2. Lamar Stevens
Though he may be a newcomer to the organization, Lamar Stevens has already put forth on-court efforts that have made it seem like he's been here for years.
Acquired in the Xavier Tillman-to-Celtics trade at the deadline, in just five outings donning the navy, blue, and gold threads the 26-year-old has proven to be a solid two-way contributor within coach Jenkins' rotation.
he on that @LamarStevens11 pic.twitter.com/HWDZJSrQzv
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 27, 2024
With his surprising foot quickness and underrated strength, the forward has the ability to matchup with virtually anyone from the one down to the four on defense, while his innate instincts and sound basketball IQ have made him a quality off-ball help supporter as well.
Logging 22.9 minutes a night with the Grizzlies, Stevens is posting impressive all-around averages of 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while converting on 58.7 percent of his attempts from the floor and 75.0 percent of his shots from deep, albeit on just four tries from beyond the arc.
While he may be far from a star, the former Penn State standout has been grinding during the entirety of his NBA journey, starting from when he went undrafted in the 2020 draft through, now, his fourth year in the association.
In Memphis, it seems his hard work is not only paying off on the floor, but it's also garnering recognition from the franchise's media pundits as well as its faithful followers.
Frankly, should he continue to play the way he has been through these final months of the season, there's a strong argument to be made that he's earned the right to be re-upped by the Grizzlies once his current one-year deal comes to its conclusion.
Assuming they'll be back to their title-hopeful ways in 2024-25, Jenkins could stand to use for someone of his ilk within his reserves.