Prediction sees Grizzlies promote promising youngster to starting lineup

Despite the impending 25-game suspension of Ja Morant to start the year, the Memphis Grizzlies are heading into 2023-24 with a tremendous amount of hype.

From their impressive assortment of top-billed talents to the recently refurbished collection of veteran mentors, the current belief is that Taylor Jenkins’ squad could realistically be vying for a deep and promising run this season.

However, before they can set their focus on postseason play, Memphis must find a way to navigate the aforementioned absence of their superstar guard, and the first order of business is to figure out the makeup of their early-season starting lineup.

Now, in truth, there seem to be only two spots within the lineup that are in need of filling, for Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Steven Adams are all currently expected to be ready to roll come October 25’s tip-off.

That said, with the blockbuster acquisition of Marcus Smart this summer, it appears that the Grizzlies already have a solution for one of these said vacancies, thus leaving the small forward position still in a state of question.

While there are a few different routes this team could take to find an answer to their recently vacated starting three spot, Kelly Iko of The Athletic made the prediction that sophomore David Roddy will ultimately wind up winning the gig.

Grizzlies sophomore David Roddy predicted to win starting small forward job

"“Roddy didn’t have the greatest rookie season, but there’s enough on tape to suggest a solid team defender in there. It’s more in line with how the Grizzlies need to start games without Morant to fall back on: force turnovers, be aggressive and get routine defensive stops,” Iko wrote."

Iko would admit within his piece that sharpshooter Luke Kennard was strongly considered during his thought process, though ultimately acknowledged that he believes the veteran would be best suited for a sixth-man role, and noted that “Memphis’ offense was 13 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor” during last year’s campaign.

As Iko acknowledged, Roddy may not have been a standout producer during his time as a rookie, though he did manage to show flashes of becoming a promising two-way contributor, particularly toward the end of the year where he averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 36.4 percent shooting from deep from March 11 through April 9’s regular-season finale.

During this final stretch run, he would also rank seventh on the team in offensive rating (116.1) and sixth in net rating (2.0) out of those who played 600 or more minutes on the year.

As a result of his efforts in year one, along with his standout showing during this offseason’s Summer League (13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting), Jenkins has spoken glowingly about the 22-year-old, saying that he “showed us a lot” with his on-court production.

Now, as we inch closer to season number two, Iko predicts that the Grizzlies coach’s enthusiasm about the 2022 first-rounder will help elevate him into the starting lineup… at least, until Morant comes back into the mix.

Trade proposal sees Grizzlies give up on former lottery pick

A recent trade proposal sees the Memphis Grizzlies giving up on former lottery pick Ziaire Williams and sending him to the Houston Rockets.