NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason needs for the Memphis Grizzlies
By John Buhler
The Memphis Grizzlies battled hard in round one, but saw their 2016-17 season come to an end. Here are the five offseason needs for the Grit N’ Grind gang.
He can take a look at all the data he wants, but Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale had to have known that his team had maybe a second-round ceiling in his first year on the job. Memphis went 43-39 in 2016-17, finishing with the seventh-best record in the Western Conference.
Fizdale may have brought new technology to Memphis in the form of the 3-ball, but it was still largely the same, old Grit N’ Grind Grizzlies. There is not a thing wrong with that. Memphis’ brand is strong, as this incarnation of Memphis basketball embodies the blue-collar spirit of this Southwestern Tennessee Metropolis along the Mississippi River.
With its two best players in point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol still in their prime and on massive contracts, there really isn’t any reason to blow the whole thing up in Memphis. This is a fun, but physical basketball team that most casual NBA fans kind of enjoy watching.
That being said, Memphis can still do a few things this offseason to get better. Here are Memphis’ five biggest offseason needs heading into this summer.
5. A competent reserve two-guard would be nice
Shooting guard Tony Allen is amazing, but he got hurt down the stretch and that was no good for the Grizzlies. When he had to ride pine with an injury during the first round series, Memphis was painfully thin out on the wing, especially at two-guard.
Allen has been an offensive liability for most of his career. That being said, his defensive prowess has made him a Memphian legend to no sane person should ever question. The guy should never play for another NBA team, whenever he decides to call it a career.
All that aside, Memphis needs depth on the wing in the worst way possible. The Grizzlies had to trot out Wayne Selden once Allen succumbed to injury. Memphis wasn’t as wrecked by injuries this past year as it was two years ago, but developing or locating a rotational two-guard would be an outstanding offseason move.
One guy that will garner a ton of buzz in NBA free agency is Washington Wizards wing Bojan Bogdanovic. He was shipped at the trade deadline by the Brooklyn Nets to Washington. Now Bogdanovic is helping Washington attempt to reach its first Conference Finals in who knows how long.
Memphis needs to be very straight forward with want it wants out on the wing. Fizdale is keen on 3-and-D, but durability may need to be the best attribute the Grizzlies organization will look for in the upcoming draft and in the impending free agency market.