Though Bruno Caboclo has become a consistent starter for the Memphis Grizzlies, his minutes allotment has been a different story.
The Memphis Grizzlies believe they have found their next diamond pulled from the G-League rough in 23-year-old Bruno Caboclo. Memphis liked so much of what they saw via a pair of 10-day trials to sign Caboclo to a non-guaranteed multi-year deal in February.
Adding Bruno Caboclo into the Memphis Grizzlies’ current roster mixture assists with a few things this franchise is attempting to achieve. He is in the advanced stages of the youth development category. He is a freak athlete with untapped potential. Plus, he has the height and length to be a perfect fit within the Grizzlies’ grand defensive schemes — both now and in the future.
Along with a plethora of ongoing injuries, Bruno Caboclo has found opportunity to showcase his game since becoming a member of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019. Yet, that opportunity has been restricted in most cases. Grizzlies Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff is keeping Caboclo tied up with no real logic behind the action.
Bruno has started in 15 of the 30 games he has appeared in. However, those starting positions do not guarantee extended minutes or an expanded role for Caboclo. In a few instances, it has resulted in the opposite.
In Memphis’ past two games, Bruno Caboclo has received just under 20 minutes per night. In the three prior contests, he logged more than 30 minutes in each. Before those were a pair of 25-minute nights. On March 20th, it was a 41-minute evening for Bruno, which followed a six-minute showing on March 16th.
The ups and downs with Caboclo’s minutes allotment continues. Foul trouble is the least of Bruno Caboclo’s worries right now. He has logged three or fewer fouls in all of the Grizzlies’ past 13 games. Additionally, Bruno has produced when given lengthy chances. It is not like he is out there logging empty minutes.
In the 13 games in which Caboclo has logged 25+ minutes for the Memphis Grizzlies, he has scored in double figures on all but six occasions. Given the same criteria, he has grabbed at least five rebounds in nine of these 13 meetings. Needless to say, his two double-doubles on the season occurred within this 13-game combination, too.
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This really boils down to J.B. Bickerstaff continuously toying with lineups along with favoring his veterans. Sound familiar? Bickerstaff has poked and prodded his rotation all season long. The only consistency is his inconsistency. Still, there really is no excuse for neglecting Bruno Caboclo in the rotation, especially considering his starter status.
The downfall to playing Caboclo is his inconsistent outside shot. However, with practice makes perfect, and those words could not be any more true for Bruno. When he plays 25+ minutes per night, he boasts a 49% shooting accuracy from the field, including a whopping 45.5% from beyond the arc. In the 17 games where has received less than 25 minutes, Bruno Caboclo has struggled at 32% shooting overall and 24.5% from outside.
It is no secret that Caboclo’s confidence with the Memphis Grizzlies grows as J.B. Bickerstaff places his faith on him. The Grizzlies’ fan base has been correct when they have demanded more minutes for the team’s young guns, and this is a prime example of that aspect.
With just four games remaining in the Grizzlies’ 2018-19 NBA season, there is not much time left for adjustments by Bickerstaff and his coaching staff. Ultimately, this provides some guidance for J.B. in his impending second season as a full-time NBA head coach. Rely less on the veterans and trust the young guys more often in longer stretches. Better results will come of it.