Hardwood Paroxysm presents: Winners, losers and shockers of NBA free agency
The Memphis Grizzlies are Successfully Playing the Short and Long Game
Andrew Ford (@AndrewFord22) — Upside and Motor
The Memphis Grizzlies have grown accustomed to winning over the last several seasons, but many with a stake in the franchise know all too well what it feels like to be a cellar dweller jockeying for draft position year after year, too. Hoping to postpone a return trip to basketball purgatory for as long as a small-market franchise can, the Grizzlies number one priority this offseason was bringing back their franchise big man Marc Gasol.
Not only did the Grizzlies re-sign Gasol, but they locked him up for the rest of his prime and were able to do so now as opposed to when the cap goes up following next season thus increasing the numbers of a max contract. A long-term deal hopefully means we will see a thirty-four year old Gasol with an expanded range bombing three-pointers like a modern day Arvydas Sabonis in a Grizzlies jersey, but that’s a discussion for another time.
Lack of a quality, supporting cast has been an issue for the Grizzlies over the past several seasons, and the Grizzlies were able to sure things up on that front as well by bringing in useful players via different avenues on reasonable contracts, namely Matt Barnes and Brandan Wright.
Barnes has evolved into a below-average player by some metrics as he enters his mid-thirties, but he still brings skills to the court that the Grizzlies need more of. Offensively, he will be another spot-up shooter to throw into the mix, and if he helps spacing even a little bit that will be a win for the Grizzlies. Defensively, he provides another solid wing defender to a unit that’s already strong in that area. Perhaps what he brings that the Grizzlies will welcome most is more switchability. Given the Grizzlies slow, prodding frontcourt, the personnel have not been adequately able to switch on ball screens and slow down the pick and roll that way. With Barnes, the Grizzlies have more possible lineup combinations and more ways to exploit opponents on both ends of the floor, which is always a good thing.
As for Wright, his one elite skill is well known at this point in his career. He’s going to dive to the rim hard after setting a ball screen, and the threat of him rolling to the rim and flushing home a dunk is primarily how he’s going to make an impact on that end of the floor. An elite, mobile pick and roll big man is something the Grizzlies and all-star caliber point guard Mike Conley haven’t had the chance to work with before. The Grizzlies will miss the rim defense that Kosta Koufos provided, but perhaps Wright can mitigate that loss by utilizing his length to deter drives to the rim.
The least exciting news of the offseason for the Grizzlies has been Jeff Green opting into his contract, but it is probably better than the alternative given the Grizzlies financial constraints. It won’t hurt to have another wing who is decent (trying not to cringe) at times, who could also be a decent trade chip given his expiring contract status.
On the draft front, the Grizzlies picked up tweener forward Jarell Martin out of LSU and Andrew Harrison out of Kentucky. Harrison is unlikely to ever play a game in a Grizzlies jersey, so it’s not worth further mentioning that pick. But the Martin pick doesn’t make a ton of sense for a couple reasons. One, Martin had a stress fracture in his foot when the Grizzlies drafted him. I’m sure the Grizzlies doctors properly vetted Martin, but it’s at least small cause for concern moving forward. Additionally, the Grizzlies probably could have traded back into the second round to acquire Martin, so it seems that they might not have squeezed as much value as they could have out of this draft pick. Only time will truly tell. It’s not like head coach Dave Joerger is going to play a rookie major minutes anyway as long as he has full say in on-court decisions.
Overall, acquiring useful role players is key for the Grizzlies in terms of immediate success. With Barnes and Wright in the mix, the Grizzlies should at least be slightly better-positioned to make a run through the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. More importantly though, locking up Gasol gives the Grizzlies a viable chance to be a solid team years down the road, which is really all they could ask.