via FedExForum.com

Rookie Class:

The Memphis Grizzlies have 4 rookies on their roster as they continue to navigate this rebuilding phase of their franchise. There are a couple of guys on this roster, as with any roster, that are mostly there to fill out the team. For the Grizzlies those guys are Marko Guduric and John Konchar. Neither of them was drafted this summer and neither will have a big impact, at least not intentionally. Brandon Clarke was drafted by Oklahoma City with the 21st pick and then officially traded to Memphis in July. The 6’8” big man out of Gonzaga is an exciting young prospect. Many teams likely will look back and regret passing him up. His offensive game certainly needs some improvement as he struggles shooting the ball outside the paint, however, this is not the main value he brings to the league. His true value will come from his efforts on the defensive end. During his junior year, Brandon Clarke was able to rack up 43 steals and 117 blocks! It is rare to find a player coming out of college that has his level of defensive chops, and for this reason alone he will be able to stay in the league for years to come. The last rookie on this roster is undoubtedly the most exciting prospect in this system as well, Ja Morant. The point guard from Murray State was drafted 2nd overall in the 2019 NBA draft. This move was quite predictable considering the level of talent he was able to show during his two years in college. He was able to make an incredible leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons, going from averaging 12.7 points/6.5 rebounds/6.3 assists his freshman season to 24.5 points/5.7 rebounds/10 assists his sophomore season. Besides what the numbers say, just from watching him you can notice how intuitive his game is and how explosive he truly is. He became a household name with his pre-game dunking ritual and then lived up to the hype during March Madness. The organization instilled their faith in Ja Morant as the point guard of their future when they traded away Mike Conley and the future is bright here with this new and young core.

Most Exciting Player:

Truly the most exciting player on this roster is Ja Morant, but I already discussed him above. Have no fear because the Grizzlies have another extremely exciting young player on their roster worth discussing as well. Jaren Jackson Jr. was drafted by the team in 2018 with the 4th overall pick. At the time some people believed that they should have drafted more hyped prospects such as Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. but Memphis did the right thing in drafted the prospect they believed in the most and fit their system best. 1 year into their careers I feel fairly confident in saying that JJJ has been the best big man out of the entire draft class, even above Marvin Bagley III and Deandre Ayton. In his rookie campaign, he shot 50.6% from the floor and a respectable 35.9% from 3-point range. He also showed a keen ability to protect the rim on the defensive end averaging 1.9 blocks per game. He is almost a part of a rare grouping of big men with the ability to score 20 points and get 2 blocks on a nightly basis, along with the ability to shoot from deep with confidence. As he builds chemistry with Ja Morant this season, I am excited to see how his game further grows and what adjustments he has to make moving forward. JJJ is just one of a few bright spots in the Grizzlies organization.

Westgate Over/Under: 27.5

Last season the Grizzlies went 33–49 while trying to figure out their future identity. Throughout the process, they traded away Mark Gasol and repeatedly were in rumors about moving Mike Conley which is tough to deal with. This season they come in with a fresh and young core also including Grayson Allen and Josh Jackson. Unfortunately with this type of inexperience, there are not many wins along the way. There is always a chance that their young talent comes together more quickly than expected and with this will come more victories, but at the end of the day, the most likely scenario is that they will win less than 27.5 games this upcoming season.

Happiness is a Function of Expectations:

The Memphis Grizzlies really are trying to build a strong foundation to build upon in the upcoming years. Their goal this season most definitely should be to gain some experience amongst each other. They seemingly already have some foundational pieces, now all that is left is to put it all together. Josh Jackson was expected to be of great talent when he was first drafted, but unfortunately, that has not yet come to fruition in the NBA. A change of scenery sometimes is all that it takes for a player to find his groove and Memphis has got to hoping that is exactly what will happen. Grayson Allen is also another young player brought aboard this offseason and will be helpful moving forward as well. Besides his antics during college, he was truly a very talented athlete. Memphis has built a good core and has some draft capital moving forward to help build out the roster as well. There may be another trade on the horizon in the Andre Iguodala saga, and that can only help further their cause. All you can do is be patient and just be glad that there is a definite direction and plan in place to help bring this team back to prominence sooner rather than later.