There was plenty of great basketball on display in the Memphis Grizzlies‘ preseason opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In a game that was shortened to just three quarters due to a false fire alarm, Ja Morant dropped 27 points on over 60% shooting. De’Anthony Melton had a strong performance shooting from deep range, knocking down 4-of-6 three-pointers. The young guard also had a trio of steals on the night. Heck, even Jaren Jackson Jr. had a strong showing, blocking four shots on the night.
That said, we’ve all known what these three players are capable of for a long time — that’s not why so many fans tuned into the game.
Memphis Grizzlies fans turned on their TV to watch a large group of newcomers take the court
Fans tuned in to the Grizzlies’ first preseason game to get a glimpse at the large group of newcomers on this squad. That group includes Steven Adams, Ziaire Williams, Kris Dunn, Jarrett Culver, Santi Aldama, Yves Pons, and Sam Merrill.
Unfortunately, fans would never be able to see the latter four names on that list, likely due to the shortened three-quarter contest. We may get a chance to see these guys play later in the preseason. That said, we did get a glimpse at arguably the three most important newcomers on this squad.
Those newcomers are Adams, who started the game, Williams, and Dunn. Today, I’m going to break down how each of these players performed in their Memphis Grizzlies preseason debut, starting with the most relevant player.