How Tyus Jones fits into the new Grizzlies system
By Ethan Becker
Tyus Jones shined in his limited role coming off the bench for Minnesota last season. How will the young guard fit into a Memphis Grizzlies system which is currently looking for a new identity?
As of the 2019 offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies “grit ‘n grind” system that fans loved to watch became no more. Normally, with a team in that scenario, there’s a few years rebuild while they work to find a new identity. But the Grizzlies are marking themselves as the exception, as they already seem to be building a new identity.
With the drafting of Ja Morant, as well as a few key offseason moves, the Grizzlies are establishing themselves as a fast-paced, ball moving offseason. One of those key additions is Tyus Jones, the former guard from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jones had a breakout season last year with Minnesota, averaging 6.9 pts, 4.8 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game in an average of 22.9 minutes per game. During his limited starting chances (23), Jones recorded 10.8 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Not only that, but Jones also had some of his best splits coming off back-to-back’s for Minnesota. Because of that, Jones could be seen as being more reliable during those hard back-to-back or 3-in-4 stretches over the NBA season.
Combine that with Kyle Anderson, who came from a similar ball sharing Spurs team, and you have a good recipe for success in this new age of NBA basketball.
Now, instead of Memphis having a powerful frontcourt duo who can dominate any other team’s tandem, the Grizzlies are filling their roster spots up with young, exciting players who will pick up the pace and spread the offense.
One area where both Jones and Memphis will need continued improvement is on defense, but that will come with time for a lot of these young players. For now, the core that Memphis has already built will keep them as a middle-of-the-road team for a few years, before they can start competing for a playoff spot again.