3 Grizzlies who need monster second halves to save their job

The 2024 NBA All-Star break is officially a thing of the past. Now, the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves gearing up for their final 26 games of the year, a time when playoff aspirations may be next to nonexistent but where some stakes are still reasonably high.

Outside of contending for a top-flight spot in this summer's draft, found on the roster are numerous individuals who are still trying to prove themselves worthy of being considered a valuable commodity to be kept around beyond this gap year when the club will likely once again be thrust back into the legitimate contender conversation.

Grizzlies who need monster second halves to save their jobs

This upcoming, unofficial second half of the season will serve as a time period where several individuals will try to earn their keep and there are a few players, in specific, who may need to have monster showings in order to save their jobs.

3. Ziaire Williams

Playing out his third season with the Grizzlies, Ziaire Williams has yet to live up to the expectations that come with being a top-10 draft selection.

Though he's shown flashes of becoming a solid two-way wing, through 46 games played this year the 22-year-old hasn't managed to put his talents together on a consistent basis and is only sporting a measly stat line of 8.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on just 40.1 percent shooting from the floor and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc.

If Zach Kleiman's decision to move on from both Xavier Tillman and David Roddy ahead of this year's deadline indicated anything, it's that this front office isn't afraid to part ways with rookie-scale players in order to cut down on their salary commitments and make room for new talents heading into 2024-25.

Entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, should he not prove himself capable of developing and advancing his craft, there's a real argument to be made that Williams could be more useful to the Grizzlies as a trade candidate while banking on his allure of being a recently selected lottery pick rather than as an on-court contributor.

Fortunately for him, he comes into this second half stretch on a high after putting on an electrifying performance in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks where he posted 27 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals on 69.2 percent shooting from the floor and 57.1 percent shooting from deep.

Perhaps this momentum may carry on over.