Taylor Jenkins reveals plan of ‘expanding’ role for key Grizzlies player
By Mark Nilon
Though expectations are still rather high for the ball club heading into 2023-24, it should go without saying that the Memphis Grizzlies may struggle during the first few months of the season without star Ja Morant in the lineup as he undergoes his league-issued 25-game suspension.
From his scoring and passing abilities to his overall energy, the absence of the guard will undoubtedly be felt on the floor and perhaps even in the record department as well.
Of course, in an attempt to make up for this loss, coach Taylor Jenkins will be looking to tinker with his game plan and experiment with the players on the active roster that he will actually have at his disposal.
Already, it appears the headman is getting creative with some of his scheme adjustments heading into the season, as he recently revealed during a post-practice interview that he’ll be looking to veteran big man Steven Adams to step up and be more of a playmaker on offense.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins dishes on Steven Adams becoming a playmaker
"“We know he can be a playmaker in so many different ways. I want the ball to be in his hands and not just rely solely on screen-and-roll or just dribble handoffs,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to explore some of the other spots on the floor that he can still be able to facilitate and not just be top of the key or at the elbows but that will still be a big part of what we do because we’re used to it, we’ve got confidence in it, he’s got chemistry with his teammates so that’s definitely a part of it but hopefully we’re just even expanding that.”"
https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1452109316912304137
Though he may mainly be known for his exceptional rebounding abilities and rim-protecting efforts, throughout his soon-to-be 11-year career Adams has established himself as quite an underrated player in virtually every aspect of the game, including when it comes to facilitation.
Since coming to the Grizzlies back in the summer of 2021, the 30-year-old finds himself sporting an assist percentage of 14.3. To put this into perspective, other highly praised passing bigs such as Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid hold only slightly higher percentages for their careers at 18.9 and 19.5, respectively.
During this two-year span, per 100 possessions Adams also finds himself dropping 5.4 dimes while boasting a stellar offensive rating of 122.
Now, coming into year three with the franchise, it seems as though coach Jenkins will be looking to utilize this highly underrated aspect of the big man’s game more than ever before.
