Memphis Grizzlies: It Could Be Worth Bringing Aboard Wang Zhelin in 2019

Wang Zhelin was a 2016 NBA Draft pick, but has yet to land in the United States. After his recent success on the international circuit, it may be time for the Memphis Grizzlies to put his talent to use.

Beale Street Bears recently discussed the Memphis Grizzlies‘ 17 NBA Draft picks from the past 10 years. Three of those 17 are players that have remained overseas on the international circuit, including 2016 NBA Draft selection Wang Zhelin.

Zhelin is a 7’0″ prospect that is no big stiff. He fits the mold of a modern NBA player as he can run the floor as well as stretch it on offense. Though he is already 25 years old with no prior NBA experience, this aspect should be no red flag, but rather more incentive for the Memphis Grizzlies to bring him over in 2019 and receive value for their former 57th overall pick.

Weighing in at 220 pounds, he will need to add muscle in order to have a better chance of sticking in today’s NBA. At the very least, Memphis should throw Wang Zhelin into their developmental plans. It would be a better plan than to allow their former second-round pick to go by the wayside. The longer Zhelin remains overseas, the more likely it will become that his Draft rights will be included in a future trade. At that point, it will be the last you hear of his name associated with the NBA.

Wang Zhelin has demonstrated excellent growth while playing for the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association. He won the regular season league MVP award after posting production line averages of 24.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 38.9 minutes per game through 43 total games.

This center is more physical and looks to draw contact more often than your typical 220-pound prospect. Zhelin as good acknowledgement and IQ on offense and tends to keep his eye on the ball and flow toward the painted area when the ball is not in his hands. On defense, he has a strong sense of shot alteration, too. As you watch his highlights, it is clear that he is a raw talent, but you cannot help but to be intrigued.

The smart move that needs to happen via the Memphis Grizzlies is signing Wang Zhelin to a two-way contract prior to the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. In doing so, Memphis will also need to convert Yuta Watanabe‘s current two-way contract into an actual NBA-only deal.

In today’s NBA, traditional centers are phasing out. It is all about the “stretch” factor plus athleticism. Wang Zhelin has demonstrated both of these traits in his 2018-19 CBA season. He has taken approximately two three-point shots per contest while shooting a respectable 32.1% from outside. Plus, his role resembles Marc Gasol (on a small scale, mind you) in terms of stretching the floor and being able to do a little bit of everything on both offense and defense.

While the Grizzlies could easily allow Zhelin to fade into oblivion, they should absolutely trial the talents of this 7’0″ prospect. His most recent season has shown enough promise to make a small investment in their former NBA Draft pick. There is nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain.