The Memphis Grizzlies found a gem in Dillon Brooks, but they may have another one in Wayne Selden. His emergence can change a lot for the team’s future.
Saturday night was a dream for the future. If you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan, you couldn’t help but salivate watching these young wings the other night. Dillon Brooks was going off — scoring 24 points, hitting four 3-pointers and impacting the game in a variety of ways. A side storyline to the Brooks Show — and the Grizzlies snapping their 19-game losing streak — was Wayne Selden’s excellence.
Selden finished the game shooting 6-7, and he hit four 3-pointers. In addition to his 3-point marksmanship, he attacked the rim, ran the break and played solid defense.
If you’re a Grizzlies’ fan, you know that this performance isn’t necessarily rare for Selden. He balled out in the Summer League — I know, it’s not the real deal, but it’s something OK. He also has one of the most random 30-point performances of the NBA season.
The Grizzlies are entering a new era, and Selden has the tools to become a key component of it. However, given the small sample size, he still remains an enigma, which makes him an x-factor for the team’s immediate and long-term future.
His skill-set
Wayne Selden has been plagued with injuries for most of the season, missing 42 games due to quadriceps and knee problems. However, you can’t watch him without seeing his tantalizing potential.
At 6’5″ and 230 pounds, he possesses the perfect size on the wing. In addition, his explosiveness make him a deadly threat in transition and when attacking the basket. Due to his size and athleticism, he’s already an average defender with the room to grow into a savage on that end of the court.
Offensively, he’s displayed a solid scoring arsenal. He can light it up from deep, score off the dribble and at the rim. As he develops and gains more experience, the game should slow down for Selden, which would make his scoring opportunities more clear and available.
Selden’s two-way potential is intriguing, as he has the game to become a NBA starter and the explosiveness to be a sparkplug off the bench. If he can find consistency on both ends of the court, he’ll have a long future in this league.
What he needs to work on
The main thing Selden must do to have an impactful future with this team — and in the league — is to round out his overall game. If he’s not scoring, he’s pretty quiet on the court. In order to find a consistent spot on this team, he must find other ways to impact the game.
Selden hasn’t established himself as a NBA playmaker, but he has the tools to become one. I know this is a mixtape from high school, but you have to watch this:
Obviously, there’s a HUGE difference in talent, but Selden displayed some flashy passing. With reps, confidence will come, and the game will slow down. With that being said, Selden needs to become a playmaker on this team — especially since they lack playmaking on the perimeter aside from Evans and Conley.
Wayne Selden also must continue to progress on the defensive end of the court. He has the athleticism, build and tenacity to become a solid defender. However, he still gambles too much on that end of the court.
Enhancing these two elements in his game would make him an easy candidate to play at least 20-30 minutes a game.
Next: What's Selden's ceiling?
The X-Factor
Wayne Selden can become an impactful x-factor for this team next season and beyond. If he continues to progress, they can slot him in the backcourt next to Conley — which could move Evans to his natural sixth man role if re-signed.
Next to Conley, he won’t have as much playmaking pressure. In addition, he gives Conley and Gasol another floor-spacer and transition threat. If he can find more offensive consistency, he’s another double-digit scorer to a team that desperately needs perimeter scoring.
Beyond next year, he might be a future starter for this team, which would form a compelling wing tandem with Brooks. His combination of size, skill and explosiveness makes it hard to give him an appropriate ceiling. He won’t be a star, but it’s also tough to say he couldn’t be a starter on a good team.
It’s been a small sample size so far, but Wayne Selden can be an important player for the Memphis Grizzlies for a long time. They can’t mess this up.