The Grizzlies have consistently drafted well since taking Jaren Jackson Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. With their Grit and Grind era nearing an end, they triggered their rebuild in 2019 after trading away franchise stalwarts Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr., before drafting Ja Morant with the second overall pick.
Morant and Jackson Jr. have now become the duo the franchise is leaning on to make this era a successful one, but three straight disappointing endings to their seasons have them rethinking their roster makeup. After making a second-round appearance in 2022, Memphis is looking to take that next step to the conference finals.
The current conference finals teams have unique roster constructions that the Grizzlies will need to consider as they look to advance to the level of the final four teams remaining in the playoffs.
Acquire more outside players to complete the rebuild
The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers make up the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves make up the Western Conference Finals. The Grizzlies have plenty of familiarity with the Thunder and Timberwolves as they have faced them both in the playoffs within the last four seasons.
However, a stat showed that the starting lineups were built differently for these four teams versus how the Grizzlies developed their current starting unit. The Grizzlies start five players they drafted, including two who just made the NBA All-Rookie first team.
While that is promising for a team that is still relatively young, with their stars only being 25 years old, the current conference finalists have shaken their lineups to fit a contending model. Of the 20 total starting players between the four remaining teams, only six were acquired via the NBA Draft, with the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Pacers all tied with two players each.
Anthony Edwards is the only number one option to be drafted by his current team as this season's MVP, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, and New York's Jalen Brunson were acquired via trade or free agency. While the Grizzlies can hang their hat on internal development, an outside influence within their unit could provide the dynamic needed for them to take the next step.
Considering Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey were rookies this season, a natural development from those two could fill out their starting unit nicely around their core three players of Morant, Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane. However, their chances of making to at least the conference finals might take longer due to their continued lack of veteran experience in the unit.