The Memphis Grizzlies have had a great offseason, but they may need to make one low-risk, high-reward move to bolster their title contention status.
The Memphis Grizzlies have had a great off-season. They drafted Wade Baldwin IV and Deyonta Davis, high-potential prospects who were projected to be lottery picks. They landed their biggest free-agent signing in franchise history by acquiring Chandler Parsons.
They retained starting point guard Mike Conley with a record-breaking contract.
The Memphis Grizzlies also made under-the-radar signings with athletic wing James Ennis, who caught fire in the last month of the season, and sharpshooter Troy Daniels, a 43 percent career 3-point shooter on 2.8 attempts per game.
Their starting five of Conley/Tony Allen/Parsons/Zach Randolph/Marc Gasol has the firepower to be a top-five starting lineup, but the injury history to collapse.
Their bench screams inconsistent. Brandan Wright, when healthy, is one of the most effective backup centers in the league. Last year, he only played in 12 games.
JaMychal Green is probably their most proven bench player, after averaging 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game. Jarrell Martin displayed lots of promise during his rookie season, but he has had foot trouble.
Wade Baldwin IV and Andrew Harrison could be quality NBA players down the road; however, they might not be ready to take on a backup point guard role for a team looking to win now.
James Ennis and Troy Daniels are decent pieces, but their games are so limited that they might not be able to stay on the court too long. Vince Carter is near 40 years old; he has very little left in the tank. Jordan Adams has not been able to stay on the court due to injury.
The Memphis Grizzlies have the potential to be a top 4 seed in the Western Conference. They need to add one more veteran piece to provide firepower off the bench.
If the Grizzlies can do this, they could distinguish themselves from the middle of the pack (Portland, Utah, Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City) and pose a legitimate threat to the Warriors, Spurs, and Clippers.
With Dion Waiters receiving a one-year contract for only $2.9M, any free agent (not named LeBron James or J.R. Smith) won’t cost too much.
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