Memphis Grizzlies Summer League Review: Wade Baldwin

Wade Baldwin showed himself to be very raw in most aspects of the game last season. Did he show improvement in the Vegas Summer League?

The Memphis Grizzlies gave Wade Baldwin the keys during Summer League. The team was his fully to command, especially since he was no longer sharing the backcourt with Andrew Harrison. He had a real chance to show his growth as a player.

The results were mixed to say the least. He still has all of the tools to be an elite defender, and he left little doubt about that with his play. He also gave some encouraging signs with his competitiveness and leadership. However, he’s still raw  by any measure.

A few conclusions can be made from his play so far.

Playing Out of Position?

It’s becoming more and more obvious that Wade Baldwin isn’t a true point guard. In six games during Summer League, he averaged a paltry 2.7 assists and 2.2 turnovers per game. He also appears to lack the steady ball-handling needed to run a team.

Wade may be better suited to be an NBA shooting guard. At 6’4″ 202 pounds, he has the body to guard wing players. His below average ball handling makes it difficult for him to be the primary playmaker on the court. However, he could excel in time as a secondary playmaker.

If you want a valid comparison for the player Wade could be, it’s very easy to find (it’s not Russell Westbrook). During Summer League, he averaged 14.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. During the 2016-2017 season, Avery Bradley averaged 16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Bradley is likely a better player than Wade Baldwin will ever be. Nevertheless, that type of role, especially on the defensive end, could be a nice niche for Wade.

A Growing Leader

With around eight seconds left in the game, Wade Baldwin drove to the basket and hit the game-winning layup to get the win over the Suns in Summer League play. He would finish that game with 21 points.

It was moments like this that showed that Wade had grown as a leader since last season. When asked about how Wade had grown, Coach Cyprien said:

"“He’s playing with confidence and communicating on the floor. We made him team captain, and so it’s a special thing when you make a guy team captain. He’s lived up to it so far. “"

Wade Baldwin has a long way to go in many aspects of the game. However, his intangibles and leadership qualities should be encouraging to the skeptics about his character.

Yeah, About Those Skills….

What do you think of when you think of the game of basketball?

I assume that thoughts of shooting and dribbling are what entered your mind. After all, they’re the main focal points of basketball.

They also happen to be the main weaknesses in Baldwin’s game. He may very well be a shooting guard rather than a point guard, but his guard skills in general have to improve.

In Summer League, Wade flashed plenty of encouraging signs. However, he must get better at the most basic parts of the game of basketball. His ball-handling, shooting, and finishing are still not at the level where they need to be.

You can have the best physical attributes in the world, but you still have to be good at basketball in order to be a good player. Wade Baldwin has to improve on basic guard skills if he’s ever going to be a legitimate NBA player.

Next: The Future of Wade Baldwin

Conclusion

It can’t be understated of how raw Wade still is in many aspects of the game. While he did show some improvement, his shooting and finishing still need work. He still handles the basketball like it’s a medicine ball.

However, his upside is still too much to ignore. In Summer League, he showed his potential on the defensive end. His intangibles and leadership also indicate that he’s going to work hard to get better over the next few years.

Don’t give up on Wade Baldwin. He probably isn’t ready for consistent NBA minutes yet, but what you see isn’t a finished product. His Summer League performance indicates that he’ll be a role player in the NBA at some point.

The Grizzlies just need to be patient and allow him to become that player.