Memphis Grizzlies: 3 players who can average career highs in 2021

The Memphis Grizzlies have a deep roster full of a handful of young players that are on the verge of a breakout season. It seems like every year since the beginning of the rebuild, a new player steps up as a breakout player.

Last year, it was Dillon Brooks, who had always been the heart and soul of the team. In fact, many Grizzlies fans would argue that Brooks had already broken out, he simply made his way onto the national scene last year. Either way, nobody saw his rise to stardom coming, and in 2021, there are a handful more players who can do the same.

Today, I’m going to be going over three players who can average career highs in 2021.

Memphis Grizzlies Breakout Player No. 1: Xavier Tillman Sr.

Xavier Tillman Sr. was somewhat of an afterthought after he was drafted in the 2020 NBA Draft early in the second round. The former Michigan State center was (and still is) extremely undersized at 6’8″, but snuck into the Grizzlies’ second rotation last year.

Behind Valanciunas, he did a strong job on defense, averaging 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks in just 18 minutes per game on the court. He was a great anchor, who could hold his own on offense when JV was off of the court.

Now, Tillman will be forced into a larger role with the departure of Valanciunas via trade. Specifically, the Grizzlies will need their 2020 second-round pick to step up on the offensive end, where Steven Adams may struggle at times.

The positive side of this is that Adams and Tillman have similar playstyles, so Adams could function as a mentor to the second-year center. Regardless of the situation, one thing remains certain — Tillman will be used more than he was a season ago.

If I had to narrow it down to a specific statistic, I’d say to watch Tillman’s scoring. That said, he should see improvements in most statistical categories on both sides of the ball.