The Grizzlies begin the process of remaking their roster tonight. But before we get to that, let’s take stock of the roster as it enters the summer.
Darrell Arthur: Missed 50 games with shoulder injury, came back a carbon copy of the below-average-reserve-level player he was as a rookie. The missed time really hurt Arthur, whose athleticism, activity, and theoretical scoring potential suggest at least a valuable bench player. Can run the floor and rebound well enough, but he’s too small to work in the post (23% of non-dunk inside attempts rejected) and hasn’t shown the mid-range game he had in college (35% on jumpers last season). Has to find a reliable jumper to be a quality rotation player. As it is, with Arthur still a question mark and Zach Randolph entering the last year of his deal, a Power Forward of the Future should definitely be on the draft radar.
Ronnie Brewer: Griz waited too long to acquire Brewer then got nothing from it when he got injured in game one. Played only 80 minutes in five games for the Griz, only 12 of those in good health, so there’s a limit to what we can know. Certainly helps defensively, but looked lost on the offensive end. Brewer is a smart, athletic, and active player, but he can’t shoot and isn’t particularly dynamic with the ball. He was a good fit in Utah’s offense because he was able to make cuts off the ball to create shots. With the Grizzlies’ more iso and pick-and-roll offense, the weak-side wing player needs to be more of a shooter. It would have been nice to see Brewer on the floor more with Marc Gasol, whose interior passing and basketball IQ might have worked well with Brewer’s cutting ability. Is he just a system player? Can the Griz figure out how to use him effectively? Based on the limited info and big question marks, it would be hard for the Grizzlies to offer him a substantial contract. But after giving up a future pick to get him, it would be equally hard to let him walk. Luckily there probably won’t be a big market for Brewer this summer. My guess is he’s a good bet to be back on the one-year qualifying offer.
