MEMPHIS – If the Grizzlies’ offseason has felt like a dizzying blur of the NBA
draft process, coaching staff additions, summer league development, free agency,
trades and roster upgrades, take comfort.
You’re not alone.
There’s very little “off” regarding the NBA offseason these days. Need proof?
Tuesday marks the 50-day countdown to the Grizzlies’ Oct. 2 preseason opener
against the Rockets in Birmingham. The roster has been in transition, with eight
new players in tow and six departures with much of the offseason makeover now
complete.
As training camp approaches in a little over a month, we’ll periodically take a
closer look at who’s in, who’s out and what impact the transition will have at
various spots on the Grizzlies’ roster.
IN: Kyle Anderson, 6-9 SF
Deal: 4 years/$37.2 million incoming free agent
Last season: 7.9ppg. (52.7%FG), 5.4rpg, 2.7apg., 1.5spg in 74 games
OUT: Tyreke Evans, 6-6, SG
Deal: 1 years/$12 million free-agency departure (Pacers)
Last season: 19.4ppg. (39.9% 3pt.FG), 5.1rpg., 5.2apg., 1.1spg in 52 games
For a team that’s ranked near or at the bottom of the NBA in multiple scoring
categories, it’s hardly ideal to see a points creator like Evans bolt in free
agency after delivering 20-5-5 a night in his lone season in Memphis. Evans also
turned in the best three-point shooting effort of his career in the most
productive season he’s had since his 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year run. The
Grizzlies already grew accustomed to life without Evans due to a combination of
injuries and mysterious absences that followed the February trade deadline.
The team is hoping to fill Evans’ scoring void by spreading the wealth among an
upgraded supporting cast surrounding Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Speaking of
wealth, can’t fault Evans for quadrupling last season’s $3 million salary in
this summer’s free-agency market.
There aren’t many players in the league capable of overwhelming you with
intangibles quite like Anderson. Nicknamed ‘SloMo’ for his molasses-smooth
approach to filling a stat sheet, Anderson is the most important free agent the
Grizzlies signed after losing the most impactful free agent they landed last
summer. The versatile, five-year veteran has been described as a ‘plus-minus
savant’ and one of the NBA’s most uniquely productive players. But the best
thing said about Anderson came from the coach who reluctantly watched him depart
San Antonio for a four-year deal that was longer than the transitioning Spurs
were prepared to counter.
“(Losing) Kyle was very difficult,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said last month.
“If you get a contract like that, you’ve got to take it. That would have been
very difficult, for us to match that contract. When you have someone like that,
and you watch them develop and they leave … it’s for the right reasons. He was
special here – off the court, on the court. He’ll be great in Memphis. I’ll hate
playing against him.”
Look for Anderson to open at small forward, but serve as a calibrating force for
the Grizzlies at as many as four positions. What the Grizzlies lost in Evans’
pure scoring as a ball-dominant attacking guard, they should gain in Anderson’s
two-way versatility and playmaking efficiency. The 24-year-old Anderson ranked
sixth among qualifying NBA players in defensive rating last season. And he was
one of only five guards/small forwards to shoot 50 percent and average at least
seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per-36 minutes.
The Grizzlies won’t have to wait long to get their first taste of how that
transition plays out. Anderson and Evans are set to cross paths in the
Grizzlies’ Oct. 17 season opener on the road against the Pacers.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis
Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace are solely his own and do
not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations
staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known
to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the
access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the
media.
Player: Kyle Anderson
Media Content:
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oring-ball-dominance-to-anderson-s-unique-versatility-180814
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oring-ball-dominance-to-anderson-s-unique-versatility-180814
