The best rookie seasons in Memphis Grizzlies’ history
By Ethan Becker
No. 4: Brandon Clarke (2019-20)
Speaking of players who may be disadvantaged by games played, Brandon Clarke still clocks in at number four on this list.
Honestly, to me at least, it’s a little surprising the Clarke made the list, but he had the advantage of being placed in the first tier with the players who played the least total minutes. The other players in that tier (Mike Conley and Jaren Jackson Jr.) had problems of their own.
While Conley went on to have a fantastic career with the Grizzlies, his rookie season didn’t exactly stand out. He was relegated to coming off the bench for most of his games, and his numbers weren’t entirely eye-popping.
As for JJ, the main hindrance to his rookie career was injuries. With a number of leg problems, Jackson Jr. actually sat out around 30 games, putting him in the same games played category as Clarke and Morant. If he’d been able to stay healthy, he might have been here instead of Clarke.
Still, Clarke has played exceptionally well this season. He’s certainly overplayed anybody’s thoughts on him coming into this season, and he’s shown that he will almost certianly be a fixture for Memphis for a long time.