Memphis Grizzlies: 3 most important areas of improvement this offseason

The Memphis Grizzlies need to build an identity, as all NBA Championship teams do

Right now, one could argue that the Grizzlies do have an identity. They play hard-nosed basketball, at least compared to the modern-day standard. The Grizz play feisty defense, pass the ball well, and make a lot of floaters.

But on a broader level, their stats are overwhelmingly mediocre. Their offensive scoring output per game stood at 15th in the league. Their opponent points per game numbers stood at 16th. There is, literally speaking, no way to have a more average season than that on both sides of the ball.

In the future, it’s entirely probable that both of these numbers will increase. That said, they’ll likely have to become overwhelmingly better at one or the other.

Right now, it seems like defense is going to be their identity. In 2021, Memphis had a feisty defense, but nobody would classify it as particularly threatening or elite. On any given day, they could give any given team a difficult time, but the consistency was missing.

Steals will only get you so far.

In the future, Memphis should look to improve their defense all-around, while still maintaining a strong offense. This one won’t have the same instant gratification as the other areas of improvement, but it’s something that can be done over time.