Memphis Grizzlies: What is De’Anthony Melton’s role going forward?

The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the more unique rosters in the league, with nearly every player from top to bottom being extremely young. This is highlighted by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are only 21 years old.

A player that consistently gets lost in the mix, however, is De’Anthony Melton, who holds the team’s largest contract at a total of $35 million. Oddly enough, Melton receiving playing time hasn’t seemed to be a priority for Taylor Jenkins.

As a result, Mr. Do Something’s future with the Grizzlies is extremely blurry.

What does De’Anthony Melton’s future with the Memphis Grizzlies look like?

Before I get too far into this, I should elaborate that Melton will not likely be traded. He’s an elite 3-point shooter and a very strong defender. I’m simply trying to figure out what his role is with this team going forward.

Part of the confusion revolving around Melton’s role is centered around the idea that there are a lot of shooting guards on the Grizzlies’ roster. Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Desmond Bane all had more starts at the two-guard spot last season, even though their numbers aren’t particularly better than Melton’s.

That said, somehow all of these guys were receiving consistent minutes throughout the season.

In fact, Melton is easily the best defender of the group, excluding Dillon Brooks, who is more of a small forward anyway. Mr. Do Something led the team in steals this past season with 1.2 despite being 9th on the squad in minutes played. He’s also a better passer than each of the other two guys, averaging the highest assist total of the bunch, even if you include Brooks.

But the reasoning behind his lack of playing time may be hidden in plain sight.

For starters, Melton is younger than most people probably think. Despite the fact that he has ben in the league for three seasons, he’s younger than Bane, who just finished his rookie year. At just 23 years old, he has a lot of basketball ahead of him, with a relatively large contract ensuring his place on the team.

The second reason revolves around his nickname, Mr. Do Something.

Think about how Melton is used on this team. We’ve never seen him start despite the fact that he plays a comparable amount of minutes to Allen and Bane. When he comes on the floor, the team receives a burst of energy.

It may not be obvious due to a large Grizzlies rotation, but Jenkins is likely grooming Melton into becoming this team’s sixth man, and to be honest, the role suits him perfectly.

Look at the Grizzlies’ late-season matchup against the Denver Nuggets as an example. Melton entered the game in the third quarter and scored 14 points in four minutes for the Grizzlies. Who else on the roster can do that?

This is why, in all likelihood, Jenkins is looking to keep Melton on the bench as an energy guy who can turn the tide of the game. Nothing gets a team going like steals and 3-pointers, and nobody on this team does those two things better than Melton.