Memphis Grizzlies: 3 ways Ziaire Williams can make the starting lineup

The final way Ziaire Williams cracks the starting lineup is if the Memphis Grizzlies are forced to tank their season

Again, it’s not a pleasant thought, but if Ja Morant suffers a season-ending injury, the team’s performance is likely to suffer greatly.

In the 2019-2020 season, the Memphis Grizzlies were 1-5 in games played without Ja Morant, according to Stat Muse. Last season, the team improved in games without Morant. Morant missed nine games and the Grizzlies played well enough to earn a record of 5-4.

If the team responds to Morant’s absence poorly, tanking may be the optimal approach, opening the way for rookies and young players to get valuable minutes.

Let’s assume all of our players remain healthy, but things just don’t click for the team to begin the season. It’s a very real concern because the team will be faced with a massive early test in the season.

10 of the first 12 games next season are against teams that were either in a play-in game or in the playoffs. That’s a very difficult schedule for a team featuring a lot of new faces.

What if the Memphis Grizzlies start next season by going 3-9? What if their confidence begins to waver? What if they are unable to find traction and take a massive step back next season?

Depending on how far of a slide the team endures, with nothing to lose, Coach Taylor Jenkins could throw Ziaire Williams into the starting lineup to start getting a look at how he gels with Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Desmond Bane.