The Memphis Grizzlies’ wing depth has been exposed. How bad is it? How must it be fixed? Is there any hope to fix it?
It’s the year 2018, and the Memphis Grizzlies trot out the starting lineup of Andrew Harrison, Dillon Brooks, Jarell Martin, JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol. Notice anything wrong?
Well for starters, Harrison is starting, but that’s because Mike Conley is out for the year. Catch anything else? Yes, Jarell Martin is starting at the 3 — which isn’t his natural position.
Why on earth do you do this, JB? Do you even want the permanent head coaching job?
Jarell Martin is naturally a power forward, but they insist on playing him at small forward for whatever reason. However, when you look at it, the Grizzlies only have three real wing players: Dillon Brooks, Wayne Selden and *sweats profusely* *takes pull of Fireball* *gulps* Ben McLemore.
Let’s put it this way, the Memphis Grizzlies need help on the perimeter. Jarell Martin is definitely a power forward. Chandler Parsons is no longer a small forward. Tyreke Evans handles more ball-handling duties than spot-up shooting.
This summer, the Grizzlies need to improve wing depth — whether it’s through free agency, the draft, trades or internally. The Grizzlies need more than two playable wings in order to make the playoffs next season.
Where they could find help
One of the easiest ways the Grizzlies could find help on the perimeter is through the draft. The top of the draft board is loaded with big men and is depleted with perimeter talent. Luka Doncic, Michael Porter Jr. and Mikal Bridges could all help the team next season — and could immediately become the best wing on the team.
They could also look in the second round for wing help, which has proven to be successful. Grayson Allen is a great target, but he can really only play the shooting guard position because of his size. They could also look at Gary Trent Jr. from Duke, Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo or Tulane’s Melvin Frazier. They may not become immediate rotation players, but they would surely add depth to a depleted area.
In free agency, their sole focus should be to re-sign Tyreke Evans. It’s simply a “put your money where your mouth is” move for not trading him at the deadline. If he bolts elsewhere, they should look at the restricted free agent market. Rodney Hood may be out of the Grizzlies’ price range, but they could target someone like Mario Hezonja, Doug McDermott or Patrick McCaw.
Aside from the restricted market, they could look at University of Memphis product Will Barton or Wayne Ellington. Both players would add necessary shooting and scoring to the wing positions.
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If they can’t find anything on the wings, they could also flip JaMychal Green or Jarell Martin for some wing help. Both players have played extremely well this calendar year, but it’s absolutely necessary to build a playoff contender.
Internal solutions?
The Grizzlies don’t have many internal solutions, but they could go down two different routes. They could relegate a 6’6″ Andrew Harrison to play more of the 2 and the 3. In the process, he would add more playmaking and shooting(?) to lineups. Defensively, he would also make the rotations more switch-happy.
Their other solution could be to re-sign Tyreke Evans and start him alongside Conley. They could have a dynamic scorer from the wing — something that’s been missing since Rudy Gay’s departure. In addition, they would be fielding out their best backcourt, a recipe for winning games in the Western Conference.
Next: Grizzlies have something in Andrew Harrison
The Memphis Grizzlies may not seem far off from returning to the playoffs next season. Get a healthy Mike Conley back, pick a solid top-five player and re-sign Tyreke Evans helps. However, to make legitimate noise, they need to shore up their depleted wing depth.