The Memphis Grizzlies’ surprising run to the Western Conference’s second seed last season caught many NBA observers by surprise. Overnight, the squad went from being the NBA’s ugly duckling to must-see TV. Nonetheless, nobody will be caught off guard this year. The team has an opportunity to demonstrate that they are serious contenders in the West for the foreseeable future.
One can consider that the team won 56 games last year and has one of the best young cores in the league at under 25 years old. The Grizzlies are counting on improvements from their returning players and a group of newcomers. Other teams around the league made significant roster adjustments and have a litany of healthy players who are returning from injury.
Memphis had a season that set a new standard for excellence. By playing stifling defense, the Grizzlies made NBA history by being the first team to finish first in rebounding, steals, and blocks all in the same season. Fast break points, offensive rebounds, points in the paint, and second-chance points were also league-bests for this team.
Because of his tremendous growth as a player, Ja Morant was selected as a starter for the All-Star Game and became the league’s most-improved player. Morant agreed to a five-year maximum rookie extension, the team announced on July 6th, worth upwards of $231 million. With Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the NBA in blocks and earning first-team All-NBA Defense honors, the team won the Southwest Division for the first time in franchise history.
Sharon Brown and Aimee Stiegemeyer, the Flyer’s special Grizzlies correspondents, analyze here the key questions facing the team as they prepare for the 2022-23 season.
There have been several changes to the roster since last season. Whose absence will have the most impact on the Grizzlies’ success?
Aimee Stiegemeyer: No disrespect to De’Anthony Melton, but Kyle Anderson’s absence is going to have the most noticeable impact. Anderson is one of the most underrated role players in the league and his talent often gets overlooked because his style of play is not the flashiest, and the best basketball that he has ever played was during the 2020-21 season when he filled the starting power forward position in Jaren Jackson Jr.’s absence. Memphis will need a Kyle Anderson this season.
Sharon Brown: It’s possible that Kyle Anderson’s worth can’t always be reduced to a number in the box score. However, the group greatly benefited from his leadership. The Grizzlies were in a jam in the first round of the playoffs last year, Game 5. It seemed like the Minnesota Timberwolves had their number, and Jaren Jackson Jr. was frustrated and in foul trouble, but the veteran leadership of Anderson and Steven Adams helped the young team stay composed.
At one point in the game, the Timberwolves were up and were poised to even the series 2-2, but the Grizzlies were able to recover and win the game, largely in part to the veteran presence on the bench that night.
Anderson was a veteran voice the team needed, in addition to being a great ball handler and above-average defender with length. In Anderson’s absence, Danny Green is ready and able to fill that void with his leadership pedigree.
Among the returning players, who will have the most impact on the court, in terms of the Grizzlies’ success? Off the court?
AS: On the court? This is Ja Morant’s world, and we are all just living in it. As Morant goes, the team goes. He has really come into his own as the leader of this Grizzlies team, and during games you can find him encouraging and coaching his teammates from the floor.
Off the court, I envision Steven Adams taking on the role as the team’s dad. Big dad energy was on display with Adams last season when he physically picked up and carried Tony Bradley away from Ja Morant, thereby thwarting an altercation between them. We saw it again after the season opener when Adams swiped a towel from John Konchar to give to Morant.
And while he is not a returning player, Danny Green’s veteran leadership and guidance can be of immense value before he ever steps foot on the court. Green has seen the top of the mountain and he has been where the Grizzlies are trying to go — the NBA Finals. The experience and maturity that Green has gathered during his years in the league will be a welcome addition to this squad.
SB: On the floor, I would say a combination of Morant and Jackson Jr. Morant can alter the course of games offensively and Jackson Jr. is the anchor on the defensive side of the ball. Off the court, Danny Green. Green brings that championship experience as a three-time NBA champion. He has been on the big stage and knows what is required. On media day, Green was adamant that the team lacked maturity in a way. “A lot of guys like to do the social media — the TikTok, the tweets,” Green said.
“We can try to limit that a bit — focus on staying locked in to the game and treating the game the right way.
“We love to have fun, but the basketball gods will turn on you if you celebrate too early. Acting like you’ve been there and realizing you haven’t done anything yet — regardless of how many games you won in the regular season — if you haven’t won a championship, there’s nothing to really celebrate. My focus is on keeping them with that mentality for the whole season: Job’s not done,” Green added.
The team is about accountability and I believe Green’s presence will help with that.
And Morant is on board also. “I mean we’re young — he’s a vet,” Morant said when told on Grizzlies media day that Green thinks the team can benefit from maturity. “That’s his job … to hold us accountable. He’s going to be a big help for us in that area. It’s what we need.”
Last year the Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference. Where do we expect them to rank this year?
AS: Fourth or fifth seed — not because the Grizzlies got worse over the summer but because other teams in the conference got better. The return of Zion Williamson for the Pelicans will be huge, and Minnesota made some offseason moves that will help propel them to a better ranking in the standards. Memphis’ loss of Kyle Anderson is Minnesota’s gain.
SB: I’m going to guess somewhere in the range of 2-7. It’s the Wild West, a place where anything can occur. The Los Angeles Clippers have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back, the Minnesota Timberwolves have Rudy Gobert, Zion Williamson is healthy for the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder might make huge strides this season.
Which player will take his game to the next level?
AS: All signs point to Santi Aldama taking a big leap forward this season. His performance in the season opener shows him already playing at a higher level than last season, particularly putting up a double-double in his first career start. Aldama made himself useful on both ends of the floor, adding offensive power with some clutch baskets and snatching defensive rebounds. The Grizzlies and Spanish big men are historically an iconic duo.
SB: For me, I’d say Desmond Bane. Even though Morant was voted as the league’s most-improved player, that honor should have gone to Bane. The Grizzlies’ young sensation shot 43 percent from outside and averaged over 18 points per game last year. Considering Bane more than doubled his scoring average and improved on nearly all counting stats averages last season, he is undoubtedly taking another leap. Bane might be on track for an All-Star appearance.
He was phenomenal and a major reason the Grizzlies made the playoff push last season. Bane averaged 18.8 points and hit 49 percent from deep in the postseason.
With Jaren Jackson Jr. sidelined for an undetermined amount of time, who will step up to fill his role?
AS: There is no one player on this roster who can give you all the things that Jaren does, which means it will take a group effort from multiple players to provide the offensive and defensive value missing. Expect to see this coming from a combination of Santi Aldama, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, and Xavier Tillman Sr. This is where losing Kyle Anderson is going to hurt Memphis the most.
SB: The success of the Grizzlies can be attributed to their “next-man-up” mentality. There is no egotism in the locker room, which contributes to the culture. Every single one of them has the same goal in mind, and that’s to win basketball games. That manner of thinking and feeling is unimpeded by anything. Every single thing is geared toward achieving that one goal.
In my opinion, any player on that roster is capable of stepping into that role on any given night.
Predicted season win total?
AS: Fifty-three games. The competition among the Western Conference this season will be cutthroat and relentless. On a micro-level, there is the factor of Jaren Jackson Jr.’s indeterminate timeline for returning to the court.
SB: Barring serious injuries to key players, I have them winning between 50 and 56 games. Memphis has the right vibe and players who are eager to prove themselves. The squad is still as confident as ever and ready to take on any opponent. And then there’s that person at number 12 who can alter the course of games.
The Grizzlies have a franchise record of 18 nationally televised games, and for the first time they will be playing on Christmas Day. Will that adversely affect the team’s performance?
AS: Not even a little bit. This group has shown that they thrive under pressure and embrace the opportunity to prove any naysayers wrong. If anything, the increased national exposure will be a motivating factor for this Grizzlies team, especially given how intense the rivalry between Memphis and Golden State has become.
SB: The opposite is true; it will only encourage them to improve. The Grizzlies don’t have much to worry about other than getting out of their own way and focusing on the task at hand. Morant is a once-in-a-generation talent for Memphis, with the capacity to completely dominate games once he gets into his groove. Memphis has taken a giant step forward with the Christmas Day game. To top it all off, the squad still has more to prove.
Five rookies joined the Grizzlies’ roster this offseason. Who should we be keeping an eye out for?
AS: David Roddy and Jake LaRavia are the likeliest to see game-time minutes early in the season, but I am most looking forward to seeing Kenneth Lofton Jr. develop and how his game progresses. Junior, as he is known, will spend most of the time playing with the Hustle in Southaven, but he has the potential to put up big numbers. If the Grizzlies can get the version of Lofton we saw during Summer League, he can be a substantial weapon in their arsenal for years to come. His basketball IQ and smooth footwork are reminiscent of Grit-and-Grind-era Zach Randolph.
SB: There was no doubt that Kenneth Lofton Jr., better known by his nickname Junior, was a sight to behold in the Summer League and the few games in which he participated in the preseason. People should go to Southaven to watch him play for the Memphis Hustle. With a two-way deal, Lofton may only play in 50 regular season games for the Grizzlies and cannot participate in the postseason. Even in preseason, the crowd was screaming “bring in Kenny” for Junior, indicating that he had a devoted fan base. A #FreeJunior hashtag has also been created for use on social media. Zachary McKenley Randolph, also known as Z-Bo, is a Grizzlies icon who is often compared to Junior. Lofton is a bucket-getter, a traditional post player who makes the most of his size and strength.