Memphis Grizzlies: Should De’Anthony Melton be a starter?

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team with security at a lot of positions. That said, the shooting guard position can be a bit of a revolving door for this team.

After Grayson Allen‘s return from a concussion though, the spot seemed pretty locked down by the former Duke Blue Devil. But after a scary fall against the Houston Rockets, Allen may miss time. The two-guard did a front flip after awkward contact on a rebound and wouldn’t return to Monday night’s game.

At this point in time, it’s unclear whether or not he’ll return to the court immediately, but if he doesn’t, Taylor Jenkins will have a decision to make.

Is it time for the Memphis Grizzlies to start De’Anthony Melton?

When you look at who can fill a gap left by Allen, your eyes will wander to two players in particular — Desmond Bane and De’Anthony Melton.

The last time Allen was out, the Grizzlies looked to Bane as a replacement and the experiment didn’t go very well. In all likelihood, Bane just coincidentally had a rough stretch of games as a starter, but whatever the case may have been, things weren’t working that way.

So that guides you to the question: is it time to give De’Anthony Melton a chance in the starting lineup?

It wouldn’t officially be his first game as a starter, as the 22-year old shooting guard has been in the starting lineup once before this season. That said, he has never been a part of this team’s regular starting lineup. Would he be capable of filling in until Allen is back?

In short, if he keeps playing as he has been, the answer is yes. On Monday night, Melton was a strong scorer and a feisty defender. Those are his two strengths and he put that on display against the Rockets. If he starts, the Grizzlies will need both of those things out of him in spades.

He has also been a strong 3-point shooter, much like his two-guard counterparts in Grayson Allen and Desmond Bane. Whether the Grizzlies go with Bane or Melton, they’ll be getting a consistent shooter.

But Melton might bring more of an edge to the court than Bane would. Bane has been an extremely strong player, but he is a rookie and it shows. Melton, on the other hand, has shown us that he can take over the game from time to time. He’s a strong shot creator and a creative scorer.

If Allen misses time, Melton should be the starting shooting guard while he’s out. Based on what he’s capable of and how he has been playing lately, he has earned this.