Memphis Grizzlies Playoff Profiles: Brandan Wright

Brandan Wright may have had a shortened season with the Memphis Grizzlies because of injury, but he made his presence felt at the end of year.

Wright has always had trouble with injuries, having only played in 28 games this regular season. After a slow start although, Wright has become a key piece inside and provided very good minutes for the Memphis Grizzlies. He has fit right in with the other bigs and seems to have solid chemistry already with the guards.

The Matchup Ahead

Wright has an interesting role against the San Antonio Spurs. More than likely, he’ll be playing a filler role. He can be subbed in and paired with any of Zach Randolph, JaMychal Green oe Marc Gasol. Defensively, he’ll probably see time guarding LaMarcus Aldridge, Dewayne Dedmon, David Lee and Pau Gasol. Most of this time can be spent on Pau or Aldridge since Wright is arguably our best overall post defender. Wright fits well against Aldridge as well, because he’s versatile and can move pretty easy compared to other bigs – when healthy. This means that he could move around with Aldridge and stay in front of any attempts to get to the basket with his post moves.

Wright is a different player on offense. His game isn’t quite as versatile and rather more limited. Wright does his best setting picks, taking advantages of defensive helping off him and occasionally crashing to the rim looking for a pass. He averaged 16 minutes per game and seven points. Wright gets these points from opportunities and usually doesn’t look to score by having the ball in his hands. He’s willing to attack the right matchup and get shots off if given time. Wright isn’t on the Memphis Grizzlies for his offensive game, but rather for his defense, rebounding and offensive efficiency.

Next: Playoff Profile: JaMychal Green

Postseason Expectations

Wright may not play very much this postseason, and it’s not because I lied about what is above. I’m sure Coach David Fizdale would love if Wright could play wing, since the Grizzlies are lacking so much depth and talent there. Instead, Wright plays the post where the Grizzlies already have Green, Randolph and Gasol. Minutes are scarce since Randolph and Gasol alone take up most of it with their playoff experience. Wright’s playing time should vary depending upon foul trouble and matchups, but he should come in and do his job of scoring around the rim and limiting his matchup on the other end.