3 Grizzlies that must be inserted into starting lineup

Though 2023-24 has been a year largely to forget for the Memphis Grizzlies, as of this writing regular season's end is only a month and change away.

With little else to play for outside of, say, dignity, during these final weeks of action Taylor Jenkins may wish to take some liberties with his rotational decision-making to give players a different role to help aid in their development and, worst case scenario, to set the team up for a better lottery selection come this June's draft.

Grizzlies players that must be started during final weeks of season

When looking at this team's current assortment of talent, there are a number of individuals who could benefit from a bit of a shakeup to their roles within coach Jenkins' lineup, with a few, in particular, that should be strongly considered for starting nods during this final stretch of the campaign.

3. Lamar Stevens

Attained ahead of this year's trade deadline, Lamar Stevens has already established himself as a player who could be of great service to this Grizzlies organization moving forward.

Not only is he a rotationally interchangeable talent who can slot in anywhere from the three down to, surprisingly, the five (he's been used down at the pivot on a number of occasions so far in Memphis) but he's also a true two-way presence who, in many ways, exemplifies "Grit and Grind" style of basketball to a tee.

Jenkins and company already seem to know what they have in him as a role player. Now, during these final weeks, it may be time for them to see what he could provide when taking on a bigger role within the lineup.

Through 12 games played in the 38103, the 26-year-old finds himself logging 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and just shy of a block while shooting a highly efficient 47.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from distance.

Considering Memphis' season-long injury list that rivals the length of a CVS receipt, adding depth to this rotation ahead of what is hoped to be a prosperous 2024-25 season should be one of GM Zach Kleiman's top priorities this summer.

Testing out Stevens in varying positions within the starting lineup could give the front office a valuable look at what he can provide them and could strengthen their desires to re-up with his services during this summer when he hits unrestricted free agency.

2. Scotty Pippen Jr.

Prior to going down with what has been labled a bulging disc in his lower back in mid-February, Scotty Pippen Jr. found himself going on a bit of a run with the Grizzlies.

Signed to a two-way deal back in January, the 23-year-old saw himself producing admirably once coming across consistent minutes within Taylor Jenkins' rotation as he posted averages of 11.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 56.5 percent from deep from January 24 through his final game pre-injury on February 12.

Considering his reevaluation time period was approximated to be "at least three weeks," now encroaching on a full month since this report it's safe to assume that the sophomore guard will be back on the hardwood in the not-too-distant future.

With this, the Grizzlies must strongly consider picking up where they had left off with Pippen and thrust him back into the start lineup, for not only could it stand to up his value ahead of the 2024 offseason where he'll be a free agent but it could also give the team a better understanding of what he could bring to the table on a longer-term basis as well.

1. GG Jackson

Despite it being such a down season, there have still proven to be a few key bright spots attached to this Grizzlies team. Perhaps the brightest of them all is the surprise emergence of rookie GG Jackson, who has arguably become this current rotation's second-best player over the past several months.

After being taken with the 45 overall pick in this past draft, the former consensus five-star recruit has showed out in major ways within Memphis' scheme.

From January 13 through March 10, Jackson has been one of this club's most consistent and productive contributors, boasting sensational averages of 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and just shy of a block while shooting 36.5 percent from deep.

While this type of production may have come as a major surprise to many fans and media pundits, what's almost as astonishing is that, throughout this aforementioned 25-game span, he's only seen a starting nod on two separate occasions

His most recent exposure to such a role came in a bout against the OKC Thunder where, even against the league's fourth-ranked defense, still managed to drop in 30 points on 52.6 percent shooting to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block.

At just 19 years and 85 days old, Jackson is currently the youngest player in the entire league and has already gone on to break all-time records that were once held by NBA legends such as Kobe Bryant.

As Brevin Knight recently noted when talking about the rookie, "the ceiling is glass." It's up to Jenkins to see what more Jackson can provide for this team, and thrusting him into the starting five may be an optimal way of finding out more about his potential.