneously, the Grizzlies clicked and went on to go 10-1 over the next 11 games, which included a 73-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (an NBA record). When Morant returned, the team went on a 3-game losing streak, before steadying the ship and going on another 11-game win streak. It was a weird stretch for the Grizzlies, especially when their best player missed the turnaround of their season. Why losing their best player led to finding form, I don’t know. But this success followed through the rest of the season, finishing with a 56-26 record, good enough for the 2nd seed in the Western Conference.
It was such a quick turnaround for this Grizzlies team, winning so many games with such a young roster. Head Coach Taylor Jenkins was nominated as a finalist for the Coach of the Year award, while Ja Morant won the Most Improved Player award, for his ascension to stardom. The 1st round pitted the two up-and-coming young teams, the Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves, against each other. In a tight battle, the Grizzlies were able to overcome the Timberwolves fuelled with momentum from their play-in tournament success, winning in 6 games.
However, the youth couldn’t beat out the seasoned veterans in their 2nd round matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Morant injured his right knee in the series, which helped the Warriors win the series in 6 games. Despite the series loss, three of the games were decided by double digits, and Morant being out for half of the series didn’t help the Grizzlies chances. They were still one of the best teams in 2022, ranking 4th in offensive and 6th in defensive rating.
Off-Season
Ins:
Jake LaRavia (19th pick, NBA draft)
David Roddy (23rd pick, NBA draft)
Kennedy Chandler (38th pick, NBA draft)
Vince Williams Jr (47th pick, NBA draft)
Danny Green (trade with Philadelphia 76ers)
Outs:
De’Anthony Melton (trade to Philadelphia 76ers)
Kyle Anderson (free agent, moved to Minnesota Timberwolves)
Sam Merrill (free agent, moved to Sacramento Kings)
Killian Tille (waived)
All of the ins for the Memphis Grizzlies occurred on draft night. After many draft night trades, they ended up selecting Jake LaRavia 19th, David Roddy 23rd and Kennedy Chandler 38th overall. They also drafted Vincent Williams Jr 47th (who was signed to a two-way contract), and took on the contract of Danny Green (who may not stay on the roster due to an ACL injury). For free agency, the Grizzlies emphasised re-signing important bench pieces like Tyus Jones (2 years, $29m) and John Konchar (3 years, $19m), before giving Ja Morant a max rookie extension (5 years, $192.9m).
The reason for their activity on draft night was to find cheap replacements for many of last season’s bench. De’Anthony Melton was wanted in Philadelphia, so the Grizzlies fulfilled a trade to get cheaper and younger replacements in the draft. Kyle Anderson left for the Minnesota Timberwolves and a larger, longer contract, while Sam Merrill went to the Sacramento Kings for similar reasons.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – Ja Morant
| H: 6’3″ | W: 174lbs | Age: 23 |
| Contract: 6 yr/$205m | Years Pro: 3 |
Career Averages:
21.2 pts, 4.5 reb, 7.1 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 3.3 to, 47.4%/32.7%/75.4%, 32.2 mins
Averages Last Season:
27.4 pts, 5.7 reb, 6.7 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.4 blks, 3.4 to, 49.3%/34.4%/76.1%, 33.1 mins
2022-23 Projections:
23.8 pts, 5.1 reb, 7.0 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.4 blks, 3.2 to, 48.9%/34.2%/76.1%
Ja Morant has ascended from Rookie of the Year into superstardom throughout the 2022 season. His 2022 season was so good in fact, that he was able to reach his first All-Star game, win the NBA Most Improved Player award and also be selected into the All-NBA Second team. He is the leader of this Grizzlies line-up, with his unworldly athleticism and electrifying speed and ball handling, allowing him to score at will against any defence.
SG – Desmond Bane
| H: 6’5″ | W: 215lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$5.9m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
14.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 2.3 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.2 to, 46.4%/43.5%/88.2%, 26.3 mins
Averages Last Season:
18.2 pts, 4.4 reb, 2.7 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.5 to, 46.1%/43.6%/90.3%, 29.8 mins
2022-23 Projections:
15.8 pts, 4.2 reb, 2.6 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.3 to, 47.1%/44.0%/88.5%
Desmond Bane flashed an elite ability to shoot from 3-point range throughout his rookie season. This was maintained in his second season as he became a full-time starter. Bane has the physical tools to not only be a great complementary piece as a secondary scorer and floor spacer alongside Morant, but can also become a really solid perimeter defender, thanks to his chiselled frame.
SF - Dillon Brooks
| H: 6’7″ | W: 225lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$11.4m | Years Pro: 5 |
Career Averages:
14.5 pts, 3.0 reb, 2.0 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.6 to, 42.1%/34.8%/79.9%, 28.2 mins
Averages Last Season:
18.4 pts, 3.2 reb, 2.8 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.6 to, 43.2%/30.9%/84.9%, 27.7 mins
2022-23 Projections:
16.8 pts, 3.2 reb, 2.4 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.6 to, 42.7%/33.7%/82.7%
For much of his career, Dillon Brooks has been building to become a scoring wing in this league. He missed over half of last season’s game due to a fractured hand and high ankle sprain. Inefficient scoring has been an issue throughout his career –he can score at a high rate, but is yet to reach league averages in field goal and 3-point percentage. With Bane now established in the starting line-up, Brooks will need to fix these efficiency issues to maintain his place in the line-up.
PF - Jaren Jackson Jr.
| H: 6’11” | W: 242lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$105m | Years Pro: 4 |
Career Averages:
15.8 pts, 5.1 reb, 1.2 asts, 0.9 stls, 1.8 blks, 1.7 to, 45.3%/35.1%/79.1%, 27.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
16.3 pts, 5.8 reb, 1.1 asts, 0.9 stls, 2.3 blks, 1.7 to, 41.5%/31.9%/82.3%, 27.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
16.4 pts, 5.7 reb, 1.3 asts, 0.9 stls, 2.1 blks, 1.6 to, 43.3%/33.6%/82.2%
Missing most of the 2021 season due to a torn meniscus, Jaren Jackson Jr came back this past season and led the league in blocks (2.3 per game). He brings a unique skillset at the Power Forward position for the Grizzlies, having the ability to shoot 3-pointers, while having the wingspan (7’4”) to be an elite shot blocker. He will miss the start of the 2023 season due to a foot injury.
C - Steven Adams
| H: 6’11” | W: 265lbs | Age: 29 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$53.1m | Years Pro: 9 |
Career Averages:
9.3 pts, 8.0 reb, 1.5 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.9 blks, 1.4 to, 58.7%/7.1%/54.7%, 26.8 mins
Averages Last Season:
6.9 pts, 10.0 reb, 3.4 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.8 blks, 1.5 to, 54.7%/0.0%/54.3%, 26.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
7.7 pts, 9.4 reb, 2.9 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.7 blks, 1.5 to, 55.9%/0.0%/53.6%
After a down year playing with the New Orleans Pelicans, Steven Adams arrived to the Memphis Grizzlies and played an important role in the Grizzlies success. Despite averaging the least number of points since his rookie season, Adams averaged 10 rebounds for the first time in his career and introduced a playmaking aspect to his game (3.4 assists per game last season, a career high). He will provide high quality minutes as a defensive presence and elite offensive rebounder.
Backups
G - Tyus Jones
| H: 6’0″ | W: 196lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$29m | Years Pro: 7 |
Tyus Jones is regarded as one of the best back-up Point Guards in the NBA. When the team struggled last season, Jones was inserted into the starting line-up to replace Morant, and helped spark life into the team. Having hit career highs in points and 3-point percentage in 2022, the Grizzlies realised his importance to their rotation and re-signed him to a large extension.
G - John Konchar
| H: 6’5″ | W: 210lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$19m | Years Pro: 3 |
Undrafted out of his draft year, John Konchar has slowly developed through the G-League to see a slight increase in minutes throughout his 3 years with the Grizzlies. In small sample sizes, Konchar has shown to be a very efficient shooter from both 2-point and 3-point range. He started 7 games last season, and will play a crucial role as the back-up Shooting Guard for this team this season.
F - Ziaire Williams
| H: 6’8″ | W: 215lbs | Age: 20 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$15.1m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
A surprise pick at 10th overall at the 2021 draft, Ziaire Williams got plenty of opportunity throughout his rookie season. With injuries impacting Brooks’ season, Williams was given a huge opportunity to develop, starting 31 games. The Grizzlies see Williams as a key piece of a future starting core, where he can provide an offensive spark, creating space to create his own shot. For now, he needs more time to get himself comfortable at the NBA level.
F - Brandon Clarke
| H: 6’8″ | W: 215lbs | Age: 25 |
| Contract: 5 yr/$54.3m | Years Pro: 3 |
Brandon Clarke is an underrated piece to the Grizzlies bench. Standing at 6’8”, Clarke provides elite 2-point shooting with the flexibility to match up against wing players to undersized Centres. He is a hustler, averaging 2.1 offensive rebounds per game last season in 19.5 minutes a game, while also achieving a career high in blocks (1.1 per game). He will begin the season as a starter due to the absence of Jackson Jr.
C - Xavier Tillman Sr.
| H: 6’8″ | W: 245lbs | Age: 23 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$1.8m | Years Pro: 2 |
Xavier Tillman struggled to back up a productive rookie season. His minutes dropped, as well as his field goal percentage (55.9% in his rookie year vs 45.4% last season). With the addition of Adams, Tillman’s defensive presence wasn’t as useful, as the Grizzlies lent into small-ball line-ups coming off the bench, having Clarke running Centre minutes. He will need to have a big year to integrate himself back into the rotation on a regular basis.
The Rest
11. Jake LaRavia (SF)
12. David Roddy (PF)
13. Santi Aldama (SF/PF)
14. Kennedy Chandler (PG)
15. Danny Green (SG)
T.W. Vincent Williams Jr (SF)
T.W. Kenneth Lofton Jr (PF)
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the Memphis Grizzlies win totals sitting at 48.5 wins, 5th best in the Western Conference. Comparing the 2022 results of 56 wins, the drop off of 7.5 wins is very large, due to the team losing Jackson Jr for the first half of the year and the other Western Conference contenders getting key pieces back from injury. The 2022-23 win total might still be slightly over, just because this Grizzlies team is so young, and became even younger over the off-season.
Conclusion
The Memphis Grizzlies had a magical last season that few pundits were expecting. Sure, the team were expected to continue to improve and build around Ja Morant, but to get to 56 wins and be the 2nd best team in the regular season shows just how special Morant is, how quickly the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane are developing, and even how important the addition of Steven Adams was to this team.
The Grizzlies found out early in the off-season that Jackson Jr would miss 4-6 months due to a foot injury, missing the start of the 2023 season. What was interesting to see was the moves the team made throughout the off-season. They continued development from within, rather than trading away the farm for a superstar to help compete now. The Grizzlies know that their team is still super young, and with Jackson Jr not at his best next season, they understand that next season will (most likely) not be the year where they’re in the top echelon of the Western Conference.
As mentioned, the Grizzlies did the bulk of their work on draft night to give their bench unit a fresh start. Jake LaRavia won’t be expected to contribute straight away, but has the tools to be a versatile 3-level scorer in the future and will be in the running for back-up minutes straight away. David Roddy is in a similar position, he has the potential to be a solid rotation piece on a contending NBA team, but will need time to develop into that. Even 2nd round selection, Kennedy Chandler, will be important to the Grizzlies depth – recognised by offering him the largest guaranteed second round contract in NBA history. Look for him to play back-up minutes if Morant does succumb to another injury throughout next season.
Obviously losing the likes of De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson hurt the Grizzlies’ prospects of immediate success. Both were key defensive and playmaking cogs that did have their limitations offensively. With the team not expecting to be championship contenders just yet, letting both of them go allowed the Grizzlies to target prospects in the draft that would fit the age profile of a potential contender in the future. The extra cap room allowed the Grizzlies to reprioritise their money into Morant and Tyus Jones, as well as bring in draft capital to select Roddy.
I don’t expect the Grizzlies to come back and set the NBA alight like they did last season. 56 wins is a tough benchmark to match, and with the team losing Jackson Jr and the rest of the Western Conference getting stronger, maybe it’s okay that they fall back into competing for the bottom half of the playoffs. The stars on this roster are so young that the Grizzlies have the time and the expertise to draft and bring in the right prospects to build a perennial contender. Not one that will fall away after one season.
One player I’m looking forward to seeing is Brandon Clarke. He will be thrown into the starting line-up to replace Jackson Jr, and from what we’ve seen of him coming off the bench, he will bring defensive versatility and effort. How will the Grizzlies offence react to this switch? Jackson Jr provided crucial spacing and high volume 3-point shooting (even if he was inefficient), Clarke’s style is very different; he is more of an interior scorer around the basket. We will see how this Grizzlies offence will adapt to the changes and if there is a small drop in production from Morant, who does the bulk of his scoring in the paint and will not have the space to attack like he did last season.
This Grizzlies team won’t be at full strength for most of this upcoming season. As a result, I’m predicting them to win 46 games this upcoming season. Defensively, this team should remain one of the best in the NBA. But I worry about the spacing on offence, particularly if they start Morant, Clarke and Adams at the same time. This could see a drop in their efficiency, and potentially a small decline in Morant’s numbers. I do believe that Clarke will be a worthy addition to the starting line-up, and that the NBA will finally see how valuable he can be for a playoff team. I also wouldn’t be surprised after having a full pre-season with the team, if Ziaire Williams threatens to become the long-term starting Small Forward of the Memphis Grizzlies, especially if Dillon Brooks cannot figure out his efficiency issues.