The Memphis Grizzlies played three games between the release of last and this week's Kia Rookie Ladder rankings. During that time the team went 2-1 while both rookies struggled for the most part, including being benched in a high-stakes battle.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins decided that Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey were negatives in their battle with the West's first-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, leading to their benching with 9:47 remaining in the third quarter. As the season's final stretch comes into the picture, the rookie duo is showing some kinks in their impressive armor.
The decision didn't affect the game's outcome as the Grizzlies were no match for the Thunder that night despite who was on the court. While the Grizzlies have their eyes on an NBA championship this season, it is best that their rookies get their struggles out now so they are prepared to contribute when the games really count in April.
Jaylen Wells fell one spot to three
The Grizzlies' starting small forward struggled the most last week in what was probably the worst stretch of his rookie season. After scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds while being a +14 on the court against the Toronto Raptors, Wells scored 10 total points in their next two games.
He also notched his lowest minutes in a game this season against the Thunder, playing only 12:06 minutes. While Wells has had shooting slumps during the season, his defense was always the positive that kept him on the court.
However, back-to-back matchups against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant led to the rookie second-round draft pick getting in foul trouble. Also, he now has the return of Vince Williams Jr. behind him who can take on those same matchups.
Jaylen Wells was eventually going to hit the rookie wall, and if this is indeed what that is, going through that now is better than when the games get more serious at the end of the season and playoff time.
Zach Edey reclaims the lead on Jaylen Wells for 2nd place
The Grizzlies' top pick of the 2024 NBA Draft surpassed Wells for the first time since he suffered the injury to his ankle in November. That injury caused him to miss 12 consecutive games, which knocked him out of the top five completely.
After suffering his worst slump in January of this year, Zach Edey had a three consecutive game stretch of double-doubles which included one against the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday. However, what followed was two subpar games where he totaled nine points and played the fewest amount of minutes in a game he didn't suffer an injury in this season against the Thunder (12:59).
Zach Edey will continue to play and the longer plays the more impactful he is. His biggest struggles have been in his shorter stints, meaning the Grizzlies will have to take the good with the bad as more good comes when he plays the most.