NBA Thanksgiving 2019: What each team has to be thankful for

Memphis Grizzlies

The all-underrated rookie duo

Jaren Jackson Jr. hasn’t made the leap many were anticipating here in year two, but the Memphis Grizzlies‘ young core is still looking good these days thanks to the early work we’re seeing from Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke.

With Zion Williamson sidelined, Morant has begun building up his Rookie of the Year case, averaging a team-high 19.1 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game on .467/.406/.766 shooting splits. Most first-year point guards take some time to find their way. Morant is out here hitting game-winners and blocking Kyrie Irving on potential game-winning jumpers already.

As for the potential steal of the 2019 NBA Draft, Brandon Clarke has been terrific off the bench, posting 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 22.3 minutes per game. He’s made nine of his 19 long-range attempts (47.4 percent), indicating that concerns over his jumper may have been overstated. People talk about his T-Rex arms, but seem to forget it doesn’t matter if you have a freaking T-Rex on your side. The Grizzlies’ young trio has a way to go, but the promise of the next chapter is clearly there.