The Grizzlies are just one day away from starting their playoff journey, and they will face the Los Angeles Lakers after their thrilling overtime defeat of the Timberwolves. They will be without several of the key players that they started the season with, including Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. Will their absence lead to a larger rotation in the playoffs? Or will it give Head Coach Taylor Jenkins a reason to shorten things up even more?
That is a hard question to answer. When looking at where their roster currently stands, there are a few obvious guaranteed spots outside of their starters. Tyus Jones is one of the better bench guards in the league. Santi Aldama has been up and down in his sophomore season, but he is a threat to hit multiple three-pointers on any given night. Deadline addition Luke Kennard is by far the team’s most dangerous sniper from beyond the arc.
Outside of them, however, you could argue for multiple players that should get those last one or two spots. Who should be on the outside looking in?
3 Grizzlies players who could get axed from Playoff rotation:
This list will ignore players who have not played at least 30 games with Memphis this year, or whose role was never solidified during the season. Kenneth Lofton Jr, for example.
3. Jake Laravia
Jake Laravia is the easiest name to take out of the playoff rotation. Not only has he only played 35 with the Grizzlies this season, but he is also currently nursing a calf injury. Even if he was healthy, there is a reason the 19th overall pick from the 2022 draft didn’t play much during his rookie season.
He was ineffective in the just under 12 minutes a game he played during the regular season, averaging a paltry three points and less than two boards a game. He also shot under 40% as a 6-8, 235lb forward. Not exactly what you want to see.
You can argue that the sample size was too small to judge him appropriately, but that is honestly just another reason he shouldn’t see minutes in the playoffs.
2. David Roddy
This one hurts, but it needs to be said: David Roddy isn’t ready to be a true playoff contributor. The 23rd pick in this past year’s draft has become a fan favorite thanks to his physical play and unique build. Standing at 6-6 and 255lbs, his nickname “Big Body Roddy” is well earned.
He has had a respectable rookie campaign, averaging 18 minutes per game and putting up 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds a night. He never had a defined role thanks to injuries to other forwards on the team, but he played hard and soaked up minutes when needed. His mentality and style of play should keep him in the league for quite some time regardless if he develops a more refined offensive game.
Despite his overall promising first season, his lack of efficiency (.506 effective field goal percentage) and his lack of quickness defensively could be a liability in a playoff series. He also only seemed to play well when given significant minutes, which he wouldn’t be in line to receive. Overall, the Grizzlies should be happy with his rookie season. But they would be smart to cut his minutes for their playoff run.
1. Ziaire Williams
There were moments this season when 2021 10th overall pick Ziaire Williams looked the part of a true asset for the Grizzlies. He put up 16 points on 6-7 shooting against Orlando in January, and another 16 points against the Suns later that month. He even just had a career-high 24 in the final game of the regular season, albeit playing over 33 minutes.
That being said, you can’t ignore how inefficient he has been during his second NBA season. He put up .429/.258/.773 shooting splits this year, compared to .450/.314/.782 splits as a rookie. On top of that, he had a -6.4 net rating on the season, the worst among players who played at least 500 minutes for Memphis this year. He has also dealt with injuries this season, which combined with time down in the G-League caused him to play just 37 games with Memphis during the season.
Overall, he is even less prepared to be a playoff contributor than as a rookie. Could he still be given a role just because they lack wing depth? Maybe. But if he does get any minutes, don’t expect it to be close to the over 16 he got per game in last year’s playoffs. The Grizzlies can’t afford to be as willing to play their still-developing young players if they want to get past even the Lakers, let alone what will lie ahead.