Should the Memphis Grizzlies go after Patty Mills?
By Jerrod Smith
The back-up point guard spot was up and down for the Memphis Grizzlies all season. Should they upgrade in free agency by adding Patty Mills?
The backup point guard spot was shaky for the Memphis Grizzlies all season. In the home opener, it looked as if Wade Baldwin was gonna live up to the hype.
Well, that wasn’t the case at all as Baldwin couldn’t find consistency throughout the season. In 33 games, he averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 assists. His shooting numbers weren’t mind-blowing either shooting just 33 percent from the field and 13 percent from beyond the arc.
The other point guard on the roster, fellow rookie Andrew Harrison, was up and down throughout the season, as expected. Harrison struggled to stay in the rotation throughout the season. Due to his lack of production, Toney Douglas was signed mid-season. And well, the Toney Douglas experiment didn’t work at all.
Douglas played great on his 10-day contracts when the Grizzlies were struggling with injuries. But when it came down to producing every night, Douglas couldn’t step up to the challenge. The Grizzlies needed to act fast, and that’s what they did.
The Grizzlies already lost young talent in Troy Williams due to the Douglas signing, so they decided to cut Douglas and signed shooting guard Wayne Selden, who started out in training camp with the Grizzlies and was on the D-League. Now, Andrew Harrison officially had the keys to the back-up point guard position, after stepping up in the playoffs and extending the Grizzlies’ season with a Lebron-esuqe block.
But the question remains: was it enough?
The Grizzles’ front office and Coach Fizdale have iterated how important it is to acquire a veteran backup point guard. Ironically, the best backup point guard in the league is on the market. Should they chase Patty Mills in free agency? Will it hurt or help the development of their young point guards? Could the move even place them amongst the West’s elite?
Why the Grizz should go after Mills
Obviously, if the Memphis Grizzlies land Patty Mills, it’s a upgrade at the back-up point guard position.
Mills is a feisty veteran point guard who can defend well despite his size, get buckets easily, and know how to run an offense well. This year, he averaged 9.5 points on 41.3 percent shooting from downtown and a career-best 3.5 assists.
Also, a small-ball combo of Mills and Conley in the backcourt would be deadly. In doing so, it’d open up more opportunities for them to play off the ball, an area where both have excelled.
The Grizzlies ended this season with a top-10 bench, and adding Mills to that second unit would be something to watch for next season.
Is it worth it?
Another question remains as well, would it be worth it to sign Mills? Obviously, the Grizzlies would be a better team if they signed him. However as long as the Warriors are in the West, will anyone else come out? That’s very unlikely. But, is Patty Mills the piece that takes the Grizz over the top? That’s debatable.
While Conley is in his prime, he isn’t getting younger either. Therefore, the Grizzlies may need to focus on the future at the back-up point guard position and look elsewhere in free agency to make this team a contender next season.
Related Story: Wade Baldwin is worth the gamble
Final Remarks
Not many of us, including myself, would be complaining if the front office finds a way to land Patty Mills in free agency. But, it comes down to the fact it’s time for the Grizzlies to develop young talent, and it may need to start at the point guard position with Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin.