Memphis Grizzlies: Unleashing the Prospects of Garrett’s Temple

Garrett Temple will be a real X-factor for the Memphis Grizzlies. He is much more than his stat line will describe.

With so many uncertainties for this upcoming NBA season, are the Memphis Grizzlies going to reach their dreams of being playoff contenders? One name not being mentioned enough to soak up minutes at shooting guard is Garrett Temple.

The consensus briefing on Temple is that he is a three-and-D guy, which usually is not one of very polished offensive fundamentals. Now this is not a bad archetype by any means, but it is not ideal for the current roster makeup at this position unless your name is Klay Thompson.

That rather shallow opinion of the Grizzlies’ Garrett Temple cannot be further from the case when talking about his body of skill and other attributes, also known in this column as Garrett’s Temple.

Starting with his career stat line of 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game at a rate of 40.5% field goal shooting, 35.7% from beyond the arc, and 72.5% from the charity stripe, Temple has always been a solid contributor. Keep in mind that Garrett is a career 19-minutes-per-game player up until this moment.

At quick glance, one would say his solid three-point percentage and fringe overall percentage from the field begs to argue he is indeed the model of your standard three-and-D guys. However, one also has to consider context.

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Garrett Temple has largley played on teams with ball dominant guard play, so he has been tasked with the leftovers of being a ball-stopper. This includes defense, savvy plays such as screens, picks, passes leading to assists, and — you guessed it — spot-up shooting, which has often left him standing in the corner like timeout for a toddler. This is a way to space the court to open things up for the likes of Washington’s duo John Wall and Bradley Beal, and most recently De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings.

Temple is loaded with intangibles that just do not always register into statistics within the box score. What it does for players around said types, can mean everything.

Dillon Brooks is the main competition at the shooting guard position as of now. Some say Wayne Selden is also a contender at this spot, but that is if he is stays away from the injuries. Marshon Brooks is to be determined until he shows that last season was not a fluke.

If Marshon is for real, he will soak up the Sixth Man minutes. It only makes sense. Andrew Harrison is my favorite returning darkhorse player. Hiis size, mentality, and skill should allow him to receive similar oppurtunities for minutes.

Circling back around to Dillon Brooks, he is not yet a reliable ball handler. Plus, Mike Conley is arguably the Memphis Grizzlies’ main scorer, so No. 11 will need relief with the ball-handling duties to utilize his special abilities as a scorer.

Kyle Anderson was signed mainly for said reason, but he will not play a full 48 minutes. Therefore, somebody else of the 6’5″ and higher crowd has to help out.

This is where Garrett Temple comes into play.

Some will ask if Temple has ever shown ball-handling abilities being as his quick stats suggest more of a three-and-D specialist. One can look no further than his career average of two assists per game, despite receiving limited minutes and not being one of the top-three ball-handlers on his past teams. He makes the most of his minutes when he receives them. Efficiency is his game.

Keep in mind that Temple entered the league as a combination of a ball-handling guard/forward. He has always been a polished ball-handler and a savvy player with a capable jump shot. He owns great defensive potential, too.

Garrett Temple has a huge wingspan, which gives the Memphis Grizzlies more length than other shooting guard prospects currently on the roster. His gifted wingspan and all-around savant defense will certainly help when Conley slides off the ball, making the pairing a match made in heaven. Temple’s consistent savvy play and contagious grit will also be greatly appreciated by the likes of center Marc Gasol.

Another factor is the selflessness demonstrated by Garrett Temple as a player. Mike Conley will not be standing around watching the ball slowly go by on offense. Temple is not the determined finisher at the rim that Dillon Brooks is becoming, but he will not take any shots away from guys either. He plays an efficient offense and typically takes smart shots within the offensive flow.

Dillon may have a hard time doing the same as it is his nature to score, especially off the dribble. A good passer would not be a bad idea when placed next to two scorers in Conley and Dillon Broos.

Expect a lot of minutes from the lineup of Jaren Jackson Jr, Dillon Brooks, Anderson, Temple, and Conley playing together. This is a very intriguing lineup to push the tempo while playing small-ball defense. With this five-man group, you will not see many mistakes or blown coverage defensively.

Chandler Parsons playing both forward positions this season also opens up more minutes for guys playing wing positions.

For instance, Kyle Anderson plays positions one through four. With Garrett Temple being a capable defender, he will be a seamless piece next to Kyle. Anderson can essentially become the main facilitator, enabling Mike Conley to focus on primary scoring duties alongside Marc Gasol. This is the exact sentiment shared by Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Monday, when he emphasized the team’s “strength in versatility.“