The Memphis Grizzlies have been without Kyle Anderson for a while now as he dealt with a shoulder issue. There now is a strong possibility that his season is over.
Kyle Anderson has been one of the few bright spots for the Memphis Grizzlies but it appears his season will be cut short. It already seems like a real possibility that Jaren Jackson Jr.’s season is over but now it appears that Anderson’s may be as well.
Medical update for @memgrizz forward Kyle Anderson: pic.twitter.com/FsfkQ1jmgS
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) March 5, 2019
The Grizzlies signed Anderson to a 4 year, $37.2 million deal this summer with the expectations of him being a key piece on a team making a playoff push. It has been a disappointing season in Memphis but some of Anderson’s play shows the Grizzlies have a brighter future than they’re given credit for.
He has played in 43 games this season averaging 8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. His ability to impact the game in so many different ways makes him so valuable to this team going forward.
His improved mid-range jumper was a bright spot for Memphis and hopefully, it’s an area he continues to improve on continuing into next season. He doesn’t need to be great out there but he needs to at least force the defense to guard him on the perimeter.
A lot of the stuff he brings doesn’t show up on the stat sheet but he has had a couple of games where he filled it up from there. One of his best games of the season was in a come from behind road win against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 7th.
In that game, he finished with 19 points 11 rebounds, and 4 assists on 8-12 shooting from the field including making his only three-point attempt of the game. He also made a huge impact on the defensive end of the floor with three steals and three blocks.
We also saw him get his first career triple-double in the loss against the Brooklyn Nets on January 4th. In that game, he finished 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Anderson made a layup with under a minute left to go in the game to secure this feat.
Those numbers will never jump off the chart but in just 43 games he has played with the team he has shown his worth. He should be a part of the Grizzlies long-term plans but they also shouldn’t rush him back this season.
Shoulder injuries are always tricky and after the whole Markelle Fultz drama, it is always scary when returns take longer than originally anticipated. The situations aren’t the same but it does make you think.
Anderson has shown his ability to make plays though so I would expect him to be ready to go for next season but unless the Grizzlies starting making a real run at conveying the pick, they should not play Anderson at all the rest of the season.
They’re multiple games behind the 9th spot and while they have been somewhat competitive recently, I find it hard to believe that this team will suddenly learn how to win some of the close games down the stretch of the season.
The goal has been to convey the pick but it is time to move past that. There are enough quality players in this draft that should interest the Grizzlies. This team should start focusing on the 2019 NBA Draft, rather than winning games.