Memphis Grizzlies: John Konchar has been a top player on this team
The Memphis Grizzlies are amidst their most important stretch of basketball thus far in 2020. They’ve locked themselves into a play-in spot, but now they’ll be fighting for an 8th seed or higher, which would allow them to have two chances to win in the tournament.
A couple of months ago, if I asked you who would be stepping up as the playoffs approach, who would you have guessed?
Probably Jaren Jackson Jr., the guy who is just returning to the court. Maybe Ja Morant, the star of this team. Perhaps you’d even throw a wildcard in there like De’Anthony Melton. And while there have been a ton of players who have stepped up in a big way, the biggest improvements on this team have come from a surprising source.
Memphis Grizzlies reserve G John Konchar has taken a huge step forward
The unexpected player who has stepped up? John Konchar.
Up until this point, Konchar hasn’t been a guy who has been a big part of the rotation. As a player who can fit in the two-spot or the three-spot, there isn’t a lot of space for a guy like him on this team. That said, with Grayson Allen down with injuries, Konchar has found a spot in the rotation recently.
That said, his minutes still haven’t surpassed the 20-mark in over a month. Until Tuesday.
In an important game against the Dallas Mavericks, Konchar stepped up in a big way. For just the second time all season, he earned at least 26 minutes. The difference here is that the injuries weren’t overly piled up.
As previously mentioned, Grayson Allen is still out, but Konchar earned these minutes based on the work he was putting in on the court.
Konchar finished the game against the Mavs with 18 points, a career-high, 3 assists, and 6 rebounds. Most importantly though, he finished the game at +36, the highest on the team by a mile. The next closest player was Brandon Clarke at +24.
Next. Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot, set sights on 8th seed. dark
This isn’t new for Konchar either. The 2nd-year player has been a burst of energy out on the court, putting up big numbers on the court. If he can step up like this for the remainder of the season, he could play a huge role for a Grizzlies bench unit that is already extremely strong.