We’re in the final days of the NBA offseason, which means we are getting very close to the Memphis Grizzlies Media Day and the start of training camp.
In fact, the team has a lot of important dates coming up, with Media Day being the first big one of note.
This year, Memphis Grizzlies Media Day is set for Sept. 26.
For the uninitiated, this is a day a lot of players have likened to the first day of school. It’s the first time many of them have seen each other since the end of last season. It’s a day in which all the players on the roster will head to the FedEx Forum, try on their jerseys, take photos for marketing, and record video clips to be used throughout the season at home games.
But, perhaps most importantly, is the media session. The players will all go before the media and answer questions about the offseason, the upcoming season, and what fans should expect in the coming weeks.
I’ve come up with five important questions that need to be answered during the 2022 Memphis Grizzlies Media Day.
The first one involves some players who are currently listed on the injury report.
What’s the latest on injury updates for Danny Green and Jaren Jackson Jr.?
We haven’t had any injury updates on two key players currently on the 2022-23 roster: Danny Green and Jaren Jackson Jr.
We haven’t really gotten an update on Danny Green other than what he said on his podcast shortly after suffering his injuries in last year’s playoffs.
We have seen some clips on social media showing Green getting up stationary shots as recently as August 31. Maybe he could be back sooner than his goal of the 2023 All-Star beak.
Mum has also been the word on Jackson since the team issued a press release on June 30 announcing that he would be out for “approximately four-to-six months.”
It would be great to hear if Jackson is on track, a little behind schedule, or maybe even a little ahead of schedule.
It’s wishful thinking, however, to expect any medical updates from the Grizzlies. This is a team that has been notoriously tight-lipped and purposefully vague in injury reports in the Zach Kleiman era.
What evaluation process will Taylor Jenkins use to determine new starter?
With Jaren Jackson Jr. being out of action for the first couple of months of the new season, the team is going to have a new face in the starting lineup on opening night.
I’m interested in how Head Coach Taylor Jenkins will evaluate the players competing for Jackson’s starting spot.
Is he going to simply pick who plays the best in preseason? Is there a certain skillset he’s looking to make sure he fills in the starting lineup? Will he keep the spot open and allow different lineup combinations?
There are so many different directions Jenkins can go with the four spot.
He could go with Jake LaRavia and pick up some of the three-point shooting missed by Jackson.
He might opt to go with Brandon Clarke, who could provide some much-needed athleticism alongside Steven Adams in the starting lineup. Maybe even Xavier Tillman, Sr. could get some consideration for a starting role like we saw during the Playoff series vs. Minnesota.
Or, Jenkins could go small and play with four wing players.
It’s an interesting conundrum the head coach will have to solve before the regular season begins vs the New York Knicks on Oct. 19.
Will Memphis Grizzlies extend Brandon Clarke before October 17?
We are officially less than a month away from the NBA-imposed deadline for rookie contract extensions to be signed from the class of 2019.
I’ve previously outlined why Brandon Clarke might be so inclined to hold off on re-signing now in hopes that he has a huge impact on the team in Jackson’s absence and thereby boosting his earning potential and negotiating power.
But, there’s also comfort in knowing you have a for-sure deal in your back pocket in case something dramatic happens.
Will Zach Kleiman or Taylor Jenkins send some messages through their media availability to help persuade Clarke to re-sign before Oct. 17? Will any reporters ask about his thought process about the major decision on the horizon?
If Clarke and the team can’t come to an agreement, he’ll become a restricted free agent next summer, leaving the possibility of having to deal with the awkwardness that comes with a player signing an offer sheet with an opposing team, only to be matched by the incumbent team.
We saw this very thing play out this offseason with Suns big man Deandre Ayton. Clarke won’t be playing chicken with the Grizzlies over a max contract, but he’ll be in line for a substantial pay raise.
If an opposing team overpays him on an offer sheet, the Grizzlies may not be able to match it if they wish to also re-sign Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks and prepare an extension for Desmond Bane.
Should we expect Steven Adams to attempt three pointers next season?
By now, you’ve probably seen the viral video during the offseason in which Memphis Grizzlies big man Steven Adams was drilling catch-and-shoot three-point shots in an offseason workout.
Adams is entering the final season of his contract in 2022-23 and if he wants to prolong his NBA career, he’ll need to reinvent himself a little bit and develop a three-point shot.
Adams has the perfect case study in which to model his reinvention: Brook Lopez, which I’ve written about earlier in the offseason.
Adams has never attempted more than three three-point shots in a season in his NBA career, which began in 2013-14.
Lopez, who began his career in 2008-09, never attempted more than two three-point shots from his rookie season through 2013-14. He attempted 10 threes in 2014-15 and 14 the following season. Then, in 2016-17, he attempted 387 threes.
Adams can do this and if he does, the Grizzlies will be much improved and the New Zealander will have more negotiating power for his next contract.
Will Dillon Brooks get his mojo back for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022-23?
It seemed like a dark cloud hung over Dillon Brooks after a frustrating 2021-22 season. It’s somewhat understandable when you consider all the media ridicule, Playoff controversy, and injury woes he endured. All of these roadblocks created a perfect storm of frustration for Dillon Brooks and Grizzlies fans last season.
This is something our Reed Chapman has recently written about for us. After a whirlwind 2021-22 season, hopefully, Brooks has had enough time this offseason to rest, rejuvenate, and hit the reset button.
This is a big season for Dillon Brooks. He’s entering a contract year, money is getting tight with extensions being doled out, and we’re not sure how he fits into the future of this team if he can’t accept an altered role on offense.
The former Oregon standout is going to have to make some adjustments to his game on offense, particularly once Jaren Jackson Jr. returns to the lineup.
Brooks also needs to return to the tenacious defender that paved the way for his “Dillon the Villian” persona to emerge and be the perfect complement to Jackson, an All-NBA Defense player from last season.
And, his propensity to collect technical fouls is something that continuously hurts the team. In fact, referees assessed 13 technical fouls on Brooks last season, despite him playing in just 32 regular season games and 11 postseason games.
If he were to have been assessed three more technicals, the NBA would have served him with a one-game suspension.
Him doing these things: showing that he can be flexible on offense, staunch on defense, and amenable to change will make the Grizzlies better and make him a more attractive piece to either re-sign or trade before the February trade deadline.