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

The Memphis Grizzlies may become a more star-oriented team

As previously mentioned, there aren’t many significant changes near the top of the Grizzlies’ depth chart. The most notable switch came in the Valanciunas-Adams deal and it shouldn’t change much. Adams is still the team’s starting center with Xavier Tillman trailing distantly behind.

This gives the Grizzlies core unit of Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr. their third consecutive season playing together. The mood will shift from a team that’s trying to figure out its identity to a team that wants to win.

Outside of Ziaire Williams trying to sneak into the team’s starting lineup, the starters know their roles. Even if Williams did find his way into the starting lineup by the end of the season, it wouldn’t impact Morant, Brooks, or Jaern Jackson Jr.’s role on the team. Williams would fit into the two-guard spot and likely knock Kyle Anderson out of the lineup.

Now that Memphis has a win-now attitude for the first time since the Conley-Gasol era, they’ll slow down the experimentation and start to rely more on their star players, much like they did in the NBA Playoffs last season. Their playoff schematics that relied heavily on Morant and Brooks yielded the franchise’s top two playoff scorers of all time.

Don’t expect too drastic of a change, but don’t be surprised if all of the Grizzlies’ stars separate themselves on a team that will look to pick up some of the deadweight left behind by Jonas Valanciunas.