Memphis Grizzlies Media Day: Can Wayne Selden become team’s defensive stopper?

With Tony Allen gone, the Memphis Grizzlies need a defensive stopper. After his postseason showing on Kawhi, can Wayne Selden be that guy?

Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies made a late-season acquisition signing training camp invitee Wayne Selden. The move could’ve easily pointed to Toney Douglas’ mediocre performance and the front office’s mistake in waiving Troy Williams. Despite this, Selden still has a nice ceiling and could evolve into a solid two-way player for the Grizzlies.

In the Summer League, he showed his scoring chops, averaging 22.7 points a game. However, an enticing aspect of his game is his defense. In the postseason, Selden was tasked with guarding MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard. Without Tony Allen, someone had to step up, and Wayne Selden did. Granted, Kawhi still put up big numbers, but the rookie definitely held his own.

When asked about how guarding Kawhi groomed him to be the team’s defensive stopper, Selden said this:

"Depends on how you look at it. I feel like that helped me a lot, guarding an offensive player as himself. I feel like there’s a lot of other things that can get you better. Just being in the gym in the offseason is the biggest thing. Us getting in there and working at it."

Selden could emerge as the team’s defensive stopper. Like Tony Allen, he has the size and athleticism to bother point guard such as Steph Curry. In addition, he can physically cover wings. He’s really the one player on the Grizzlies with the defensive chops and potential to become a real-deal NBA stopper.

Next: Brooks on Lonzo, Fultz, Second Round

For the first time in seven years, the Memphis Grizzlies won’t have Tony Allen on the roster. They lost a bit of a defensive edge, and it could bite them. However, Wayne Selden can be the guy that helps this team maintain that defensive edge. In addition, his two-way potential can make him the team’s shooting guard of the future.