Memphis Grizzlies Mock Draft 2.0: Will team prioritize guard or big man?

Who will the Memphis Grizzlies draft with the No. 47 overall pick?

JD Notae, Arkansas

Age: 23
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 190 lbs
Position: PG

In our Mock Draft 2.0, we’ve got the Grizzlies drafting another Arkansas Razorback, but this time it’s guard JD Notae.

The former Razorback standout averaged 18.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 SPG last season. Led the SEC in scoring for most of the 2021-22 regular season and was the 2020-21 SEC Sixth Man of the Year.

He’s an inconsistent shooter, especially from beyond the arc. However, once he gets going, he scores in waves.

His defensive ability and nose for the ball is worth taking a flier on alone. At 6’2” he’s a bit on the smaller side; but, we’ve seen smaller guards be pesky and carve out a nice role as a defender for several different teams. We saw one just this past season in Jose Alvarado in New Orleans.

At 23, Notae has a ton of experience and should be mature enough and ready to contribute for Memphis. The Grizzlies love taking “older” rookies that typically have a leg-up on the 19-year-olds typically coveted in drafts.

Notae could be a solid backup point guard behind Ja Morant. At best, he develops into a slightly better version of Patrick Beverly— someone that doesn’t necessarily always look to score, but earns buckets by playing great on-ball defense.