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Report Card: Grading the Memphis Grizzlies’ 2018-19 Season in Its Entirety

By AJ Salah

MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 10: The Memphis Grizzlies bench reacts to play during the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 10, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 10: The Memphis Grizzlies bench reacts to play during the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 10, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Memphis Grizzlies
Jonas Valanciunas Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Asset Management: B

This has to start with Jaren Jackson Jr. Whether you want to call his drafting skill or luck, the Memphis Grizzlies have a bonafide building block in place. Jackson is a potential two-way beast, whose skill set is extremely on-trend, and whose rookie season was not too statistically distant from Anthony Davis. For now, it looks like a great pick, even within a deep draft class.

From there, things get a bit murky. First came the immortal Brooks-gate, in which Chris Wallace spent a few hours believing he had fleeced the Wizards for Kelly Oubre, only to have them inform him otherwise.

Then the Grizzlies started sliding; Wallace forked over two second-rounders for Justin Holiday, hoping he was their answer on offense (spoiler: he was not). Those draft picks became of much greater value weeks later, when the Grizzlies announced they were open to trading Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, thus hitting the reset button on the franchise.

While Conley enhanced his trade value all season, Gasol was dealt to the Toronto Raptors for a package that looks far better now than initially. Jonas Valanciunas put up absolutely gaudy lines as a Grizzly, with Delon Wright also flashing triple-double flex.

Despite the emergence of potentially valuable assets, the Memphis Grizzlies fumbled by not extracting a draft pick from Toronto until a 2024 second-rounder. A team facing a rebuild with several picks forfeited should have demanded more, even against Masai Ujiri’s imposing track record.

There were definitely missteps along the way, but Jackson’s mere presence is enough to give the Grizzlies a respectable grade here.

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