Why Josh Giddey should be on the Memphis Grizzlies’ radar

Right now, Memphis Grizzlies media seems to have a pretty distinct idea of who the team should draft. Generally speaking, you’ll hear the name Chris Duarte come up at the wing position. You may hear the name Alperen Sengun when it comes to positions down near the paint.

Beyond that, you’ll hear virtually every position in the game.

With a relatively well-rounded roster, Memphis doesn’t have a single position that needs immediate attention. Right now, the Grizzlies’ priorities are essentially any position outside of the point guard spot, which is held down by Ja Morant and Tyus Jones.

The position has no clear holes. Morant is one of the league’s best up-and-coming point guards and Tyus Jones may be the best backup ball handler in the league. But what if a point guard is the best player available?

The Memphis Grizzlies should keep a few point guards shortlisted, even if it’s unlikely that they draft one

The Grizzlies have had months to prepare and in a week and a half, they’ll have to make a decision. In all likelihood, they have a complete shortlist of players already drawn up. Here’s why they likely have a few point guards listed.

Tyus Jones’ contract will be up after the 2021-22 season. With a few other paydays on the horizon for the Grizzlies, bringing the former Duke point guard back may not be as simple as it seems. He’s already on a $7.6 million contract, so the Grizz will need to give him a pretty sizable check if they want him to return.

They’ll have to deal with Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson, and Jonas Valanciunas first, so the fact that Jones will be one of the lower priorities on this squad will work against them.

That’s why the Grizzlies should keep a point guard in their sights in the 2021 NBA Draft. More specifically, they should keep an eye on Josh Giddey, a 6-8, 18-year old point guard out of Australia.

18-year old Australian prospect Josh Giddey is a triple-double threat

Giddey holds striking similarities to Ben Simmons. He’s a physically large point guard who isn’t an elite scorer but can provide production elsewhere, including passing, rebounding, and defense. He proves this with an international stat line that looks like this:

• 10.9 points, 7.4 rebounds,  7.5 assists, 1.1 steals

Not necessarily numbers that jump off of the page, but impressive all-around stats. Because he’s only 18 years old and has a unique skill set, he may be off of the board by the time the Grizzlies’ 17th overall pick comes around.

Memphis should absolutely not trade up to draft him, but if he remains on the board and the rest of the Grizzlies’ main prospects are gone, the Australian point guard is worth taking a shot at.

The concerning part about Giddey is that his shooting is subpar. Unlike Simmons, Giddey does have a serviceable jump shot, he just can’t get the ball to drop consistently. That said, I am of the belief that a backup point guard should mirror the play style of his starter — and guess who else can’t shoot? Ja Morant.

Jokes aside, Giddey is an intriguing prospect and somebody that Zach Kleiman should have on his shortlist. He likely will not be drafted by the Grizzlies, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.