3 Memphis Grizzlies who could be forced out of the rotation in 2021

Memphis Grizzlies Player No. 2: SG/SF John Konchar

John Konchar may be the most underrated player in the entire NBA. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the Grizzly wing is a really strong reserve player.

“Konch” hustles on every play and even though he may not have elite athleticism, shooting, or playmaking abilities, he does everything right on the court. He doesn’t really have any statistics that jump off of the page — trust me, I searched. This likely comes as a result of the fact that he’s really solid in virtually every category, without a single overwhelming strength.

Last season, Konchar played just 13.4 minutes per game. He averaged 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.7 steals. He did this while knocking down 37.5% of his three-point shots. Again, these numbers don’t jump off of the page, but they’re really good for a guy who went undrafted out of Purdue Fort Wayne a couple of seasons ago.

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies will not be helping his cause by adding Jarrett Culver to the roster, a player with a distinctly higher ceiling. Culver, in the same season that Konchar went undrafted, was the sixth overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He hasn’t lived up to the hype, but he’s still a promising 22-year-old.

Konchar, on the other hand, is 25 years old and has a distinctly lower ceiling. The traditionally “smart” move here would be to give Culver some of Konchar’s minutes, even if that’s not necessarily the fan-friendly choice. It’s easy to see a world where Konch drops a few minutes from what he was receiving a season ago.