Tyreke Evans has added an outside twist to his game in Memphis

The Memphis Grizzlies are set to endure their first losing season since 2009-10, and their franchise-best string of seven straight playoff appearances will almost certainly come to an end. Mike Conley has only played 12 games (and was woefully inefficient in those contests), Marc Gasol is having his most inefficient season yet and they fired David Fizdale after just 19 games.

It’s been a rough year.

However, one player formerly thought of as a franchise cornerstone — albeit in another city — has resurrected his career to a startling degree. Tyreke Evans is just 28-years-old, but after multiple injuries caused him to miss 99 games over the past two seasons, he signed a one-year $3.3 million deal with Memphis last July.

Evans has never suited up for a full 82-game season in his eight years prior to 2017-18, but has already played in 38 of 39 games this year. He looks back to full strength and the 6-foot-6 combo guard has added a new weapon to his once limited, offensive arsenal. Evans is hitting 41.6 percent of his 3s this season which places him No. 23 overall among league leaders, and if you narrow the list to players who have made 70 or more 3s, he jumps to No. 10.

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It’s a wild revelation for a player in his ninth season who had previously never made more than 70 3s in an entire season, and whose most efficient season from deep (38.8 percent in 2015-16) came on just 33 made 3s. He’s played 38 games this year and has already amassed a career best 84 made 3s and is doing it more efficiently than some of the best shooters on the planet.

Now, I’m certainly not asserting Evans has morphed into Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard from outside, but the mere fact he’s now a threat from distance increases his ability to make an impact for himself and others on the court.

He’s clearly having his most efficient season ever, and seeing as he’s in the midst of his prime years, it isn’t too shocking, but the volume of added 3s should be. Evans is enjoying such a resurgent season, he’s on a two-man list of players averaging at least 19.5 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 41 percent. Stephen Curry is the other.

The advantage to guards making more 3s — especially off the pick-and-roll — is added spacing for everyone else on the court. If Evans can now pull defenders to him on the perimeter, more opportunities arise for off-ball cuts, dives to the rim and essentially a more efficient offense overall.

This isn’t happening for Evans yet, however.

This is an early season pick-and-roll with Gasol. Watch Jrue Holiday go under the screen which leaves Evans open for the 3, which he nails. But watch it again and you can see Gasol doesn’t dive to the rim, he actually attempts to switch directions and set another screen for Evans. Even his own teammates are assuming he isn’t going to take the 3, so why would Holiday fight over the top of the screen and create a two on one for the Grizzlies?

Defenders are drilled with scouting reports on their opponents and the book on Evans is he cannot shoot — at least not efficiently — from outside.

This is from a game in early December. The Grizzlies are down just eight points with over three minutes left, which certainly isn’t an insurmountable lead. Jeff Green is guarding Evans who finished this game with 31 points on 10-of-20 shooting and a blistering 5-of-7 from 3. Watch how he treats this pick-and-roll. He backed up about 5-7 feet and just lets Gasol block him from any sort of defense on this 3.

Perception and reputation are hard ideas to break, and it’s likely going to take more than 38 efficient cumulative shooting performances from Evans to shatter the idea he can’t his 3s. Then and only then, will he be able to creative the real gravity other lead guards have. This will open his ability to create halfcourt two on one situations, making him much more of a impact player at his lead guard position.

Adding a consistent 3-ball is vital to Evans’ future success as a primary ball handler, whether as a starter or with a second unit, because he’s a below average finisher within five feet as well.

Other combo guards like James Harden (60.7), DeMar DeRozan (62.9), Jimmy Butler (63.2) and Victor Oladipo (64.6) are much more effective within five feet and also possess the ability to hit the 3. Evans has the ball in his hands a lot this season — he’s notching a career high usage rate of 28.1 — and with teams backing off in the pick-and-roll he’s making them pay. The next step is increasing his finishing ability at the rim, so when defenders start playing him more honestly above the break, he can make them pay by driving the lane.

Next: The Timberwolves defense is improving, slowly but surely

With Memphis firmly planted toward the bottom of the Western Conference this season, trade deadline season is in full effect. Will they hold onto Evans and try to re-sign him this offseason to run their second unit? He was just as efficient coming off the bench for them this season, before being thrust into the starting role. Or do they sell high and aim for a first round pick in next year’s loaded draft?

Any playoff teams looking for energy, scoring and efficiency off the bench should having Evans near the top of their list come deadline season. He’s proven — though in a very small sample size — he can hit the 3, and that alone makes him much more valuable than he’s ever been.