Memphis Grizzlies lose (win?) the tanking championship in Orlando

The Memphis Grizzlies fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Orlando Magic, losing their 13th straight.

The Memphis Grizzlies came into Orlando with aspirations of winning the 2018 tanking championship. When the dust finally settled, they came away with the trophy, maintaining their status as the worst team in the NBA. As far as the tanking race goes, everyone should be happy.

But this one still hurt.

It’s hard to see your group of young players compete as hard as they can and still fall short in the end. You don’t feel guilty about wanting your team to lose until you hear Pete Pranica and Brevin Knight scream in jubilation as Jarell Martin completes a critical and-one. If you’re going to embrace the tank, it takes some strength of character, because it’s hard to not root for the scrappy underdogs. However, you have to do what’s right for the franchise.

Here are a few takeaways from last night’s game.

Kobi’s Bright Future

It is time for a hot take: Kobi Simmons may have a future as the backup point guard of the Memphis Grizzlies. His current competition may be just Mario Chalmers and Andrew Harrison, but hey, you have to start somewhere.

In 20 minutes off the bench against Orlando, he had 14 points on 6-9 shooting and added 2 assists. His poise and skill appeared to be that of a player well beyond his years, as he tied the game with a jumper with nearly a minute remaining. All in all, he certainly didn’t look like an undrafted rookie point guard.

It is starting to become a legitimate question whether Kobi Simmons has more upside than Andrew Harrison. With his impressive ball handling, superior athleticism, and developing jumper, Kobi is already better than Wade Baldwin ever was. A potential training camp battle between Simmons and Harrison could be worth keeping an eye on.

Evan Fournier: Grizz Killer

What did the Grizzlies ever do to Evan Fournier? Also, don’t ever google his name.

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It seems like Fournier circles every single game against the Grizzlies because he always goes off against them. On November 1st, he had 22 points with four 3’s to beat the Grizzlies 101-99. Last night, he scored 19 points, but he only hit one 3…that gave the Magic a three-point lead with less than 20 seconds left.

Since he lights them up so often, the Grizzlies should really find a way to acquire him. After all, they could really use his scoring and playmaking.

But then again, he’d probably just play 35 games and average six points as he dealt with nagging knee issues. Probably.

Signs of Development

Ben McLemore had perhaps his finest night in a Grizzlies uniform, tallying 20 points on 8-14 shooting along with seven rebounds and four assists. For perhaps the first time this season, he finally looked like the player that the Grizzlies hoped they were getting when they signed him in the offseason.

Yes, he probably did, Parker.

Jarell Martin also continued his hot play, as he had 19 points and 11 rebounds. The biggest improvement in his game recently has been his spot-up shooting. When he sets his feet, he has hit shots with consistency. It will be important for that to continue if he is to be a consistent role player in the future.

Honestly, if we continue to see development and growth like this from the young guys every night, it wouldn’t hurt me if the Grizzlies did not win another game this year. This season is no longer important; the future is what really matters.

The Grizzlies’ next game will be in San Antonio as they visit the Spurs on March 5th.