MEMPHIS – When Mike Conley looks across the locker room as the Grizzlies resume
practice following the All-Star break, it’ll feel like a flashback to preseason
training camp.
Both hands are now required to count all the relatively new bodies.
Staring back at the Grizzlies’ veteran point guard will be four players acquired
at the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline, bringing the total to nine who have joined the
team since December. Injuries and lackluster results amid initial playoff
expectations this season have forced Memphis to overhaul half the roster.
Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies is seen in the locker room before a
game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New
Orleans, LA. Photo by Joe Murphy via Getty Images.
Sitting in next-to-last place in the Western Conference standings at 23-36, a
postseason appearance is highly unlikely for the Grizzlies as they regroup for
their final 23 regular-season games. Otherwise, there’s no shortage of
incentive, development or evaluation in store for Memphis moving forward.
And that’s essentially Conley’s message to his team as he regains his bearings
following the trade that sent fellow franchise cornerstone Marc Gasol to
Toronto. The move not only leaves Conley as the lone player left from the
franchise’s celebrated ‘Core Four’ era, it also places the 12-year playmaker as
the sole senior voice of leadership on a team in transition.
“I told the guys that this is like a new season for all of us,” Conley said of
the focus over the season’s remaining months. “And it’s not just including our
new guys. For me, for everybody that’s been here throughout the season, we’re
having to re-teach, relearn, refocus and kind of start that process all over
again. So be ready for it mentally, and I think we are. Be ready for it
physically as well, and hopefully we’ll get off to a good start coming off the
break.”
The Grizzlies are simultaneously playing for now and for the opportunity to
operate with maximum flexibility in the short-term future. Despite being firmly
out of the playoff picture, Memphis is incentivized to win as many games as
possible in an effort to convey the first-round pick it owes to Boston, and
clear that debt in this summer’s NBA draft.
To maximize their chances of sending that pick to the Celtics this summer, the
Grizzlies must finish better than the teams with the eight-worst records by the
end of the regular season. Should Memphis finish among the first eight teams
positioned in the draft lottery order, it would keep the pick and then owe
Boston a top-five protected pick in the 2020 draft or an unprotected first-round
pick in 2021.
Resolving that issue as soon as possible with Boston is a priority for the
Grizzlies, who return from the break with the NBA’s sixth-worst record and four
games out of being positioned ninth from the bottom. In other words, short of a
miraculous rally into the playoffs, the Grizzlies need to be competitively good
enough to barely miss the postseason but not bad enough to finish among the
NBA’s eight-worst teams.
“Although it’s early, this (upcoming) draft does not appear to be great – top to
bottom,” Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said. “So if there’s a year to
step out of the first round of the draft, this is probably the year to do it.
We’d like to convey this pick to Boston this year and get that in our rearview
mirror. Then move forward with a clean slate of picks.”
Improving the record down the stretch would help accomplish that mission. The
Grizzlies have dropped two of the three games they’ve played since the trade
deadline, but have seen some encouraging signs from newcomers along the way.
Avery Bradley #0 of the Memphis Grizzlies passes the ball against the San
Antonio Spurs on February 12, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, TN. Photo by Joe
Murphy via Getty Images.
Shooting guard Avery Bradley started all three games and scored a career-high 33
points, with six rebounds and six assists, in last week’s 108-107 home loss to
San Antonio. Bradley, a first-team All NBA defender with the Celtics before he
moved on to the Pistons and Clippers, has shot 58.1 percent from the field
overall and 54.5 percent on threes since he was traded from Los Angeles to
Memphis.
“I’ve tried to build over the last few years and show people I’m a two-way
player, especially when I was in Boston,” said Bradley, 28. “My role was a
little different in L.A., but here, I feel like I’m getting more opportunities.
The coaches just told me when I got here to ‘go out there and play like you did
in Boston. Play your game and let your defense get your game going.’ And that’s
been my mindset going into every game.”
Bradley is a prime example of the type of players on the roster who are
motivated to make good on their current opportunities. Basically, all four
players acquired in the trades with the Clippers and Raptors are performing for
their next contracts.
Bradley has a $12.9 million team option next season, but only $2 million of that
is guaranteed should the Grizzlies decide to release him after this season.
Delon Wright, who came over from Toronto and is auditioning as Conley’s backup
at point guard, is a restricted free agent after this season. Veteran swingman
C.J. Miles, who has scored in double figures all three games since arriving from
the Raptors, has a $8.7 million player option next season.
The incoming centerpiece of the trade with Toronto is 7-footer Jonas
Valanciunas, who has averaged 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 60.0
percent shooting from the field in two games with the Grizzlies. Although
Valanciunas came off the bench those two games, he could move into the starting
lineup as soon as Friday against the Clippers. Valanciunas, 26, can opt out of
the $17.6 million left on his contract next season and test free agency this
summer.
Also, forwards Justin Holiday and Bruno Caboclo have become regulars in the
rotation since they were acquired in January to help bolster perimeter defense
and three-point shooting. It gives the Grizzlies an intriguing mix of prospects
who could play their way into sticking around or could become additional assets
to use as bargaining chips in future deals.
“With the changes we made and the amount of bodies that came in and moved out,
this is a new team,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Stylistically, it will look
different on both sides of the ball. We’re looking at it as a blank slate with
this group, and an opportunity to build something positive. We’ll have some
practice days coming out of the break, which is always helpful. So we’ve put the
focus there to create a comfort zone and let them play through that.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts to a play during the game
against the San Antonio Spurs on February 12, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, TN.
Photo by Joe Murphy via Getty Images.
At the same time, another major priority is the continued development of dynamic
rookie Jaren Jackson Jr., whose role increases significantly in the franchise’s
post-Gasol era. Jackson scored in double figures in five of the past six games
heading into the break. He is averaging nearly 17 points while shooting 52.4
percent on threes in February, both by far his best marks of any month this
season.
Perhaps the biggest sign of growth for Jackson is his foul rate. Having led the
NBA in total fouls for much of the season, Jackson has been whistled for an
average of just 3.5 hacks a game in February, which is a season low. Meanwhile,
he’s playing a season-high 29.2 minutes per contest this month.
“We believe in our standard for Jaren – it’s extremely high,” Bickerstaff said.
“Our goal for Jaren is to be a top-five, two-way player in this league. Just
because he’s scoring, there’s not a reason he can take a night off on the
defensive end of the floor. He’s got to maintain that intensity, he’s got to
help us protect the rim, he’s got to take steps on the defensive glass. In some
cases, guys get a break because they’re high-level scorers. If we do that for
Jaren, I think we’re doing him a disservice.”
With 23 opportunity games remaining, it would also be a disservice to render the
rest of the Grizzlies’ season moot. Starting Friday, 12 of the final 23 games
are at home and 14 are against teams firmly in playoff position or competing for
one of the final postseason spots.
There are also numerous wildcards on a Grizzlies’ roster with as many as 12
players on contracts that either expire after these final two dozen games or by
the end of next season.
“It’ll be difficult regardless who you’re playing,” Conley points out. “For the
most part, teams probably wouldn’t want to play us because they have no idea
what to expect. It’s hard to game plan for a team that’s gotten a whole
facelift. So we’re not too worried about who we’re playing, and game plans and
schemes. It’s more about trying to get our guys up to speed and worrying about
ourselves.”
Almost like a reset to training camp.
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.
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