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3 changes to expect from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021-22

By Jack Williams

SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 30: Head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies Taylor Jenkins confers with Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies during game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 30, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 30: Head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies Taylor Jenkins confers with Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies during game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 30, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /
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Memphis Grizzlies
Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

The Memphis Grizzlies will have a lot of moving parts in the background

This slide may seem similar to what we saw last season in that there will be a lot of moving parts on the team’s roster. Last year, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and a handful of other players struggled with injuries all season, causing the starting lineup to look like a rotating circus. It was unpredictable and made it difficult for Memphis to get into a groove.

This year, we shouldn’t expect the same type of instability. Allow me to elaborate.

Rather than having significant changes in the team’s starting lineup this season, the first five on the floor should remain the same for a while. Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams. We may see Anderson step into a bench role and Bane fill in as a starter so that everybody can play their more natural positions. Either way, that is somewhat set in stone.

The rotating circus of players this season will come from the bench, where Memphis has a lot of changes taking place. For starters, Grayson Allen will be gone. He was a guy who was one of the team’s top bench contributors in terms of minutes. He’ll be replaced by De’Anthony Melton, Desmond Bane, or Ziaire Williams, who will all be fighting for that spot.

At the center and power forward spots, there will be a power struggle between Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama. Right now, it seems pretty straightforward, but Aldama’s ability to space the floor could knock the two experienced players out of the lineup.

I could go on forever but the gist of this slide is that there will be a lot of unpredictability next season on the bench.

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