The Memphis Grizzlies have an extremely short history in the NBA, dating back fewer than three decades. Even though they’ve been extremely competitive, they don’t have the NBA titles that some larger-name franchises do.
Even so, they have some legendary players who have already come and gone on Beale Street, one of whom happens to be one of the best 3-point shooters in the history of the league.
That player is Mike Miller, the former Grizzlies sharpshooter who played in Memphis for six seasons in the prime of his career. He may not have been the flashiest player, but he’s an all-time great in Memphis.
Outside of his first season on Beale Street, Miller shot over 40% in every season on the team. He did it at an extremely high volume and established himself as one of the league’s best shooters. At the time, it wasn’t as important, but he’d be a star in today’s NBA.
The Memphis Grizzlies could take some notes from the former sharpshooter this offseason
Right now, the Memphis Grizzlies have a well-put-together team, with very few holes to speak of. One of those few holes, however, is glaringly obvious. It’s something that has been nagging Memphis since the beginning of the team’s rebuild.
3-point shooting.
It’s strange to say, as Memphis actually has a long list of elite 3-point shooters, including the following names.
- Grayson Allen (39.1%)
- De’Anthony Melton (41.2%)
- Desmond Bane (43.2%)
Despite this list, Memphis has struggled to find consistency in shooting the ball from deep. It could come as a result of a rough season out of Ja Morant, who shot just over 30% from beyond the arch, but in all likelihood, it’s a product of the squad’s inexperience.
That is why the Grizzlies should bring in Mike Miller to help guide them through their 3-point woes.
Memphis doesn’t really have to be an elite 3-point shooting team. In fact, I’d argue that if they are able to reach the middle of the pack, they’ll be elevated into being a top-tier NBA team due to their physical dominance in the paint.
Can you imagine a team that led the league in fast-break scoring, points in the paint, and second-chance scoring when it starts to shoot decently well?
The Grizzlies are one statistic away from being extremely competitive and it starts in the 2021 offseason.