What is up, fellow thermonuclear A efforts. I am a dam valley coming
at you with our pen ultimate NBA look ahead for the twenty two twenty three
season. We are onto the Memphis Grizzlies. I am joined by the one,
the only, the legendary Keith Parish. He is. He is the
host of the Fast Break Breakfast podcast. Follow him and the podcast at Fast
Break Break That's at f A S T b R E A K b R
e a K. He is also the host of the grind Gritz and Grinds
podcast Excuse Me Follow them on Twitter at Grizzlies pod spelled exactly as it sounds.
Love talking to Keith about the Grizzlies. I have many questions, but
the first and most important question I will ask, how the heck are you
doing? I'm doing great, Dan, Thanks for having me, Thanks for
the energy you're bringing to this. It has lifted me, much like the
wildness factor that Dylan Brooks brings to my Grizzlies. I feel like you're elevating
me just by your presence. I feel like I should take that as an
insult, though, so I'm gonna drop the ball at some point. That
was meant totally as a compliment. I sincerely defend Dylan Brooks and there's a
certain I don't know, there's a certain just intangible energy that courses through him
that powers the Grizzlies. And that's the energy you're given me, so full
compliment. Please accept it as such. I will as such. And you're
just you're always so good with drawing parallels and comparisons, like the playoff one
of Jaren Jackson Jr. You compare him your son in the Lego Store.
So the one that I forgot about that, Yeah, one of my all
time favorite moments on this pot. I cut it off. Don't you gotta
prep jar in every game? But like, hey, man, don't get
some dumb fouls. I got it. I got it. It's the same
as my kid be like, hey, we're going to the Lego store,
don't touch anything. I got it. And then once the ball drops,
once we walk in that Lego store, it's limbs knocking over everything. Yeah,
because one of the one of the all time great comps. By the
way, I clipped that thing all over. We don't I don't use eyeg
or TikTok ever, but I threw it on there just because I thought it
was so so great. I will start here with the Grizzlies. Were you
at all surprised against in support of them? I've called it a developmental flex
for them over the off season because you let you know, you trade Melton,
you let Kyle Anderson walk. You're looking at these guys like David Roddy
and Jake la Rava, and you're expecting is that your Williams maybe have a
bigger role. And we've heard a lot about Santi Aldamo. Now do you
were you surprised that they weren't like a little bit more aggressive and trying to
upgrade with entrenched talent what was the second best team in the league during last
year's regular season. In one sense, yes, I was surprised that this
offseason did not represent an obvious step forward as far as the talent on the
roster. Once something's happened, like once Melton was traded on Draft night for
the draft rights to David Roddy. At that point, I wasn't surprised because
it was like, Oh, they're doing this thing again where they lean on
development and I you said flex, and it does feel a little bit like
an off season flex. It feels like a front office flex where they're like,
we keep hitting doubles, triples and homers with our front office moves that
we're just gonna say, you know what, we think we can We can
sustain our title window. We can extend possibly our title window by not bringing
in established veteran talent. We're just gonna keep building internally because we know we
have a superstar and John Morant. We know we have a possible maybe all
star in Desmond Bane. We have the teams a player of the Year candidate
in Jared Jackson Jr. That's good enough. We have enough pieces. Let's
just try to hit an another double. And when I see now, I
see something Aldama in preseason and in summer league where I'm like, oh,
maybe we should just give this front office all the latitude to flects all they
need, because like last year, Aldama looked bad and you're like, what
are they doing? And now you're like, that guy looks pretty good.
Maybe they know what they're they know what they're doing here. So in the
general sense, yes, I was surprised to go from last year where Danny
LaRue wrote like an article before the season was over, like the Grizzlers could
be the sleeping Giant of the twenty twenty two off season because if they wanted
to, they could have had cap space, and they also had all these
draft picks. They had the draft pick that they ended up losing that was
supposed to come from the Lakers that which the Pelicans, but they had multiple
extra draft picks in this coming draft, and they had all their core under
salary, and then they had the potential of getting to cap space, and
they turned all of that into losing Melton, losing Kyle Anderson, and adding
just rookies. So you're like that, in the broad sense, that was
surprising that they didn't go a little more aggressively, they didn't add proven talent.
But then once I think I think once like those Donalds started falling,
I was like, oh, this is just what they do, and no,
they're not going to trade for Jay Crowder or they're not going to try
to sign Gary Harris because they don't care. Like they're like, it's gonna
be better for us if we make David Roddy good and so that that's gonna
be the path that they're gonna choose. I normally would be against the team
being so conservative after having such a good year and just being so good immediately,
But you sort of alluded to it. Whatever was out there was either
not spectacular or just not for them if you look at the even think about
the biggest names that were traded. None of those three guys made any sense
for the Grizzlies and Mitchell Gobert or Murray. And then it was the free
agent market. I've had this conversation ad nauseum on this podcast. Free agency
is not the same anymore. Maybe it changes in the new collective bargaining agreement
and with a cap coming up, like stars aren't moving in free agency.
We don't know how big of a destination would have been to begin with,
And so you were looking at players like you've sort of talked about, like,
oh, could you've signed Gary Harris, can you trade for Jake Crowd
or and it's you know, there's a case to be made if you wanted
to go after those mid end veterans, fine do it. But like the
what they punted on, I guess wasn't all that inspiring. Even if I
would have just kept Kyle Anderson, because that just seems like a good move
to have done so that was like that. That was almost the flex where
it was like, oh, David Roddy or Santillam, like those guys are
just gonna be ready immediately, Like we don't need Kyle Anderson, like he
can go over to minute like Minnesota, by the way, a conference rival
who's trying to be good that he just leave. Well, so there is
there is part of it where I like, I'm not on board with it.
There is part of it where I'm like, well, I don't understand
why we lost Melton because he's very young, he was on a good contract,
he's not an expiring free agent. That part is still confusing to me.
The letting Kyle Anderson go to a Western converage rival is another interesting piece.
And then added into that is oh, and by the way, not
only is the fun office saying, hey, we're not gonna make a big
move, we're only bringing in rookies, but hey, guess what, Jared
got hurt and the off season, like Jared secretly got hurt. He's gonna
miss the start of the season. We don't need the guy who filled in
for him every time he missed a game the last two seasons, like Kyle
Anderson played tons of minutes for the Grizzlies, you know, while he was
here, and like, so letting him go to a Western converage rival,
a team projected to win a similar number of games in the Timberwolves. Letting
Melton go to a team that has now picked, based on Vegas over runners
to win more games in the East, like everyone's picking the Sixers to be
good, and normally in the first sentence of everyone picking the Sixers to be
good is oh, they got PJ. Tucker and Deanthony Melton, And so
for a team minutes title window, which I think the Grizzlies are, I
mean the Grizzlies, they repeat it. I repeated a lot. Why I
repeated a lot because these things are lost to history and no one pays attention
to them once the series are over. The Grizzlies had a lead in the
fourth quarter of three of the four losses to the Warriors, not to mention
the fact that Jaw was hurt, didn't play the final three games that Dylan
Brooks was spending for two games Steven Adams had was an helpless part of calls.
Desmond Baite had a hurt back look at his shooting percentages we're looking at
his field bull attempts in that series, and despite that, they had the
lead of the final two minutes of two of the losses and it's like they
were close. So I think their title window is open. So in that
sense, it is strange to say to maybe not make a go for it
move, not to say they won't make a go for it move during the
regular season to see how the season plays out and like, oh, these
teams were all tanking or this player once out, Now we're going to trade
our pieces to get something in here. But in the sense that you're one
of maybe the eight teams that has a two percent or better chance at winning
the title, to not maybe push your chips in it feels a little bit
strange, and I'm not sure it doesn't set well with me particularly. I
will also say that Kyle Anderson one doesn't sit well with me because he was
part of one of my favorite moments last year where it was the video of
I can't remember who was who did it to who, but it was him
and Iyer Williams and someone did the tickle monster to the other person on camera
after they hit a big shot. It might have been Kyle, just was
probably doing the Tickle Monster two Zayer Williams, and it was just like,
this is just the two thousand, twenty two Grizzlies in a nutshell and I
love it. And so yeah, r I p to the Kyla Kyle Anderson
era. I loved him. Man, Yeah, yeah, I lost two.
I lost my two favorite players. I'm still in the market for my
current favorite Grizzlies, so we'll see. I don't have any adjectives to describe
John Moran anymore. I'm just out of them. Uh. He was on
the fringes of the MVP discussion already that he is a superstar, already mentioned
it. What does the next frontier for him looks like? Is there even
a next frontier? Like is the focus still if he could just knock down
threes? It is slightly higher clip? Where is there there's something else that
you're watching? Because he doesn't I don't want to say he's a player's ever
finished, but he's just he's so good that he's the type of he's so
good it's hard to come up with questions for John Moran, that's how good
he is. Like you have to talk about the superstar on the podcast because
that matters, But I have no questions, no notes on John Moran.
Well, you say, what's next. I mean he's he's young, like
NBA players don't, they're not fully done. And by your three and last
year, ye three, I think he would have finished fifth in the MVP
vote if he didn't get hurt in the final a few weeks in the season.
He's still I think you know, he was second team All NBA last
year. I think what's next for him is I think the scoring is gonna
keep going up. I think he's gonna like he was thirty nine points per
per one hundred possessions last year, and like, I think he can repeat
that and maybe play some more minutes. I think he has room to grow
on making free throws, Like if he could get up to become an eighty
percent free throw shooter, that that would be great. You know. The
three point shooting, Yeah, it's a it's a clearly a avenue for improvement.
I don't know. I think like he shot thirty four percent last year.
I hope he maintains that, but his mid range shooting was pretty bad
last year. It actually took a little bit of a dip. I think
he was trying to add it in, you know, to have more and
more of that. But I don't see any reason why that wouldn't continue to
get better as he ages in the NBA. Most NBA guys like they they
add those things to their game. So yeah, I think he's gonna have
a huge year. And also clearly defense, like just attention to detail on
defense. He's probably never going to be a plus defense, but he can
do more on the defensive end. So I do think and maybe that's the
reason why the team just kind of, you know, sit still for lack
of a better term, in the off season. They know, like John's
gonna carry us. Our job is to build a cast that perfectly fits John
Moran. And as much as you and I love Kyle Anderson, he doesn't
perfectly fit with John Moran. He can fill in, he can help you
in a pinch. But I think they might they're looking at, you know
what, let's build the prototypical player. Maybe Jake Clarevia is a better type
of guy because of the beautiful three point stroke, and once he gets comfortable
with the NBA line, gets comfortable with his NBA minutes, and that might
be a year or two, but Eventually that's going to be a better supporting
piece that ideally fits the prototype that goes around our MVP candidate of a point
guard. The mid range shooting was a really good point, not something that
I gave a ton of consideration too. He shot when I was looking in
preparation for this podcast over forty percent I'm pull up threes after the All Star
break and that I wouldn't expect that to be the normal. But if his
number on pull up threes is around like thirty five thirty six percent instead of
I think it was at like thirty two three point eight or thirty two point
eight for the year, that's just like an entire game changer for the Grizzlies
too. He's just so and he is still I think I forgot. I
like, the playoffs are over, and then too many months passed, and
I rank the Grizzlies like fifth on my league, past Ryan Kings and then
Jaws in the preseason, treating it like the regular season. I'm like,
how did not have these guys Number one? He's just unto himself. He's
just like this highlight factory and he's so just He's entertaining to watch even when
he's not taking shots because of just any decision he makes when he leaves his
feet, whether it's like a pass or just when he gets going downhill,
just so polarizing in the best possible way to watch on the offensive end.
Well, Also, it's wild about his three point shooting. Is that.
Yeah, Like he got really hot at the end of the year. The
Grizzlies made a ton of threes down the stretch last year. A lot of
it was playing teams that were kind of falling apart. But in the playoffs
and in the play in games, he's made three pointers. Like he averages
in his career, he averages two three pointers made per game in those postseason
games, and like he hits them in an okay percentage, and it's like,
you know, he steps it up. And so if he can whatever
that playoff juice, that that really gets him going where he creates a scoring
up to you know, like usually over thirty points per game in the playoffs.
And if he can add that and then show some of that shooting that
that he's demonstrated in the postseason in the games that actually matter, like that
is the next level I think that you can see for John in the regular
season. The next level for Jaren Jackson Junior is starting five on five in
a few weeks. I was reading, is like, what's a realistic timeline
for his return at this point? Well, I think the initial the initial
announcement was four to six months. And if he starts playing two weeks from
if you're student five on five, two weeks from today, maybe he makes
his debut, you know, three to four weeks from today, that's on
the that's on the timeline. That's like basically four months from when they announced.
So I don't think there's any reason to think it's gonna stretch up to
that six month thing, which would put which would put him returning like closer
to Christmas. Them saying he's gonna start doing five on five. I know
we've been burned before, and we've been burned specifically on Jaren Jackson Junior not
returning when we thought he would. But this just tracks with everything they've been
saying. So to me, it sounds like, yeah, like I thought
he might miss fifteen games, and it seems like he might miss fifteen games.
Maybe he stretches to twenty five games, but you know, it seems
like a return sometime in November is possible, maybe late November, and then
we'll have Jaren for hopefully you know, two thirds to three fourths of the
Grizzlies games. How big of a concern in the interim is it defensively for
the Grizzli He's not having him for those let's say fifteen to twenty five games
to start the year, gigantic Absolutely huge. They Yeah, I mean he
really tied the room together. He plugged all the shots. He was great.
You know, his his versatility on defense, the way he moves is
which makes is what makes him special. Like that combined with you know,
the three point stroke which comes and goes like that makes him the Unicorn.
But his you know, all defensive team game last year is what made this
team one of the better defensive teams in the NBA. And without him,
they're gonna have a lot of trouble protecting the rim. In addition, the
pieces they elected to let go, not having Kyle Anderson, not having d
Anthony Mounton, and not having Jared Jackson Jr. Those are guys who were
I have it somewhere. I think that's that's your first second and fifth and
steals and first third and fifth in blocks, and this team, the Grizzlies
led the NBA in steals last year and in blocks per game last year,
so like that was their identity. Their identity was rebounding well, getting steals
and blocks and getting out in transition and turning that transition opportunity into points.
And that's why they had a top five offense. It wasn't because their half
court was good. They were the first team on record, I believe,
to have a top five offensive rating and a bottom ten effective field goal percentage,
Like they would not know that they were bad at shooting the basketball last
year. I mean that was that was the joke for me. Or it's
like, man, what if the Grizzlies got their affective field goal percentage up
to like average, like they've never lose, they never lose, and so
but the formulas changed. I have to admit, like the formulas changed because
you know, Kyle and Melson were a big part of that formula. And
then with no Jaren there, suddenly I've been making the joke, like what's
the fewest block shots you can get in the game. It's as a team
like this, like Brandon might get one, Stephen might get one, it's
like they don't have guys. I honestly, I think Satio Dhama. He's
a pretty solid help guy who who plays full like his full six foot eleven
frame, he uses all of it, so he might get some blocks,
but like they're gonna go from blocking shots, protecting the rim being a big
strength to while jarn is out. For me, it's a huge concern.
I'm wondering how his absence in past, Like they were so good at generating
turnovers last year, and if you're not getting blocks, that could impact as
well. But if you're also concerned about what's happening on the back line of
the defense, or you're just playing people who are more inexperienced when you look
at their options in the front court, that was a huge element of their
defense, you lose Melton. He's probably he's a big part of that too.
And that's also when you're forcing turnovers are getting out in transition and this
year, for a team that can force turnovers, I imagine there would be
more of a benefit because they're gonna enforce to take foul which should give you
more free throw opportunities at that point. And so I'm wondering where even if
he wasn't like the direct cause of a ton of turnovers, and I actually
think they forced more turnover statistically when he's off the court. Their second unit
was just annihilatory last season. Yeah, I'm just wondering if there's an impact
there at all. And then you're almost worrying about like two different forms of
I don't want to say drop off, but reversion a little bit. No,
I am worried, and like because last year you mentioned the second unit.
You know, the second unit of the last couple of seasons has feature
Tias Jones, who's really good at steals, also really good not turning the
basketball over, So that helps your your turnover merchant. Yeah, it's it's
featured Tias Jones and D'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson and Brandon Clark and like those
guys are all great at defense, just awesome at defense. And you know,
Brandon Clark and Tias Jones are still there, but the people they've replaced
them with unproven, and so we don't know if that forum is going to
be there. And then you talk about like the perimeter defense, you know,
like they lost some of the good perimeter defenders and then not having the
back line to help you. It's rough. The positive twist is Dylan Brooks
is an excellent defender. He missed most of the last year, Like yeah,
it's what his games played was, but it was like he played fewer
than half of the Grizzlies games and he's the best perimeter defender on the Grizzlies
was last year as well, So like, yeah, Dylan's gonna be there
for more games. That will help the defense. But still not having the
rim protectors I think could be a big issue. Not having the second unit.
In my mind, it doesn't look as good not having that be a
backbone of your regular season success. It is gonna mean that Grizzies are gonna
have to find new new pathways to victories. I think J J. Jear
on offense last year saw as efficiency dip. I do think when you look
inside the arc, a lot of it had more to do with like slightly
more complicated usage. When you look at him attacking on drives or mismatches.
Is there any like something just one thing on offense or is it the whole
like that you're watching for him this season? Is it just you know,
the three point volume is there, but the officials he needs to come up.
Is that just the biggest thing for him. Jaron's offensive journey has been
bizarre, and his first two years it was like, this guy's trending to
be maybe an eighteen to twenty point per game score. This guy has unique
offensive gifts. Not only can he shoot, but he has sort of a
handle in these weird long strides where he goes past guys. He can beat
most bigs off the dribble. And when we project him to be, like,
oh, is his eventual position. His forever position will be center,
and and you know like once once he ages and fills out a little bit,
he'll be a center who can beat guys off the dribble. And then
the last two seasons, like he was healthy all of last year and the
year before he you know, he played like two hundred minutes or something.
But his three point shot has always looked strange. But it stopped going in,
and you're like, oh, his s three point shot is going in.
That would be great if it improved. But also his like his steps
got off, isn't like his gather step. He got confused about it and
he looks more awkward out there, and you're like you used to be able
to go pass guys, but now you're shooting off the wrong foot and you're
doing weird floaters. What happened? And I don't I don't have the answer
where it seemed like not just not only did his three point shot, regrets
his finishing in the paint and his ability to beat guys off the dribble,
like it really fell apart, like at the start, at the start of
the bubble season or the start of the actual bubble. That's a Jared's second
year. He I can't everybody average, but he was a much more proficient
scorer than the first couple of games before he got hurt, Like he was
just we were thinking, can this guy score twenty five a game? Because
like, I don't see anyone who stops him because he hits threes and then
he beats guys off the dribble, and then that kind of he really regressed
the last couple of seasons. Last year, though, all of a sudden
he blossomed as the defender we all dreamed of. So it's been like either
or it's been either or this is a this is a talented offensive advantage we
haven't in this strange big and then last year it's like, oh, he's
our he's our demons a backbone. He's an All NBA or defensive team level
defender in the argument deeps a player of the Year. If he ever marries
the two, you get back in the dreams that a lot of people had,
like year two, where it's like, why can't this guy be Chris
Bosh, Why can't this guy be like a slightly different, maybe not Hall
of Fame version of Kevin Garnett because it was it was similar stats. If
you compared like Bosh and Garnett's first couple of years, you're like, if
this guy could score eighteen the game and be the defender we think he can
be, you know, he's an All Star. But for whatever reason,
you know, we're now four years in and it's been it's just been up
and down on both sides. What does a year three step forward look like
for Desmond Bane after a monster leap last season? Is it just like him
handling more of the half court initiated. I can't even envision it because even
after watching him Summer League in twenty twenty one, I didn't see last year
coming. I saw how they were using him and I was like, oh,
that probably won't translate to the regular season, but it absolutely positively did.
What could year three of Desmond Baine be. Are you familiar with the
works of a player named Klay Thompson? Are you familiar with the works of
a player named Reggie Miller? Are you familiar with Ray? No? H,
No, I think it's gonna be great. Yeah. No, I
think he's gonna be great. I think if you compare, if you look
at what he did. He was an older rookie. He slipped in the
draft, I guess for concerns about his wingspan and his age, even though
he's not like super old or anything. And then he fully blossomed last year
and became one of the better shooting guards in the NBA. He was second
in the three point percentage. He shot ninety percent from the line. He's
also a plus defender. He's the perfect backcourt partner to John Moran. If
he never gets any better, like he may never gets any better, It's
like, Okay, we now have like Eric Gordon or something or something like
like healthy Eric Gordon. But I think he's gonna get better because, again,
like I was saying, most guys don't stop developing at twenty four or
after after a couple of seasons. So I do think, Yeah, he's
gonna handle keep handling the ball more and more. We saw that really developed
last year where he was able to handle a little bit of point guard,
a little bit of playmaking. I think he's gonna score, be able to
beat guys off the dribble. He's just learning more and more that I can
shoot and score at all levels. I think he's gonna probably average at least,
maybe not at least, but around twenty points per game. If he
averages more than that, I'm not going to be shocked. Like if he
becomes Michael Red, I'm not going to be shocked. This guy is an
unbelievable scorer who just seems to be like learning more and more, like,
oh wait, I can do this, I could do this, and so
as a plus defender and as that shooter. Yeah, I think I think
it's not unreasonable if the Grizzlies have the team success the front office thinks are
going to have, if they surprise people a little bit again and find themselves
as one of like the top four seeds, like I think doesn't make could
an astar this season. I would agree with you, and I want to
say that they need him too, But when you look at their roster and
the half court concerns that you laid out offensively, he seems like the at
least right now, the most important non job player to like alleviating that I
don't trust Dylan Brooks's shot creation. And I just look at Desmond Bay last
year and there are Eric Gordon was a really good comparison. Sometimes it looks
like what if Kyle Lowry was taller, and like that's just a really good
player, yeah, like on offense. And so I think that he might
be the single most important non job player offensively for them because they do need
like some more half court. I don't know if that's a spicy take or
like a hot like a cold take at this point, Well, I think
I think I think there's definitely a lot of truth in that opinion. I
think, you know, the semantics of the of the term most important.
I think I might go Dylan just because that's the variable. I don't think
there's a variable with desmon Bain. I think doesn't mean is consistent, Like
doesn't mean is going to give me nineteen points on incredible true shooting percentages.
But I do think desmon Baan has a score. I was joking about this
one on shows you know, well my show, other shows last week.
It's like, yeah, I think desn'man is gonna score a lot because he
has to score a lot because their entire bench is now like extremely low usage
guys, and like there there's basically saying, hey, con Shar, we
need you to shoot more. You know, like I don't see it necessarily,
So I think Bain is gonna have all the opportunities to get all the
shots he wants, and so yeah, he's incredibly important to their success.
But I might lean like, if Dylan can make thirty four percent of his
threes, again, that's maybe more important than than than desmon Bain as far
as the Grizzlies team success and their offensive success and also like the creating a
shot thing that that is. This is a question I come to and I
like, I pose to Dylan critics where it's like, if you're a Grizzless
fan, you watch all the Grizzlis games outside of John Morant. If someone
has to have the ball in their hands with five second left, five seconds
left on the shot clock, like who are you going to I think Dylan
Brooks is better than Desmon Baind in that situation. Like whatever you think of
Dylan Brooks mid range game, he can get there. He can get it
off no matter what's happening. And so it's like in those in those like
desperation the shot clock or the game clock's running down and you have to get
a shot, I think Dylan is probably your second best option. That's one
of the problems, honestly. I mean that that is a problem with the
press half court offense, is there aren't better shot creators. I hope we
get to the point where I feel like, you know what, Desmond Bane
he can create in that high pressure thing where I can't just wait for the
perfect shot. Another thing with Dylan I'm with Desmond is you know, maybe
he does wait a little bit too or he's not he's too picky with his
shot attempts. He shot this great percentage. He needs to attempt more three
pointers for thirty six, So we need to get him up to those whatever
it is, eleven three pointers per thirty six that like Clay Thompson does like
eight or nine per thirty six. No, no, des we need you
to fire like you gotta shoot every single time. Take a lesson from Dylan.
Don't be bashful, just shoot. It's okay. If you miss Steven,
I'll probably get it. Dylan Brooks his confidence, his aspiration and also
maybe that's a good way. Yeah, okay, out for Desmond Bane.
What are you watching for most closely? Uh in Ziah Williamson's Zaire Williamson.
That would be a heck of a player. Zaire Williams is second year.
It, you know, there's a lot. I feel like there's a lot
has been put on his plate. It's basically he's the hope. It feels
like of all Grizzy's fans to you know, cover up the players that they
got rid of, and he's the hope of all right, this guy was
the tenth pick. We hope he develops. He's got that perfect size,
the perfect frame. Maybe one day he will be better than Dylan Brooks and
he can be our starter. And our long term team is Jah and desman
In Zaire plus Brandon and Jared and that's like our dominant dynasty run of that.
But it's it's asking a lot of a guy who in his rookie year
he shot some flashes. He started, he got to kind of a slow
start, and then he got hurt. He had health and sets to protocols.
When he came back, he was much improved. I think he shot
thirty four percent from three or final two thirds of the season. He knocked
down some threes in the postseason. What we're hoping front from him is,
I think a more consistent defensive presence. I would love to see him grab
a rebound just every now and then, like you know, like we need
help on the defensive glass. And if he can raise his three point shooting
to be closer, not just thirty four percent, Like I'm optimistic based on
what I've seen in preseason and in summer league that he could be more like
a thirty seven percent thirty eight percent three point shooter, because this team desperately
needs shooting. They desperately need three point shooting. Like just the flat out
math of the NBA, it's a lot easier to win basketball games when you're
making twelve or more three pointers per game, and the Grizzlies did not average
twelve pint three pointers per game. They won fifty six games despite not making
that many three pointers. But like I've laid out, I think the formula
for winning is changing, and they're not going to force as many turnovers,
and I'm worried about the defense not being as good, so they need to
make up for that. I think with improved three point shooting. They've said,
Zach Klemen has said, are our folks this soft season was adding shooting
to the team, And you know whether or not they've done that is a
huge question mark. But internally, you hope that Desire's the guy that he
can get up more threes and make him at a better percentage and hopefully fill
that gap from some of the missing players and get them into that three point
volume and the three point made volume that I think is going to lead them
to just make games easier. It's just easier to you know, two in
basketball games if you're making twelve or more, like the Grizzlies had a terrible
winning percentage last year when they made single digits. But also all NBA teams
do, like the winning percentage the team is making ten or few or three
pointers. It's like it's like thirty percent or less. Like I don't rember
the exact step, but it's it's it's poor, and so they need Zaire.
If I could pick one thing, I think honestly it would just be,
you know, increase that three percentage by four percent and also let's kick
that volume up those three points attempted. If we can improve that as well,
that'd be awesome. They do seem to trust him a lot defensively too,
based off some of the assignments he drew, and I wonder if that
can attributed to the rebounding absence with him, where he was just so laser
focused on why am I defending this like star win, Like they were just
so confident that he's going to be that guy. Yeah, I mean he
had the opportunity, and you gotta say, like in the positive category for
Zaire, I mean, the dude started twenty something games for the team with
the second best record in the NBA. Like, you know, he played
in the postseason. He had moments guarding superstars in the postseas. He's guarding
Anthony Edwards, he was guarding Steph Curry at times. He's got the frame,
he's got the height, he's got the perfect prototypical size. He's got
the hair that takes him all the way up to seven feet when he lets
the throw out, So all these things are good. Yeah, if he
could, if he can improve, just like you assume me will. I
mean he rookie the second year, you assume he's gonna get better on the
defensive end. If he does, then you're like, hey, nice,
we don't have this two way wing that that's really helping us win ball games.
Do you buy Santi Aldama as an impact player this year? Defined impact
like he so when I go back and watch some of the preseason, but
then some of the summer league, he's just every like he's sort of just
everywhere in the game where it's like, oh, he had more offensive rebounds
than I thought he did. Oh, like look at him like taking guys
off the dribble and getting by them into the rim. Oh he hit like
threes on kickouts. Oh did he just make this really wicked live dribble pass.
I'm just like, I don't know whether to be smitten by him or
not. And I'm just curious. I think they do, unless I'm wrong,
they need him to play a fairly large role wall Jared Jackson Juniors out,
and so I'm just wondering if you buy what you've seen from him,
in summer league and the preseason. I do. I believe in Santy.
It's funny. His summer league in twenty twenty one, his summer league last
summer, I remember being like, this is one of the worst basketball players
I've ever seen. He shot something like seven percent and he you know,
they were like, oh, he just flew over from Spain. He hasn't
practiced. I'm like, all right, but wow, that that was rough.
And then you fast forward to this summer league and in Vegas he was
like second team All Summer League and he's putting it together. He still makes
these goofy mistakes, And I think this is one thing that I've noticed about
you know, us as basketball fans, where like a goofy mistake registers a
lot more than just like a bad shot or a dribble off your foot or
just being inefficient, and so like this is also like people who criticize our
guy Kyle Anderson. Kyle Anderson's mistakes are loud because they're weird looking. You're
like, wow, that guy just hit the side of the backboard on a
three point and it took him four seconds to shoot it. But like,
it doesn't all mistakes are the same if you if you have a beautiful look
at jump shot and you're Don Waiters, well guess what you know. I'd
rather have a guy making a lot of bad mistas like or just very loud
and mistakes that are memorable, but has actually helping you with basketball. It
was more. And I think Santel Dahma is going to help his team win
basketball games. I think his year of development last year is gonna pay huge
dividends. And like I think he's gonna be a solid starter and when Jared
returns, I think he's gonna still be in the rotation. I don't see
any reason why you know, this guy can't be like fifth on the team
in points per game, Like I think he might average more points per game
than Zirah Williams or Brandon Clark. Like, I just think his points come
easier. He gets those offensive rebounds. We're like, oh, yeah,
he's just tall and you got you got the shot, you put it back
in, And like his three punt shot looks great now, admittedly none of
them went in last year. Like literally, I think literally he made one
non fourth quarter three pointer last year and it wasn't because he was making clutch
three pointers. He's because he was making three pointers in garbage time, and
so hopefully the regular season is not too big for him. The lights aren't
too bright. But I think this guy is legit. He's a unique guy
where like he looks comfortable a little bit with the ball in his hands.
He looks just like he's more athletic than you assume. He honestly can catch
lobs better than maybe anybody on the team. But but Brandon Clark in Zaire,
I think he might be a quicker jumper than Jared Jackson junior, which
is weird to think. So I think, yeah, I believe in Santy,
and I think he is going to be a positive contributor to this tim
in rotation even when Jaren comes back. Two players I know even less about
because I don't pay much attention to college basketball and I don't really learn about
rookies till you get to the MBA David Roddy and Jake la Ravia driven early
impressions of their games. And who do you expect to play the bigger role,
if any role, for the for the Grizzlies this season. It looks
like the opening that rotation is likely to feature La Ravia and Jake La Ravia
when he's standing still, the three pointer is beautiful. So far beyond that,
it's not beautiful. He hasn't made them. He didn't make him summerly.
Outside of one game, he hasn't made them in the preseason. He
looks exactly like, here's the thing. He looks exactly like old Mike Miller
as far as minus the tattoos. He doesn't seem overly athletic. He looks
a little bit slow out there, but like you know, you kind of
get walks. It's like it's like the way a lacroix. You know,
this is lime flavored. I can see what you're talking about, Like there
is like a memory of a lime insight here. Larravya is giving me a
memory of old Mike Miller. I don't I'm worried he's not ready at all.
I think David Roddy is more ready. But just because of the draft
priority and because of the size a few inches taller for Jake La Ravia that
I think La Ravia gets first crack at being like tenth in the rotation on
opening night. But like you, I also don't watch college basketball, and
you know I don't want to judge these guys too harshly based on just preseason
and summer league, because it's been it's been up and down, and it's
been a like a little bit concerning when you think about this Grizzlies team has
title aspirations, and if not title aspirations, they have at the very least
progress further in the playoffs than they did last year. And Ken Roddy and
La Ravia gets you there. Uh, I would bet no, But I
know the front office maybe they're they're again doing a little flex and they feel
like, come come March April May, those guys are are going to be
ready to contribute. What's the over under on the number of all NBA teams
that Kenny Lofton Junior makes for his career? Man the Kenneth Lafton Junior not
playing more than one game in preseason is a mystery. He played one preseason
game. He he beat Serge Ibaka for an and one. He bullyballed Brook
Lopez under the basket for a layup. He scored seventeen points on eight field
goal attempts, and we were like, this guy can't be stopped. And
then he didn't play in another preseason gain and like they're playing Vince Williams junior
and Kennedy Chandler's playing constantly like why can't we get Kenny Lofton back in.
I don't know, man, I don't know what the ceiling is. I
had Chris Harrington, you know, covers the Grizzlies. He was on Grits
and Grinds a couple of days ago with me, and he was just like,
if we had to do the draft over and I can only pick one
guy out of this Grizzlies draft class, I'm taking Kenneth Lfton junior. Like
I think, wow, I would project him to have a better nbiate career
based on what I've seen than Roddy or Laravia. And you know, I
don't know that's a hot take, but like we haven't seen Lofton be bad
and right, I mean, he committed a ton of fouls and a ton
of turnovers in Summer League. But this is also a guy who like was
hooping on Victor within Yama two years ago, you know, like like for
this team USA under nineteen squad and now fat for me, that's like the
last time I saw him. And now fast forward two years and he's on
my summer league team, he's on my preseason team, and I see him
play and I'm like, no one can stop this guy on offense. I
want to see I need proof of concept that it doesn't work. I need
him to be embarrassed. I needed him on opening Night to be like totally
embarrassed by like Isaiah Hartenstein and Julius Randall. She'd be like, oh,
okay, yeah, he's not ready because like when he like folded up brook
Lopez and put him in the locker in a preseason game, I'm like,
whoa like the same thing he did. Guys hadn't know their names in summer
league. He did. The NBA players I've heard of DBA players who are
known for being good defenders. Yeah, they're you know, maybe Surgeon brook
or at the end of their careers. But it's still like, all right,
I need to see him kind of a mountain to move. He's still
a mountain. And the Bucks fans are optimistic though brook Lopez is back,
will be better, we'll have a better regular season, which I buy into.
I'm just saying I want to see Junior, who's just like Zebo Microwave
bench scorer I need to see him get some burn man, because I'm excited.
So do you view the bench this season as being as strong as it
was last season? No, I mean I've already already basically said that,
Like, I don't. I don't see anyway. I don't see the formula.
I don't even see the I don't even see the optimistic take for how
you get there. I think if you're talking about the Grizzlies overall, the
optimistic take for the Grizzies being better, it is pretty simple. Jamrant gets
better, and your four Desmon Baying gets better, and you're three dialing Brooks
is actually healthy. By the way, last year that the Grizzlies were incredible
when Desmond and Dylan played together. They were unbelievably good when Dylan and Jaren
played together. Like like, there's a there's a clear optimistic past for the
Grizzlies. But it's their top line talent. It's the it's their starters plus
maybe a Brandon Clark plus Tyas Jones the back line talent. I can't formulate
an argument that the six through ten they're better, like Tyas Jones had a
career year last year. If you're being optimistic about the Grizzlies. You hope
he plays less because that means John Rent's playing more. Like I don't like
Tyas Jones shot a career high and three point attempts three point percentage, and
like, you know, I don't think he can increase that because I think
he's gonna play actually less. You know, Zaire, that's the one where
you're like, all right, if if you believe Zaire can make a huge
leap in from year one to year two, okay, well then that's how
we get there. Well, like Conshar, I don't think. I don't
think a contart breakout's coming. What did you say about him when what he
signed you were talking about you call his like three pointers artists and all no,
no, I got, I got. I got upset that Chris Vernon
said that said the Conshart was a better three point shter than Danthony Maunton,
And I was like, you can't take his single use, artisanal, handcrafted
three point attempts. Man, that guy shoots like two per game, like
in twenty minutes. Like, yeah, Conshart shot at better percentage than DNT
Melton last year, but he there's no volume. It's it's these yeah,
individually numbered, handcrafted attempts and like, no, no, the dude's got
to put some shots up. And also, Conschart played a lot of minutes.
Last year, he played seventy seven games, played like nineteen minutes a
game, Like, are you he's not gonna play more than that? Like
what are we projecting here? They don't play bench guys twenty four minutes a
game, So like, I don't see how Conshar, I don't see how
his three pointers go up enough to accommodate for the Melton threes you lost.
I also don't see him being a better overall player than Melton and Kyle Anderson.
And I don't see the rookies like we already we already spelled out.
I don't see them being those positive impact players like you know we get from
Brandon Clark. Brandon Clark was great last year. We hope he's great again.
Tyas Jones was great last Yarf of the bench. But these are the
same players the guys you lost were placing them with. If it is Roddy
or more contre minutes, I have a hard time imagining Zire Williams improvements on
their own are going to compensate for what you lost. Yeah, I guess
maybe once Jaren Jackson Junior is back and you nudge all Doma to the bench,
that okay a little bit. But yeah, I mean, look,
hey, I'm team should have kept Kyle Anderson. So I'm with you.
Well, I mean, like, I think Aldma can have similar averages,
think than like than like Kyle when Kyle did when Kyle started. Like,
I think even in a bench role, you can get like, you know,
ten points, five rebounds, one block from Santy and maybe the break
threes and so that's like he is, so so he is and so like
maybe the spacing works better. Maybe the egalitarian nature of the Grizzlies second unit
where they just spread the ball around, maybe it'll flow a little bit better
without Kyle there. But like you you're telling me Sante you're two is gonna
be a better player than a proven NBA vet and Kyle Anderson. I have
a hard time getting there. That's been Baine did it. Doesn't Baine proved?
Man prove me wrong. I mean, if you've given me an over
under for like eighteen points, I've been like, no, what are you
kid? Nuts? But yeah, no, I mean doesn't band was incredible,
and also any blind Grizzly's optimist who's like yelling at me that like we're
better, man, you gotta trust the phone office. Like if you throw
the dezn't ban argument, there's no comeback, like, yeah, you're right,
Like doesn't Bain went from like he can't get it over Grayson Allen,
which most of Christy fains we were losing our minds about. And then all
of a sudden you're like, oh, yeah, Desn't band, there is
a fringe all star from your one to year two. Okay, if Desire
Williams becomes a fringe All Star from your one to year two, yeah,
yeah, Grissies are gonna be awesome. There will be someone on YouTube who's
angry that you call him an all Star instead of all MBA because that has
happened. Oh yeah, YouTube, commoners man, so so much optimism.
Oh we know this team's like patented strength, getting out in transition, betwing,
pressure on the rim, pitting the glass. Do they have any underrated
strengths that you don't think receive enough attention? I mean, if you throw
in their strength being Jamaran is awesome. No. I think we've covered the
basis the basis is uh, like I I you know you all right?
So so this might be one speaking to the blind optimism and the fact that
the Grizzlies kind of keep out performing what people expect of them, at least
nationally. Maybe there is maybe there is a system here. Maybe we are
a system team. Maybe we are the San Antonio Spurs of the of the
Popovich, Duncan Jenoble dynasty, where it isn't a matter who played for the
Spurs on a night to night basis they won, Like, yeah, they
needed Tim Duncan and Parker and Jenobley to win titles, and the Grizzlies,
you know, they don't have those guys yet. We hope we project in
our dreams that Jaw and Jaron and Desmond can get there. But in the
regular season, it seemed like for twenty years, if it was Matt Barnard
Bonnard's night to start, it didn't matter the Spurs won. They still won
seventy five percent of their games. And I think there is some hope,
there's some dream that I have based on last year, we saw it.
They were plug and play. John Moray didn't play, we win. Dylan
Brooks doesn't play. We still win. Jaren Jackson Junior doesn't play, we
still win Like there's no there's no discernible difference when guys play are not.
The Grizzlies still are winning sixty five percent of the game, sixty percent of
their games. So part of me feels like this front office, this coaching
staff, this organization has found something and it's possible that they're they're like a
system don't for lack of a better term, they're a system team. They're
plug and play, and they've unlocked something about the regular season, if it
is just the pace, the forced turnovers, the offensive rebounding, something about
their offensive and deepensive system where they're not gonna miss you know, if you
lose your seventh and eighth, guys, you're not gonna miss it because you're
just gonna it's next man up. And that they have proven for a couple
of years now, like yeah, two years ago they weren't great, but
like it didn't matter who played. Honestly, at least it's seemed that way
at times that you know, maybe this team has figured out something and they
will have this success regardless of basically who suits up for him. That's a
good point because I call it a developmental flex without even like kind of mentioning
like what they've built over the years, and I would have they've they've hit
the over three straight years, I think, or something like that comfortably,
like like not even just hit it, they've annihilated it. I mean,
yeah, two Jah's rookie year because I don't watch college, so I'm an
ignorant, just pundit being like this is the worst team in the West,
comfortably and everyone agreed, like at like nationally, the Grizzlies were like,
they're gonna be fifteenth, and they would have made the playoffs if not for
the league changing the rules mid season and instituting a play in like they were
comfortably the eighth seed, and then like they're like, hey, let's have
an eight let's have an eight game playoff, and if you're within five games
or whatever of the Grizzlies, you get to force them to a playoff because
we're open. Zion Williamson makes it. It turns out it turns out the
Trailblazers, uh, you know, like did it so like they would have
made the postseason Josh rookie year and then his second year, people were like,
whoa man that was kind of out of the blue. They're not gonna
make the playoffs. They got to make the playoffs. They make the Warriors
in the play in and then last year they were like, oh man,
they're taking a step back their organizational flex getting rid of two starters and Grayson
Allen and Jonas found chunas. They won fifty six games. So like they've
obliterated every every preseason over under for the last three seasons, which is funny.
Again, this are things that are thrown into my face because this is
the first year I haven't been on board. Yeah, the rook Josh rookie
year, I wasn't on board, But like the last two years, I'm
like, I like it. I think the gds are gonna be good.
I'm I was on board for ever remove. I was on board for the
Justice Wislow trade, which is the thing other people don't mention like that that
didn't work out. It hasn't been all home runs for the front office.
But like, I've been on board with every move basically for the last three
seasons. This offseason is the first one where I'm like, I have concerns
and then people are like, shut up, So I not put your concerns,
We're good like we might be. You're probably right, are the concerns
are expectations, So you have to well, I mean, you know the
YouTube commenters, I'm like, I think we I think we're going over.
I think we're gonna win forty nine fifty games, and they're like, dude,
that's few games. So one of my favorite things to do is look
at teams what they'll be like at full strength and trying discern who will be
like their top ten most to use guys. And when I went through the
Grizzlies, it seems like they have nine locks. When Jared's healthy, you
have him, Marant Brooks, Bain, Steven Adams, Tias Jones, Zeer
Williams, Brandon Clark, and then I have Aldama, Pennsylton as a a
lock. And so do you agree that those are the nine locks? And
how would you flesh out like the last person or the last two if you
don't think Santi's a lock? Yeah, you're tough. Your top eight is
unassailable. Those are Those are definitely the Grizzes top eight players. I you
know, arguing whether or not conchar Is or Aldama is locked in as your
ninth guy. I think Aldama because of his positional versatility, like he's gonna
start at the four, but most of his minutes last year they felt more
like a small forward. And he is a guy that I think can be
on the perimeter like because of you know, he moves okay, and because
of that size, all right, he can guard three sometimes, but he
likes standing on the perimeter just fine, Like that's not gonna hurt the Grizzlies.
So I think because of that, yeah, I would say right now
it does feel like Aldama is the ninth man and then that tenth guy is
just gonna be probably Conchar but you know if I think the Grizzlies might hope
that Roddy passes him in the rotation. But it does feel safest to say
I think Aldama as your ninth guy and con as the tenth guy. When
you're locking in this timm In rotation. This is some extent matchup dependent and
the Grizzlies clude us in last year and what they'll do. But if you're
Taylor Jenkins, what's your go to crunch timeline up this year? I mean
I am nuts for the Grizzlies, you know, for lack of a better
term, it's overused. But like the Grizzlies death line up, it's jaw
Desmond Dillon and then Brandon Clark and Jaren Jackson Junior. And we didn't see
hardly any of it last year because of injuries. It just it didn't play
in there. I think it was thirteen possessions played in the regular season and
we finally got a seat in the postseason and guess what, Yeah, it
roasted people. I mean, it just killed it like it's it's it's it's
one of the best five man lamps you can make in the NBA. And
I'm not I don't I'm not being I don't know, not exaggerating. It's
on par with like the best lineups the Celtics and the Warriors and the Bucks.
Like maybe those guys can put together better lims, maybe this Suns can
put together better lamps. But like it's basically it's a great five man unit
that I was frustrated it didn't get used even more. And and the really
frustrating thing was it seemed like the coaching staff recognized this was our best five
men unit because that's how they ended games. But they took their sweet time
getting to that five man rotation in the playoffs, like they started Zavin Chelman's
sums, they always started Steven Adams and because of you know, Jared's foul
trouble that we've talked about, Like you're like, oh, Jared's and foul
trouble, we can't use our our best lineup. Cool, you know there's
a there's a solution to this. You could maybe play them all together when
no one has any fouls, like at the start of the night, Like
there's a solution to finding more minutes for your best five man unit. But
they never did it, and so that lineup I can't I don't have in
front of me. They were you know, like they played something like eighty
possessions in the playoffs and their net rating was plus thirty five, which like
I'm not gonna say it was a called shop and I'm like, this our
best lineup. We're gonna crush people with this. And then of course,
I guess in the Warrior series, it only got to play in the first
game because of Dylan's suspension, because of Job getting hurt. It only played
five minutes in the first game, so like we never even saw it against
the Warriors. So like that is I think clearly the Grizz's best five men
unit. It's why I am optimistic about this Grizz's team despite my concerns of
losing my favorite players. Like these five guys together are gonna crush people.
It's just how many minutes can we get and can we optimize those minutes and
see that play a lot of minutes together in the regular season. They played
eighty seven possessions in the postseason for plus thirty five point six net rating,
which is high. And if you care about the thirteen possessions, they had
a sixty seven point two defensive rating during the regular season. That's clearly yeah,
I mean it's it's it's an ideal front court pair, like like the
Jared and Brandon front court with with Dylan and Desmond guarding folks. People can't
score on it like that, Like it's I mean, I know, offense
beats defense, good offense beats good defense, but like it's elite defensively and
then you have Jammerin and Desmond Paine and just like these guys, it works.
It's good enough on offense. So like, yeah, I'm extremely optimistic.
Like that's for me. That's this, that's this Grizzly season. Like,
I'm like, Jared needs to come back because I want to watch those
five guys play together as much as possible. Your Taylor Jenkins is they're a
weirdo, bonkers, quirky lineup that you're trying this season? Is this?
Wait? Am I actually Taylor Jenkins? Or am I Keith Paris coach of
the Grizzlies because those are very different answers. You're right, that's that's you're
the first This is the twenty ninth look ahead I've recorded, and no one's
framed it like that. You're Parish. There's one Bonker's line up you're rolling
out. Oh wow, Well now I don't have a good answer. I'm
uh, cover your ears, Grizzies fans about here's the thing I want to
see. I want to see. I want to see Dez with Dylan,
with Zaire, with Jaron with Brandon. Oh, so it's like Desmond Banger
point guard. So jommer, it's not on the court. Is that right?
Is that? Is that bonkers? Listen, there was a moment where
we thought that Grissies weren't gonna resigned. Tias Jones I feel like like the
kind of for a minute, the mood shifted where where we we'd seen all
these Summer League games and stuff were like the year before, like hey,
we have no point guard, and then last year there were games where you're
John Missile those games so when Thias wasn't on the court, they were all
LEAs non traditional point guard lineups. And by the way, just like most
chriss Is line ups last year, Chrissy smokes people and it was like,
hey, we have no point guard. Do we need to pay a backup
point guard a lot of money? Let's just see what happens. Like we're
just like maybe point guards overrated. Let's let's have anyway. So like so
there was a time there where it's like, you know what, I'm starting
to think maybe we could just you know, like uh Dez and Dylan and
Zaire. That's that's good enough, and then we have our best front corp
pairing and Brandon Jaren I'm interested in that one. I mean, maybe that's
too weird, though I'm not like, I honestly I don't have a weirder
lineup because maybe I could argue the thing I already told you for our best
possible five man unit that is the weirder lineup. If it's only played one
hundred possessions total together last year, maybe that can qualify as being my weirdo
line up, the weirder lineup. I do think Taylor Jacket is gonna try
is a tie Us Jaw, Dez, Dylan Zaire. Oh nope, right
up my alley. I never would have. Yeah, I think I My
my called shot is the Grizzlies are gonna be when's this coming out? Do
you be telling you? Are you telling me? When this is releasing before
Opening night? It'll be before the Grizzlies play there, they're opening night game.
Yes, all right, all right, So my called shot is the
fourth quarter of the Grizzlies Knicks on Opening Night. The grizzle are gonna be
down by eight, and it's going to be ti Us and Jaw with Uh
with with with at least Dylan and Uh and Dez. That's ther one for
one through four. They into that at all in the preseason. I thought
they would. I thought they would try these super small ball lineups. I
think they're gonna go super small ball and then maybe with like something weird like
Santy at the five or something. So I think we're gonna see a weird,
a weird, very small line up from the Grizzies in the fourth quarter
of the preseason. Hopefully by calling my shot, the Grizzles would in my
thirty five. And I will be wrong. I fave that lineup. I
mine was a big lineup. And I'm glad that you were Desmond at point
guard because I did too. I have Desmond bainet Zaiyar, I'll die out,
Jared Jackson Junior, and Brandon Clark. Let's just go super big with
Desmond Baine at the point work. Well, that's that's part of it again.
When we started dreaming of like all right, but they're moving on from
Tyas Jones because Zaire is gonna play all two this year. It's just me
a shooting guards and we're because we're sizing up. We gotta get bigger.
And I was, and I was in I'm like, all right, I
think that works. Let's try it. Let's let's try to get bigger.
Of course, then no jaring. Now everything is treated the other way where
it's like, oh, I guess we're gonna play smaller now because we don't
have enough players. To fill our wing spots. You already alluded to this,
but they're over underset at forty eight point five as we record this,
you're taking the over the under on that man. So like a month ago,
I would I would have like been like hard over. Maybe I've over
analyzed it, and now I'm like, I'm like soft over a tiny over.
They do get, they get they get the full compliment of games against
the Tankers. They get sixteen games against the thunder Spurs, Jazz, and
Rockets, And I am a little wary of the Rockets, especially earlier in
the year. They might be kind of frisky, uh, not super fun
to play. But I think my math is like, all right, what
if we go thirteen and three against those tanking teams, we only have to
go, like, what's that thirty six and twenty nine against everybody else.
It's like, oh, we could do that. Twenty nine seems easy.
So yeah, I think forty nine. If I had to bet, I
would I would definitely take the Grizzlies over, even though it's not as confident
as I once was. And the whole thing about the Grizzlies too, is
like they have sort of made a killing of just like we're just gonna beat
the teams that were supposed to beat. I think what they were twenty eight
and eight against sub five hundred teams last year. That feels right. Also,
like people still kind of discredit the Grizzlies would understand like no one,
at no time last year did did I think even I think, like the
Grizzlies are the second best team, despite the fact that they were technically the
second best team. But like the uh, the Grizzlies blue everyone out last
year. They had they had the fourth most twenty and twenty five point wins
in NBA history first single season last year, and like they just smokes teams
and like again, like we said, oh, John rants out, well,
how about we beat the seas by forty John rans out? How about
we beat the thunder by seventy three? Like they they killed so many teams
last year. Where I feel like this team might just know something about the
regular season. They might just have this system in place where they understand,
hey man, you just plut pretty solid, d push the pace. Have
a talented superstar guy, have perfect role players, have these fringe I don't
know if we want to call them near all stars or Suball Stars and like
Baine and Jared Jackson junior, you could beat teams. So we so like,
I think the regular season it's gonna be all right. I think they're
gonna manage it fine. I think Jared's coming back in like fifteen games and
so like telling me, you know, they're gonna be eight or nine games
worse. I know the West is tougher, but I also think last year
there weren't four teams in the West who were actively trying to lose every game,
you know, like the Lakers were trying to win. Guys, they
just could not win. Uh, the Kings were desperately trying to make the
play in. The Spurs weren't trying to win, and they were winning.
So it's like, yeah, I do think there are regular Sason wins out
there to be had, and so fourty eight and a half feels like,
yeah, I'm again not overwhelmingly confident, but I can't imagine taking the under.
So my final question is scaling ahead to the playoffs, are there any
just specific teams that worry you the most in the West, And if the
Grizzlies are actually in the thick again of like the Upper echelon of the West.
I think the should they question is yes, they should they, But
do you think they'd be willing to actually make a mid season move that skews
more win now than developmental flex. Yeah, you gotta, you gotta think
this is the year that they do make him mid season move to bring in
something. I mean, there's some hope that like Dana Green will be healthy
in April, and honestly bringing in bringing in if Danta Green is healthy for
the playoffs, if there was a way to know that for sure. Suddenly
that Melton trade I become like, oh, okay, that seems fine.
Like data Green's approven I mean, he's Day Green. Hes like he's hits
so many big time three pointers in his career and he's still He's might he
might be like one of the ten best transition defensive guards like that the league
has ever seen. He's a great defensive guard. He's a great three indeed
player, and he has the cause seventy one percent career winning percentage like he
has. He has a better career winning percentage than Bill Russell. So,
like, I know, it's a fun stat just to cherry pick, but
uh, you know, I think Danny green Is. He's a great player
to have, but I do think it makes sense this year talking about those
no tis. I'm so backup point guard lineups like Tias Jones has a big,
old contract which could be used in salary matching purposes. I would not
be surprised at all if the Grizzlies make a trade during this regular season just
to bring in something. I mean, like, I want some of these
guys who didn't sign extensions, like PJ. Washington would be a great fit
on this Grizzes team, not as like A He's not like A. He's
maybe not even your closing lineup, but he could be your eighth best player.
And he's He's an upgrade I think over Jakla Ravia, and he fits
perfectly next to Jaron Dexon Junior. He fits perfectly next to Brandon Clark.
You know, I was surprised the horness he didn't get something done with him
on extension. Maybe the Hornets would want to kick it the caid further down
the road for a rebuild. If they decide, you know what, we're
gonna be terrible. Maybe let's instead of paying PJ. Washington, let's just
get a first round pick from the Grizzlies, and you know, so something
like that. I could see them also trading just for veteran help for guys
on aging players who aren't necessarily helping their their teams right now, or if
you have a weird whatever it is, if Jalen Brown decides he wants out
of Boston, if something goes sideways, you're prepared. You're prepared to trade
the Danny Green salary plus a tiest Joan's salary for and future first round picks.
You have, you own all your first round picks. You also have
the Warriors twenty twenty four pick in the bag. So like, it wouldn't
be surprising at all if the Grizzlies make a move to bolster their roster as
in a win now proposition this season, which is another reason, like I
have a hard time imagining the under because the thing is going pretty bad.
I think they still would be like, yeah, let's bring it, and
I don't know so and so let's bring it. They might not even be
first round picks. Let's bring in Josh Richardson and while he's erbiac, you
know, for this team, actually, yeah, a great fit for the
team, especially if you've moved on for Tias Jones, I like Tias,
I'm not trying to I'm not trying to get him out the door. Then
you just have no math works. It's the way the salaries. We got
a match salaries. That's the only reason. But if that's the move,
you have no backup point guard after that, Like Tias Jones, it's just
Desmond Bade, Well, Desmond Baine and in this situation, Josh, we're
just in. He could dribble, you know, zi Zire could dribble a
little bit. We know point guards are overrated. John isn't John doesn't even
bring the ball the court half the time. This is get rebounds and they
just dribble, get a rebound, dribble. Sante is actually pretty good at
grabbing a rebound. Just dribble off the court. I honestly think like Steven
Adams and Jaron are the worst at it. Every everyone else is like,
you get the rebound, you just go like that's the job. That is
the job assignment for the Grizzlies. You gotta deep. It's some rebound.
You don't look for your point guard. This is not college basketball, high
school basketball, where like the point the center chins the basketball and then hands
it off to the point ord of the back court. No, you get
that rebound. Your job as a Memphis Grizzly is to get it across half
court. Just get it and go. And so I think, you know,
maybe it devalues the traditional position of a point guard, but it does
give you options if if a trade comes up and you feel like, you
know, maybe you need to trade to one of your backups. Is there
anything I haven't asked you that you think needs to be touched upon before let
you go? No, man, I think we did. You mentioned the
Brandon Clark extension. There's a lot to ask about with this team. I
went over an hour. I apologize. I didn't want to take so much.
Oh, you're fine. I mean the Brandon Clark extension, it makes
sense. I mean it's you know, Biggs don't make that much. I
I you know, relatively, you know you can you can lock in a
guy who can It is part of my preferred closing lineup, a guy who's
a perfect fit with your near all star front court guy and Jared Jackson Junior.
And you can get him for you know, thirteen million year on average.
Yeah, it seems like a no brainer to not take that to free
agency. Just go and get that locked up. You already locked up Steven
Adams, so you probably weren't going to be a free agent player. So
yeah, keep your good players. I'm on board. It seemed like a
kind of a kind of a no brainer, Keith. In case anyone's keep
the intro. You're able to tell our listeners where they can find you and
all the fantastic work that you do. Yeah, listen to Fast Break Breakfast.
It's a NBA podcast for serious NBA fans. It's a very much not
serious listen to Gritz and Grinds if you're a Gristmas fan. We go hardcore
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Check me out and you can follow me on Twitter at Fast break Break.
I echo the strongest of endorsements for Keith. He's also at someone who's
had to do a lot of solo podcasts over the beast few months. I
know you've done them, and you do a fantastic job of like on the
grits and grinds when those are when those have been solo. So thank you
so much for coming, Thank you so much for coming on. As you
know by now, I will be spamming your d ms in the future.
Sounds great, Dan, always a play