In David Aldridge’s annual offseason rankings, the Memphis Grizzlies receive a surprisingly low rank. Was their offseason really that bad?
The offseason is essentially over at this point. The draft has passed. Big moves have been made. Summer League is over. Now, we just wait for the NBA season to officially start.
Every year, Dave Aldridge from NBA.com ranks each team’s offseason. He separates them in three separate tiers: top 10, middle 10 and bottom 10. Unfortunately, the Memphis Grizzlies fall in the bottom tier. In fact, according to Aldridge, they had the second worst offseason in the league.
Who had a better one, you ask? Cleveland. Chicago. Atlanta. New York.
Why did Aldridge give the Grizzlies such a low ranking? Did the departures of Zach Randolph and Vince Carter hurt too much? Are the moves they made enough to push them into the playoffs?
“Key Man” Summary/Thoughts
In Aldridge’s first point for each team, he talks about their key player. For the Grizzlies, it’s none other than Chandler Parsons.
Aldridge points to the facts that Parsons has played fewer and fewer games each year and that he hasn’t been a huge fan favorite. However, he brings a very good point across:
"The Grizz desperately need his floor-stretching ability and secondary playmaking skills on the floor with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol next year if they’re going to stay afloat in the loaded West."
Obviously, in this star-studded Western Conference, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley can’t do everything and expect this team to make the playoffs. They need Chandler Parsons to come in and lift the burden off of them. After all, it’s what they paid him to do.
A healthy Parsons may not be enough in this loaded Western Conference, but it’ll make a difference for sure.
“The Skinny” Summary/Analysis
“The Skinny” is everything expected. The Grizzlies didn’t have enough money to bring back Zach Randolph and Vince Carter. They’re counting on Chandler Parsons’ knees to succeed. The West got better, and it may not look good for the Grizzlies.
Aldridge also mentioned that if Allen and Green come back, the ranking would improve “some.”
It’s true.
If the Grizzlies don’t bring back JaMychal Green, calling them a “playoff team” is difficult. The only reliable replacements are Brandan Wright – who’s technically a 5 – and Chandler Parsons – who’s slotted at the 3. To remain a playoff-caliber team, they must bring back Green. Point blank.
Aldridge also discussed the acquisitions of Ben McLemore and Tyreke Evans and how they could potentially help this team a little bit:
"The Grizzlies took fliers on low-cost options like McLemore, who couldn’t make things work consistently enough in Sacramento, and Evans, who starred locally in the 901 for John Calipari’s last team at the University of Memphis. They could help some. But in a conference that became even more impenetrable this summer, the Grizz feel like they’re going in the wrong direction."
It’s easy to be optimistic about McLemore and Evans. The former is a lottery pick who was in a terrible situation. All he might need is a change of scenery to blossom. The latter has shown that he can produce at a high level, but he can’t stay healthy.
The Memphis Grizzlies truly need Parsons, McLemore and Evans to not only prove this ranking to be ludicrous but also to prove that the Grizz can still hang in the West.