The Memphis Grizzlies avoided one of the biggest meltdowns in the history of the NBA by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament to advance to the playoffs. Their victory over the 10th-seeded Mavericks secured a series against the West's top-seeded and NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder have defeated the Grizzlies in their last nine matchups during the regular season dating back to 2022. Their four matchups this season were all losses by double-digit points, presenting a tough road for the Grizzlies.
However, their victory over the Mavericks showed that the Grizzlies aren't a typical eight-seed, and three of their four matchups against Oklahoma City were without one of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, or Jaren Jackson Jr. Their big three all scored 20+ points as Interim Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo limited his rotation to eight players.
While a limited rotation is expected in postseason play, a notable player was missing that could spell the end of his tenure with the team going forward.
Luke Kennard was a DNP against the Mavericks
Luke Kennard never left the bench in the Grizzlies' Play-In Tournament win over the Mavericks, even when they cleared the bench for the game's final two minutes. His defensive liability and hesitation to consistently shoot the three on offense has made him nearly unplayable.
In the 17 minutes he played against the Golden State Warriors in their first play-in game, Kennard attempted only two shots (one made three) and finished with the worst plus/minus between both teams with a -13.
In the Grizzlies' 11 games (nine games played) since the head coaching switch from Taylor Jenkins to Tuoma Isalo, Kennard attempted more than three shot attempts in a game only twice in no less than 16 minutes played in those games.
He has also only held a positive plus/minus in two of those games. He led the team with a 43.3% shooting percentage from three this season but only on four attempts per game, which is his lowest since he joined the Grizzlies in 2023.
The writing has been on the wall for Luke Kennard's time with the Grizzlies with his upcoming free agency this summer. He re-signed with Memphis last summer on a one-year deal and was nearly traded in a reported deal for former Brooklyn Nets wing Dorian Finney-Smith earlier in the season.
Kennard's value to the Grizzlies is predicated on him attempting and making threes. While making them hasn't been a problem, the attempts are especially with him being a one-dimensional player.