Now 15 games into the season, the Memphis Grizzlies are sitting at 9-6. So far, it has been an up-and-down year with plenty of highs and a few lows. Health has been a recurring theme of this franchise. Just as Jaren Jackson Jr returned on Tuesday night against the Pelicans, the organization announced that Desmond Bane would miss the next 2-3 weeks.
The fully healthy starting lineup of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson, and Steven Adams has logged zero minutes together this season. So now could be a perfect time for the Grizzlies to have their two former plug-and-play role players.
After the team’s second-round playoff run, Kyle Anderson entered free agency and signed a two-year / $18,000,000 contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anderson’s points, steals, rebounds, and minutes are down across the board with his new team.
On draft night 2022, the Grizzlies traded De’Anthony Melton to the 76ers for the draft rights to the No. 23 selection (David Roddy) and Danny Green. Melton has taken on a slightly bigger role in Philadelphia, where he is averaging two minutes more a game with similar statistics.
Let’s wipe the slate clean and see what would happen if the Grizzlies kept both of those players. Would the team be better or worse right now?
How different would the Grizzlies be with Anderson and Melton on the roster?
To start the season off, Santi Aldama would’ve never started 14 games and would likely be on yet another two-way contract. Kyle Anderson was Taylor Jenkins’ go-to starter with Jaren Jackson out and probably would’ve filled that same role this year. However, the numbers actually like the idea of Aldama starting next to Steven Adams. That two-man lineup through 15 games has a better offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating than the Anderson/Adams lineup the year prior.
This is due to a variety of reasons. The biggest one being Aldama’s ability to spread the floor with his newfound three-point shot. With this new lineup, Ja Morant has more space to operate offensively. On the defensive end is where many Grizzly fans were surprised. Aldama hasn’t been amazing, but he has held his own. So thus far, Kyle Anderson may have made this team worse, and choosing to let him walk is paying off.
On the other hand, the move off De’Anthony Melton hasn’t been too great yet. In fact, it has hurt the Grizzlies. Now the lazy way of thinking about it is just simply comparing David Roddy to the former Grizzly. However, that is not fair to compare a player in his 15th game to a five-year veteran. I choose to look at the situation at hand.
To start the season, all Grizzlies’ fans know the energy with steals and blocks that Melton could have provided yet again. But now, with Desmond Bane out alongside Ziaire Williams, the team is in desperate need of three-point shooting. Melton isn’t a specialist, but a wing shooting in the upper 30s from three that can also defend several positions would be a major boost.
In addition, the former USC Trojan is averaging close to two steals per game with the 76ers. Those steals would be a huge factor in getting out in transition for a Grizzlies offense struggling in the half-court. At this moment, Melton’s former team would absolutely be better with him still in Memphis.
All in all, Zach Kleiman and the rest of the front office have earned the respect of the entire league. So as much as I miss these two former Grizzlies, I will always trust last year’s “NBA Executive of the Year” over anyone!