The Grizzlies have been searching for a veteran leader to aid the development of their young core for the last couple of seasons. They swung and missed on their first attempt with Marcus Smart, as injuries didn't allow them to see how well or not he would mesh with their star trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Unfortunately, it took the team trading Desmond Bane to return a veteran piece they feel will provide substantial value to their young stars who are entering their prime years. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP) has won two NBA championships as a starting role player on two separate teams in the last six years. His value not only bolsters well in the locker room, but as a player who knows how to win at the highest level on the court.
He doesn't provide the scoring the team lost when they traded Desmond Bane, but with an uptick in usage from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., he should fit in his role better for the Grizzlies than he did for the Orlando Magic last season.
KCP is set for a strong bounce back from three with Memphis
Caldwell-Pope shot over 38 percent from three for five straight years before falling to 34.2% in Orlando last season. The Magic's lack of shot creation hurt him as their starting point guard, Jalen Suggs, missed 47 games last season, and their other guards lacked the playmaking chops to adequately utilize KCP.
The two championship teams KCP played on included LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers and Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets, two of the greatest players in NBA history and playmakers in the game today. While Ja Morant has work to do to reach the historical value of the above-mentioned players, he does represent one of the game's best playmakers in the league currently.
His driving ability and sense of knowing where his teammates are on the court will make Caldwell-Pope's life a lot easier than he had with the Magic. Also, the addition of Ty Jerome coming off the bench will present Caldwell-Pope with some of those same opportunities if they are included in lineups together.
His struggles last season are widely considered a fluke due to circumstances, but he has a great opportunity in front of him to make a stamp on a franchise that has been missing a player like him. KCP is as consistent as they come among role players in the NBA, and his spot-up shooting combined with his defensive effort will be a perfect compliment with the Grizzlies' stars to have a bounce-back season.