Jordan Adams: Memphis Grizzlies Player Preview
The Memphis Grizzlies used their 2014 first round pick on guard Jordan Adams. Last season, he couldn’t stay healthy. Will he finally see on-court action in 2016-17?
This offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies added plenty of young talent. They added more youthful athleticism and shooting through Wade Baldwin IV, James Ennis and Troy Daniels. They, also, have a plethora of young big men in Deyonta Davis, JaMychal Green and Jarell Martin. The young player most fans and media forget about is shooting guard Jordan Adams.
How Jordan Adams is a Grizzly
The 2014 first-round pick was a analytics hero at UCLA, catching the eye of the Grizzlies analytic guru John Hollinger.
Jordan Adams (advanced college stats 2012-2014): 26.1 PER, 122.0 offensive rating, 96.7 defensive rating and11.3 win shares.
Over the course of his two-year college career, Jordan Adams averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals.
Because of his insane advanced statistics and his promising two-way ability, the Memphis Grizzlies drafted Jordan Adams with their first-round pick in 2014 over the likes of Rodney Hood and Kyle Anderson. While it did draw initial criticism from fans and media alike, there are many advocates of the “#FreeJordanAdams” movement.
2015-2016
Last season, Jordan Adams only played in two games. The only playing time he received was garbage minutes in blowouts against Cleveland and Golden State. In those two games, he played at least seven minutes and scored 3.5 per game.
Sadly, Adams underwent two knee surgeries in 2016. With the barrage of injuries, he would’ve had a chance to significantly grow as a NBA player.
Looking to 2016
If there were a better season to bounce back, this is the season for Jordan Adams. As a team with a weakened bench, if he could prove to be a dynamic scoring punch off the bench. It would do wonders for the Grizzlies’ ceiling both now and for the future.
Granted, this one game is a small sample size of a player who hasn’t played NBA basketball in over a year. However, he showed elements of basketball that the Grizzlies are currently lacking.
There is nobody on the Grizzlies’ bench right now that can create their own shot. Adams showed he can create a shot from the 3-point line, mid-range or in the paint.
Along with his smooth jumper, Jordan Adams has the handles to shake off a defender. If he receives court time this season, he could relieve some pressure off rookie point guards Wade Baldwin IV and Andrew Harrison.
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Best/Worst/Most likely scenarios
Best-Case Scenario
Jordan Adams stays healthy and shows he can be a contributor on the NBA level. If he shows that he could stay on the court, he could be a boost off the bench and a future shooting guard for the post “Grit ‘n Grind” era.
Adams contributes not only on the offensive end, but the defensive end as well. As a player who averaged 2.4 steals a game in college, it is still possible for Adams to become a solid defender in the NBA. In this case, he opens up numerous lineup possibilities. He could be slotted as a two-guard next to Conley/Tony Allen, Conley/Parsons, Baldwin/Allen or Baldwin/Ennis.
If his jumper is this wet, he has the potential to be a crunch-time spot-up shooter for Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons. In addition, he’d space the floor for Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
Worst-case scenario
He can’t stay healthy. Or, he’s healthy, but can’t adjust to the NBA play.
Most-likely scenario
It is hard to beg a “most-likely” scenario for Jordan Adams. So it is more simple to break it down for a health standpoint.
If he’s healthy, then he’ll more than likely be brought back slowly before receiving real-deal NBA time.
If he can’t stay healthy, then he won’t play.
Jordan Adams has the potential to be a strong piece for the Grizzlies going forward. It’s a shame that he hasn’t been able to stay on the court. Here’s to the 2016-2017 season and to the optimism of Jordan Adams coming back to make killer moves like this!