Diagnosing the 3 biggest problems with the Grizzlies right now

Memphis Grizzlies Problem No. 3: Roster shake-ups

I don’t want to place the full weight of the Grizzlies’ shortcomings in 2021 on Taylor Jenkins. After all, we’re still relatively early in this team’s rebuild and the Grizzlies had a lot of roster turnover in the offseason.

Jonas Valanciunas is gone and a couple of new players have entered the rotation in Steven Adams and Ziaire Williams. The Grizzlies are also still re-adjusting to life with Jaren Jackson Jr., who has struggled mightily on offense.

On the year, JJJ is knocking down just 38.3% of his shots, a very low total for a big man, even in the modern NBA. In terms of efficiency, this is the lowest of his career by a pretty significant margin. His previous low was 42.4% last season. In fact, his field goal percentage has gone down in every season since his rookie year, starting at 50.6% in his first season.

Jackson has bounced back from beyond three-point range, knocking down 34.5% of his deep balls, but his return has crippled the Grizzlies’ offense. This, paired with the return of Dillon Brooks, has had this Grizz team playing unsteady basketball as of late.

And while both of these guys will almost definitely help this team in the long run, team chemistry has clearly taken a step back while Jenkins re-assimilates Brooks into the lineup.