Memphis Grizzlies: Winning, Pick Conveyance Remains Goal Following Roster Overhaul

Though it could equal the loss of their 2019 first-round Draft pick, all signs continue to point toward the willingness to win for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Memphis Grizzlies‘ 2018-19 season has been many things. At first, magnificent. Then December arrived and frustrations set in. Crushing. Disappointing. As the ship has spiraled out of control, there now remains hope.

Prior to the Grizzlies’ road meeting against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, the dust has started to settle. Marc Gasol is no longer in Memphis after 10.5 seasons with the franchise. Youth development is in full effect, which is a major deal for the Grizzlies since this department was nonexistent for them just a few years ago.

So much has changed since October for these Memphis Grizzlies. They were the underdog that was quickly overachieving. Then they came back down to earth. Now they are knocking on the door of bottom feeder status. Yet, as the new-look Grizzlies continue to build chemistry, things will get very interesting over the final 24 regular season games.

On the subject of losing and inadvertent tanking of sorts, the Memphis Grizzlies entered Wednesday’s matchup with a 23-35 record. This marks next-to-last in the NBA’s Western Conference, and their 39.7% winning percentage is places them in the bottom six.

Before Grizz Nation gets ahead of themselves in looking at which top NBA Draft prospects would fit best next to Jaren jackson Jr. & company, it is time to slow the pace and focus on the outcomes of the games remaining on the 2018-19 schedule.

The key stipulation to the Grizzlies’ “tanking” efforts is that their first-round Draft pick will belong to the Boston Celtics if it falls between selections nine and 14. Though the final say will be determined during the annual NBA Draft Lottery (to be held on Tuesday, May 14th for those curious), Memphis’ regular season record will greatly impact their odds of retaining or conveying the pick.

Most years, you will see NBA teams “tank” for a better Draft position. However, with many NBA Draft experts questioning the overall depth in the talent pool of this year’s crop of prospects, it is no surprise to hear Grizzlies personnel being upbeat about their desire to win these final games.

One example came directly from the Memphis Grizzlies’ General Manager — Chris Wallace — immediately following the NBA Trade Deadline. He wants to see the team win even though the squad faces nearly impossible odds of earning a postseason bid. That ship sailed back in December.

The most shocking aspect of this interview with Wallace is hearing him provide a solid statement without beating around the bush. He is known to deflect in many of his interviews regardless of the topic, and you can feel the definite direction of the franchise in this clip.

To further support Chris Wallace’s statement, you can look at the Grizzlies’ last few games. After winning just two of 16 games in January, Memphis has snagged three victories through six games in February, and were just one point shy of another against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

The Memphis Grizzlies are not blazing trails with wins, but at the very least, they are looking like a real NBA team. They have rid themselves of the plague of losses that haunted them for the past couple of months. Assuming they remain competitive, this will help their chances of climbing a few spots in the standings in order to convey their 2019 first-round pick to Boston.

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Lastly, the Grizzlies’ Front Office clearly made deals at the NBA Trade Deadline with winning in mind. The team landed C.J. Miles, Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, and a future second-round pick from the Toronto Raptors. Additionally, Memphis netted Avery Bradley via the Los Angeles Clippers and Tyler Dorsey via the Atlanta Hawks.

Above-average veteran talent was received at the deadline. This will keep the Memphis Grizzlies competitive. Plus, a couple new young prospects gives the coaching staff more pieces to work with as this rebuild project begins. The future second-rounder was icing on the cake.

Memphis had plenty of deals to sift through at the NBA Trade Deadline. Ultimately, they knew exactly what they were looking for. First and foremost, the Grizzlies wanted to select the deals that would best put them in position to convey their 2019 first-rounder to the Celtics.

Now, just a couple games into the Grizzly tenures of these newcomers, things are looking better for conveyance to occur. This should be music to Boston’s ears, and before Grizz Nation starts to hate this motion, the overall game plan has to be understood.

If the pick does not convey this year, then it will the next. And if not they, it absolutely will by the 2021 NBA Draft. By then, there may be less of an age restriction implemented by the NBA and an ultra-packed Draft could be the result. This will also allow future Draft picks to hold more value.

In essence, this is the smart way to operate if you are are a Front Office executive of the Memphis Grizzlies. It is time to rebuild, and it will take a bit of time. After all, the “Grit-‘N’-Grind” era was not built in one day or one season. It was a combination of things that came together at the same time.

The common denominator was culture. Today, in 2019, this will be the same foundation used to build the next era of Grizzlies basketball.