Two players who play a huge part in the Grizzlies core that have returned from injuries to start this season made their home debut for the team five years ago today. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft and began their home debut with the team on October 25, 2019.
As the Grizzlies are set to play their second game of the season tonight at the Houston Rockets against a former teammate who played with them in that game (Dillon Brooks), let's take a look back at that moment and what it meant for how the team is built today.
Ja Morant was still figuring it out
This was to be expected from a rookie player, let alone one who was the second pick of the draft that year and playing arguably the most important position on the court as a point guard. Ja Morant was instantly named the starter upon his draft selection after the team traded away long-term starter Mike Conley Jr.
Morant had a minor arthroscopic knee procedure ahead of the draft that led to him sitting out of summer league that year, so his first NBA action wasn't until the preseason. After playing four preseason games Ja Morant opened his NBA career on the road against the Miami Heat, a game in which he had 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists but he committed six turnovers.
He followed up that performance with his first home start (five years ago today) and scored 10 points with five assists, three rebounds, three steals, and four turnovers against the Chicago Bulls. Obviously, Ja Morant wasn't close to being the player he's known as today, but following that game, he quickly began looking close to the player who became Rookie of the Year and the superstar he is today (30 points and 9 assists against a Kyrie Irving led Nets team).
That performance was a teaching point and a lesson he learned that he would need to be more aggressive after only attempting nine shots against the Bulls.
Brandon Clarke showed promise early
As a later first-round draft pick (21st overall) and with the team already starting a player they believed to be the future at his position (Jaren Jackson Jr.), Brandon Clarke was drafted for what his role became to be as a rotational player with high upside. Although he was undersized for his power forward/center position at 6'8", Clarke's athleticism was his calling card and has been since he entered the league.
Brandon Clarke quickly became a fan favorite in his rookie campaign which he ended up finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year race and making the first-team All-Rookie team. Following leading the Grizzlies to a Summer League championship in Las Vegas in the summer of 2019, Clarke's regular season and home debuts were what the Grizzlies wanted out of him and more.
He finished his first game at the Miami Heat with eight points, seven rebounds, and one block in 23 minutes off the bench. He followed up that performance with 14 points, five rebounds, and three blocks against the Chicago Bulls in his home debut. Clarke has continued to be that player since that day and, though only time will tell if he can continue being that player following his Achilles tear in 2023, the Grizzlies got a steal in the 2019 draft.