Playing future of Grizzlies guard brought into question

This 2023-24 Memphis Grizzlies team has fans and media pundits alike champing at the bit to see what exactly Taylor Jenkins’ retooled roster can accomplish during an 82-game regular season slate and beyond.

However, while their additions from the offseason, headlined by the likes of Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose, have people such as ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne believing the club is now better positioned to contend for a championship, when it comes to the latter there’s no guarantee that his contributions to winning will be seen on the hardwood.

In fact, The Athletic’s Fred Katz recently told the folks at The Commercial Appeal that he fears the former league MVP’s days of serving as so much as an efficient contributor may have already come to an end.

“It’s hard to say if he can still play,” Katz said, as transcribed by Damichael Cole. “I don’t want to say definitely not, because it’s possible he got off to a bad start (last season).”

Derrick Rose is coming off a highly uneventful 2022-23 campaign where he saw action on just 27 separate occasions and posted underwhelming averages of 5.6 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 rebounds.

While injuries played a minor role in his absence from the rotation early on, his eventual removal by New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has had some speculating that perhaps he’s no longer a serviceable on-court commodity, though, as Katz admitted, it’s hard to fully accept such a notion.

Prior to this previous campaign, since accepting his fall from stardom to second-unit spark plug back in 2018-19 Rose had been putting forth phenomenal efforts and was found posting sensational averages of 16.2 points, 4.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and just shy of a steal while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from deep.

Even during the two seasons prior to his rotational ouster, the veteran was still producing at a rather high level, putting up 13.8 points and 4.1 assists on 46.2 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from deep.

Now out from the abyss that was Thibs’ dog house, the hope is that the point guard can come into Grind City and help establish some much-needed mentorship for this young Grizzlies core, particularly the talented yet polarizing superstar, Ja Morant.

Frankly, should he be able to provide such a service — as Fred Katz described it, “a younger Udonis Haslem type role model –, anything else he can give to this rising Memphis team would just be seen as a bonus.

That said, fans should be hoping for plenty of bonuses coming from the team’s $6.5 million vet.

3 starting small forward options for Grizzlies heading into 2023-24

The Memphis Grizzlies must look to these three individuals in an effort to replace Dillon Brooks at the starting small forward position.