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The 3 Most important Grizzlies in the 2024-25 season

Some of these names might come as a surprise.

By Parish Sharkey

Mar 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball during a time out against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Mar 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball during a time out against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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2. GG Jackson

This might be a surprise considering GG Jackson hasn’t even turned 20 years old yet and won’t until December. Also, GG Jackson just underwent a procedure to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot on September 4th and will be reevaluated in three months, which means he is expected to miss the first month and a half of the season.

However, the talent of GG Jackson can’t be denied and his getting an opportunity to play with the full roster set is intriguing for a team that is expected to compete in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. The time he will miss to begin the season stings but he is expected to be back fairly early in this long NBA season.

Going into last season, the Memphis Grizzlies had a huge question mark about who their wings of the future would be. As the trade of Marcus Smart loomed and provided the Grizzlies with a three-guard starting lineup, the search for wing depth/eventual starter became a bigger question.

The Grizzlies spent multiple first-round draft picks on Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, and David Roddy in the 2021 and 2022 drafts and second-round draft picks on Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson in the 2022 and 2023 drafts, respectively. Opportunity was provided more extensively for all of these players due to last season's injuries and GG was one of the standouts (along with Vince Williams Jr. and Jake LaRavia) who answered the future wing question for the Grizzlies.

So why is GG in the top 3 of the most important players? He has the highest ceiling of the group with his scoring ability. The Grizzlies haven’t had a wing with his level of scoring ability from all three levels since Rudy Gay and in a league where the most recent champion has two of the best players at those positions (Boston Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), his importance is justified.

GG Jackson won’t be asked to be the leading scorer as his role will likely be as a bench scorer but his development in that phase and as a defender could be the difference between the Grizzlies being a play-in or first/second round exit and a legit Western Conference finalist and NBA championship contender this season.

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