Our attention now turns to the Memphis Grizzlies who powered their way to 56 wins last season before losing to the eventual champion Warriors in the second round of the playoffs. With much of their core back, the Grizzlies will be hopeful of improving on their breakout 2021-22 season. In these previews, we will take a look at the key acquisitions, fantasy stars and predicted finish.
Key Acquisitions
The Grizzlies lost some depth this offseason after trading De’Anthony Melton and losing Kyle Anderson in free agency. They will rely largely on internal leaps and unproven rookies to fill the gap.
They used first round picks this summer on Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia and Colorado State’s David Roddy who have both been given some time to prove themselves this preseason.
In 33 games as a junior at Wake Forest, LaRavia averaged 14.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 3.7 apg on .649 TS%. He firms as an ideal complement to star guard Ja Morant thanks to his willingness as a passer and off-ball cutter as well as his shooting touch and defensive upside.
Roddy, meanwhile, averaged 19.2 ppg on .645 TS% and 7.5 rpg in 31 games as a junior at Colorado State. He showed off a nice scoring arsenal in college whilst displaying some versatility as a defender. At 6-6 and 255 lb, he possesses a unique frame which will likely have pros and cons at the NBA level.
Both will have the opportunity to earn minutes as wings in Taylor Jenkins’ system particularly after the departures of Melton and Anderson and the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr.
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Fantasy Stars
No Grizzly is ranked top 10 in their respective positions, however, if Morant is healthy that will not be the case this season.
In 57 games last year, Morant averaged 27.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 6.7 apg en route to a Most Improved Player nod and some minor MVP buzz. Now entering his fourth season in the league, he looks ready to make the leap into the upper echelon of stars and help Memphis establish themselves as perennial contenders. With Jackson Jr. sidelined to start the season, Morant will be forced to shoulder a tonne of the load on offence and keep the team within earshot of fellow Western Conference heavyweights.
Projected Finish
Jeremy and I view the Grizzlies a little differently. Despite several teams expected to make leaps in the West, my expectation is that the Grizzlies remain firmly within the fight for homecourt advantage come the first round of the playoffs. They won 56 games a year ago despite Morant missing 25 games and are undoubtedly on the up. Jeremy feels as though they may regress slightly after a breakout 2021-22 season and finish in play-in range.
