Right now, the Memphis Grizzlies are at a crossroads. With their rebuild a few steps ahead of schedule, they have to make a decision for the team’s future.
After a season that saw the Grizzlies finish with no true identity, Memphis will have to start making definitive moves toward the future. Last year, Memphis finished with the league’s 15-ranked offense and 16th-ranked defense scoring-wise.
As the 2021-22 season approaches, the Grizz have a few big decisions to make. The primary decision is what to do with regards to their 17th overall NBA Draft pick, though signing a free agent isn’t off the table.
When it comes to the draft pick, Memphis has a few choices.
National media is clinging to the Memphis Grizzlies’ needs from last season
If you look at rumored Memphis Grizzlies draft prospects, you’ll find a pretty wide range of players. That said, the most common position that you’ll find is wing players. Part of this is due to the fact that the 2021 NBA Draft is rich with shooting guards and small forwards, but does this make any sense for Memphis?
Fans want the Grizzlies to draft a wing, which is becoming clear through a survey ran by the Beale Street Bears Twitter account.
Which position would you most like the Grizzlies to draft with the No. 17 pick?
— Beale Street Bears (@BealeStBearsFS) July 6, 2021
As things stand, Memphis has a ton of depth on the wing. Granted, it may be a stretch to refer to some of these shooting guards as wings, but in an NBA that revolves around smaller players, the Grizzlies use their two-guards as wings. If they drafted a wing, it would make more sense for them to trade up and look for a player who could eventually become a strong starter.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — drafting a wing at the 17th spot makes no sense. The Grizzlies have five players who could be considered wings that average over 9 points per game in Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, Desmond Bane, Grayson Allen, and De’Anthony Melton.
I understand that a lot of those players would fall under the guard category, but Memphis tends to play a smaller lineup.
You could even consider Justise Winslow to be in that group despite the fact that he didn’t play much at the end of 2021 and has yet to have his team option accepted. Adding a 17th-overall pick at that position would be forcing a guy into an unfair role in this league. This is where the Grizzlies’ decision comes into play.
What Memphis does with their 17th-overall pick will be telling in terms of what they want to establish in the future. Will they go for an elite offensive scorer like Corey Kispert or a more defensive-minded prospect like Franz Wagner? They may even choose to go with a big man, an area where they have strong talent, but almost no depth.
The Grizzlies may even choose to trade away their pick in a deal to bring in a bigger star who could fill a relatively weak shooting guard spot in the starting lineup.
Whatever the case may be, Memphis will be making a statement with this pick.