The Grizzlies were granted the hardship exception just three games into this season. The Grizzlies used the exception to sign Charles Bassey to a 10-day contract with the team. The team has already felt the significance of Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke being out. Despite signing Charles Bassey, he has not played a single minute in either game that he was available.
Bassey was previously selected by the Philadelphia 76ers back in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, Bassey has struggled to stay healthy throughout the course of his career. The most appearances he has made in a season are just 35 games, which was with the Spurs back in the 2022-23 NBA season. Regardless, Bassey can still be a viable short-term solution for the Grizzlies.
Bassey provides quality defense and rebounding
Charles Bassey can still be a valuable presence for the Grizzlies, despite struggling with injuries. The Grizzlies need another quality source of rim protection while Jaren Jackson Jr. is off the floor. Jock Landale has given the Grizzlies some offensive value, but he has struggled defending at the rim. Even though Bassey should not be expected to play starter minutes, he deserves to be featured in the rotation.
This past summer, Charles Bassey was a member of the Boston Celtics' Summer League team, and he did not disappoint. Bassey averaged 15.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.7 steals and blocks (stocks) in just 21.3 minutes per game. Bassey also had a similar level of rebounding and defensive production with the Atlanta Hawks during this preseason, including his performance on October 13th against the Miami Heat, when he grabbed 17 rebounds and also had two steals, and five blocks.
Beyond just preseason and Summer League, Charles Bassey has been very productive when he's healthy. In 113 career games, Bassey's per-36-minute stats have been incredibly efficient. His averages include 14 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks. He also has an eFG% of 63.6% and shoots 64.7% on his two-point attempts.
Despite sitting at 3-2, the Grizzlies have truly felt the loss of Zach Edey. The perimeter defense has been a strong point of emphasis, but the Grizzlies also need a temporary solution for their rim defense in the non-Jaren minutes. The Grizzlies can solve some of their perimeter defensive issues with more Cedric Coward minutes, but Bassey can factor into the Grizzlies' solution for improved rim protection.
The Grizzlies are still looking to get healthy, and head coach Tuomas Iisalo has experimented with multiple different lineup combinations so far. Bassey absolutely deserves to get minutes while key frontcourt players such as Brandon Clarke and Zach Edey continue to recover. The Grizzlies should give Bassey minutes and also consider the idea of bringing him back on another 10-day deal.