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#2 Memphis Grizzlies' young bench pieces need to shine consistently
Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies bench was more impactful than many expected. The likes of De'Anthony Melton, Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke, and Xavier Tillman were all promising in flashes.
Bane showed an elite ability to shoot the ball from downtown, knocking down an absurd 43.2% of his attempts. With Grayson Allen traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Bane is likely to see more opportunities and will need to continue to prove himself on the defensive end in a larger role.
De'Anthony Melton is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league at his size and has become a staple of the rotation. Despite the Memphis Grizzlies acquiring Kris Dunn this offseason while still rostering Tyus Jones, it would be surprising if Melton was not the backup point for most of the season.
Brandon Clarke is a weird one. After an encouraging rookie season, his jump shot was reworked with poor results. He slid from 35.9% in Year One to 26% last season. Rediscovering his success from range would greatly benefit the Memphis Grizzlies' playoff chances.
Xavier Tillman, another multi-year college player, showed promise on both ends during his rookie campaign last season and should be trusted with a handful of minutes on a nightly basis.
Point being, the Memphis Grizzlies roster more quality NBA rotation players than a majority of teams in the league. Most of them are young, but if they can prove to be consistent then the ability to stay afloat with one or both of Morant and/or Jackson getting a rest could be critical.
#1 Ja Morant needs to take a significant leap
Ja Morant is the team's clear leader, and his offensive burden could notably increase this upcoming season. Hopefully that will lead to more opportunities for Morant to expand his game and convert a higher percentage of his jump shots.
With Jonas Valaciunas being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Memphis Grizzlies are losing one of their top three scorers from last year. Valaciunas' presence was essential to the offense of the Memphis Grizzlies and Steven Adams can't be asked to handle the same amount of responsibility on that end.
So the other guys have to step up; the aforementioned bench and Jaren Jackson Jr. included, but primarily their centerpiece, Ja Morant.
The most obvious aspect of Morant's game to show progress is in his three-point shot. With the shooting downgrade from Valciunas to Adams, Morant may have fewer opportunities to go downhill, leading to more jumpers.
Last season, Morant digressed to 30.3% from three on 3.8 attempts per night from 33.5% on 2.7 attempts in the year prior. Shooting is essential in today's NBA and any player with Morant's downhill threat would greatly benefit from being respected by defenders on the perimeter.
The Memphis Grizzlies offense will go as far as Ja Morant takes them. While that could be an overwhelming responsibility for a player just entering his third season, Morant seems up to the challenge.
Defensively, the team should be solid on a night-in and night-out basis. Without all-star level production from Ja Morant, the Grizzlies will struggle to keep up offensively and compete for the playoffs in the Western Conference.
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