Grizzlies grades through 14 games
The Grizzlies are 5-9 as they prepare to welcome Lebron James and the Lakers to Fedexforum on Saturday (7 p.m., Fox Southeast).
Here’s how the Grizzlies players are faring with roughly 17% of the season complete:
Grayson Allen, C+
After missing nine games with an ankle injury, Allen is nearing his return. Is there still room for the second-year shooting guard in the rotation? He didn’t do much in the first five games of the season to demand playing time. But expect Allen to keep getting opportunities, even if that means some time in the G-league.
The Grizzlies exercised Allen’s thirdyear team option to keep him under contract through next season. They would not have made that investment without an accompanying commitment to developing him into a legitimate rotation player.
Kyle Anderson, B+
Anderson is meeting expectations, which is a welcome sight given the persistent shoulder problem that required offseason surgery. The versatile forward owns the second-best assist-toturnover ratio on the team and is a defensive luxury, considering that he can guard any position on the floor. He is shooting just 26.7% from 3-point range after shooting 26.5% last season.
Those numbers are down from his percentages in four seasons with San Antonio. But there is optimism that Anderson’s shot will improve as he becomes more comfortable with his postsurgery shooting mechanics.
Dillon Brooks, B+
Some nights, he is impossible to defend. Other nights, he can’t make a shot. Overall, Brooks’ numbers are encouraging for a player who missed 64 games last season. It’s just a lack of consistency that is holding him and the Grizzlies back. Memphis is 4-0 when he scores 20 or more points and was blown out in the two games when he failed to make a shot. As Brooks goes, so go the Grizzlies.
If he can find an equilibrium, he is on the way to earning himself a decent contract in restricted free agency.
Bruno Caboclo, B
The Grizzlies appear to be an injury or two away from sliding Caboclo into the regular rotation. But the lanky power forward is playing well in limited minutes, highlighted by an 11-point, five-rebound, two-block outing in 24 minutes against the Rockets earlier this month. Caboclo will need to continue maximizing his opportunities because his contract does not become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10.
Brandon Clarke, A+
You know your rookie season is going well when shooting 6-of-14 from the floor and scoring 17 points is a relatively inefficient night. That's what Clarke did in Tuesday's loss to Golden State. The 23-year-old former Gonzaga standout has been unbelievable for a player selected No. 21 overall. He is shooting 62% from the floor, 44.4% from 3-point range and averaging 12.7 points in just 22.2 minutes per game. He's also the team's second-best rebounder behind Jonas Valanciunas.
Jae Crowder, C+
Crowder's production is in line with his career averages. But his status as a veteran leader has made a few of his recent late-game decisions confounding.
His technical foul with one second left in a four-point game at San Antonio cost the Grizzlies possession and would have given San Antonio a chance at tying the game if Demar Derozan had made the technical free-throw.
Two nights later, he hoisted an ill-advised 3-pointer early in the shot clock with the Grizzlies clutching a five-point lead in the final minute. Crowder followed the miss with a foul that allowed Charlotte to substitute in Malik Monk, who promptly scored. It was part of a disastrous final minute that Ja Morant redeemed with a game-winner.
Finally, Crowder picked up another technical foul with 4:40 left in a close win over Utah.
His high-volume 3-point shooting and serviceable defense are nice. But Memphis could go without the lategame silliness.
Marko Guduric, C
The beginning of Guduric's NBA career has been about what you would expect from a 24-year-old player accustomed to the international game. He's struggled to find consistency with the deeper 3-point shot in a Grizzlies system that only occasionally uses set actions to free him up. It's too early to declare a verdict on Guduric's long-term viability. But there have been enough flashes – such as his 17-point outburst at Charlotte – to allow the experiment to continue. Consider this: Spurs legend Manu Ginobili debuted in the NBA at age 25, and his numbers looked quite similar through 14 games to those Guduric has posted so far.
Solomon Hill, B
The chances of Hill remaining with the Grizzlies after the trade deadline seem slim. The 28-year-old forward is a steady hand for now, though, as he does a little bit of everything off the bench. Ultimately, Hill is playing minutes that could be used on a developing player rather than a veteran on an expiring contract.
Jaren Jackson Jr., C
Jackson scored 40 points combined in the Grizzlies' first two games, then he went into a sophomore slump. Then he bounced back by averaging 19.3 points over a four-game stretch. Now, after fouling out after 18 minutes and grabbing zero rebounds against Golden State, he's back in a sophomore slump? You get the picture. It's been a rocky ride for Jackson so far this season. Considering how much time he missed last season and how different the Grizzlies' system is now, it shouldn't be shocking.
The most telling statistic on Jackson is his minus-13.6 net rating. That means the Grizzlies are losing 13.6 points per 100 possessions when Jackson is on the floor, which is worst among the team's regular rotation players. By comparison, his minus-2.3 net rating last season was in the middle of the pack for the Grizzlies. It's a statistic that suggests chemistry is lacking when Jackson is playing. It will improve with time.
Tyus Jones, B
Jones' 2.5 turnovers per 36 minutes are way up over the 1.1 figure he posted last season when he set records for assist-to-turnover ratio with the Timberwolves. Even still, Jones leads the Grizzlies in assist-to-turnover ratio as he's dishing out 5.1 assists per game in 20.6 minutes.
Jones' minus-11.3 net rating is second-worst among regular rotation players. Like with Jackson, it's an ugly figure that should improve as the Grizzlies continue to develop chemistry in a new system.
De’anthony Melton, B+
Melton is pushing for a role. The 6foot-3 combo guard finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 25 minutes during the Memphis Hustle's win on Monday. Then he logged his first non-garbage minutes in the NBA this season in the Grizzlies' loss to Golden State on Tuesday.
“His opportunity will absolutely come at some point,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “It's a credit to all the work he's putting in, taking full advantage of his G-league opportunity.”
Ja Morant, A+
Zion Williamson might have too much ground to make up on Morant in the Rookie of the Year race when he finally debuts for the Pelicans. That's how good Morant has been. To be clear, Morant's rookie campaign has featured some rough nights.
But for a skinny 20-year-old point guard from a mid-major college dealing with the pressure of being the No. 2 overall pick, the good has far outweighed the bad. His fourth quarter heroics in wins over the Nets, Timberwolves, Hornets and Jazz suggest a star is budding in Memphis.
Jonas Valanciunas, B+
The Grizzlies look wise for investing in Valanciunas as Jackson struggles early in his second season. Valanciunas owns the second-best net rating among regular rotation players behind only Brooks, and that is with his 52.6% fieldgoal percentage trailing his career averages. Valanciunas has eight doubledoubles and is clearly the team's best rebounder.
Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Davidwcobb.