Deyonta Davis has the tools to contribute to the Memphis Grizzlies as a rookie

The Memphis Grizzlies dropped a future first round pick in order to acquire the 31st and 35th picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. One of those picks, Rade Zagorac, will have to wait to make in impact in Memphis as he continues his career overseas. The other, Deyonta Davis, has the tools to make an immediate contribution to the Grizzlies’ rotation as a rookie.

Before the Memphis Grizzlies made a splash in free agency, general manager Chris Wallace was already busy making moves during the NBA Draft on June 23 in Brooklyn, New York. After selecting Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin IV with the 17th pick, Wallace didn’t let the Grizzlies’ night end there, trading a 2019 first round pick via the Los Angeles Clippers to the Boston Celtics in order to obtain the rights to Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis and Serbian international Rade Zagorac.

The pick traded was acquired in the deal that sent Lance Stephenson to Memphis and Jeff Green to Los Angeles.

Davis’ accomplishments during his one year in East Lansing leap off the page. He was fourth in the Big 10 in 2-point field goal percentage (.598), seventh in offensive boards (72) and third in total blocks and blocks per game (64, 1.8). He did this while only playing 18.6 minutes per game, which was sixth in the Spartans’ rotation. 

Adjust his stat line to per 40 minutes, and Davis averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 blocks (!!!) and 11.8 rebounds per game on 59.8 percent shooting from the field.

Projected to go 16th in the DraftExpress mock draft, it’s no wonder Wallace unloaded the Clippers’ pick.

Do players drafted in the second round contribute minutes as rookies?

The 31st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Cedi Osman, played overseas in Turkey last year. However, of the three players picked before and after him, not many were able to earn consistent minutes—that is, over the course of the entire season.

Of the players recently picked at No. 31 in recent years, several have logged consistent minutes in the NBA as a rookie.

• Salim Stoudamire (2005): 20.3 per game with Atlanta
• Carl Landry (2007):16.9 per game with Houston
• Bojan Bogdanovic (2011): 23.8 per game with Brooklyn
• Jeff Taylor (2012): 19.6 minutes per game with Charlotte

Davis averaged less than 20 minutes per game, but it’s unlikely that new coach David Fizdale will sit him on the bench given what Memphis gave up to get him and the fact he’s the richest second-round pick in NBA history. 

Where does Deyonta Davis fit into the Grizzlies’ rotation?

The Grizzlies have one of the strongest frontcourts in the Western Conference this year, headlined by the “Bruise Brothers” duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Gasol and Randolph were first and third on the team in minutes played per game last season, but the tread on their tires is starting to wear as both continue to age. Gasol is coming off a broken foot, a scary injury for centers in the NBA.

It would be surprising if Memphis didn’t try to limit the “Bruise Brothers'” minutes during the regular season—especially Gasol, who played over 34 per game last season—in order to have them healthy for what looks like an inevitable seventh consecutive playoff appearance. 

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Davis, who can be plugged in at power forward or center, is the perfect relief off the pine that Memphis needs for Gasol and Randolph. If the Grizzlies try moving Chandler Parsons to power forward, Davis could cover up Parsons’ defensive deficiencies while playing center. Davis had a team-high 7.5 defensive box plus/minus last season with Michigan State and can protect the rim at an elite level. 

While other frontcourt players on the roster have NBA experience, it’s not a lot. JaMychal Green contributed 14.4 points per game to the Grizzlies last year and was an average defender, but was inefficient on offense. Jarell Martin showed some flashes when he was called up from the Iowa Energy due to injuries on the first-team, but likely isn’t a night-by-night contributor in the NBA. Brandan Wright only played 12 games last year due to injury and has bounced from team-to-team over the course of his career.

The Grizzlies have always been known as the team that grinds it out on offense and relies on tough defensive anchors. Deyonta Davis is the youngster Memphis has been searching for to hand the torch to in the frontcourt for years to come, and the handing off starts here.