Memphis Grizzlies select Jordan Adams 22nd overall

The Memphis Grizzlies added some offensive punch tonight by selecting Jordan Adams 22nd overall.

Adams is the darling of advanced analytical draft models, so it’s not a surprise that a team employing John Hollinger selected him in the first round Thursday night. Adams had a 28.3 PER with a 60% true-shooting percentage and a 5.0% steal rate in his sophomore season at UCLA, so to call him productive would be an understatement.

Let’s talk about the good first. Adams already has NBA three-point range, and has no conscience about gunning up jumpers if he’s open. Also, he was able to get his own shot pretty consistently in college, as his lateral quickness is strong and his ball-handling is good. Finally, Adams is a ball hawk in the truest sense of the word on the defensive end. He’s not afraid to sell out for the steal, and with a 6’10 wingspan he often is able to get his hands not he ball and force a turnover.

There are some bad things here though. First and foremost, Adams has very little vertical explosion. He may struggle to finish at the rim in the NBA even though he was able to convert at a 67% clip in college. It’s probably fair to say that Adams isn’t a very explosive athlete, period. His shot selection from time-to-time also leaves something to be desired. Having said that though, he’s one of those guys that is simply productive and gets the job done. Last year, he was overshadowed by Shabazz Muhammad and this year by Kyle Anderson. Adams quietly just puts points on the board and goes about his business.

As far as the Grizzlies are concerned, Adams should slide perfectly right onto their bench. God knows that they’ve needed a source of offense from the wing for a while now, and Adams should help to provide that. Plus, coach Dave Joerger can probably figure out a way to take advantage of Adams’ unique defensive skills.

I like the pick even though I’m not as high on Adams as some. It’s a really good situation for him to be able to step into and help immediately.