The first 20 games of the season have been quite the ride for the Memphis Grizzlies. They currently sit at the 4th seed of Western Conference with a 12-8 record, but we’ve left with the feeling that we haven’t seen what they are really capable of.
A big reason for this is they are not getting the usual production from the bench. Last season the Memphis Grizzlies were ranked 6th in the league in bench points per game with 38.9. This season, they’ve dropped to 17th with 32.9 points per game. They are relying more heavily on their stars than they were used to, which could hurt them since their stars haven’t been able to stay on the court consistently.
The bench’s struggles has opened up the discussion among fans of whether the departures of De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson hurt the Grizzlies. However, the player they have been really missing in my opinion is neither of them.
Ziare Williams could fix the Memphis Grizzlies’ depth issues
After the loss of Kyle Anderson, Santi Aldama emerged as a key contributor for the team. He has a larger role than last season and he has fit in perfectly, averaging almost ten points and six rebounds per game.
Similarly, the De’Anthony Melton trade meant Ziaire Williams would get more opportunities this season. The Grizzlies gave him the ball more in the summer and he showed a great potential as a shot creator and playmaker. There was high optimism among the team that he would have a breakout season and become the second unit’s leader.
Unfortunately, we’ve yet to see him suit up this season due to his knee injury.
Williams returning to the lineup could be huge for the Memphis Grizzlies and fix the team’s depth. First of all, it would take some pressure off Jake LaRavia and David Roddy. The two rookies clearly are not ready for the role they’ve been given, facing some tough stretches to start the season.
Having Ziaire Williams back would give them time and space to develop without being asked to do more than what they’re capable of.
Considering everyone is healthy, the second unit would feature Tuys Jones, Ziaire Williams, John Konchar, Santi Aldama and Brandon Clarke. This lineup could very well replicate the bench production of last season and complement the team’s stars.
But it all comes down to Ziaire Williams getting back and providing a scoring spark off the bench. If and when this happens, we’ll know how far this Memphis Grizzlies team can really go.