The Friday Three: Holiday Wishes for the Memphis Grizzlies
It's like Santa Claus is a genie...
It’s a wonderful time of the year - the world seems a little bit happier, things appear a bit brighter, and folks are out and about enjoying time with family and friends. In some professions, however - professional basketball, for example - holidays wait for no one. The NBA world actually focuses on Christmas Day as a key regular season schedule day, where the best the league has to offer take the biggest non-playoff stage.
And for the first time ever, the Memphis Grizzlies get to participate in those festivities.
That will be a wonderful opportunity for Memphis’ beautifully unique culture to be on full display, and for the Grizzlies to have a chance to win a basketball game against a team they’re not overly fond of - the Golden State Warriors. Before Sunday’s showdown, however, is a contest with a team in a better place in terms of overall health and the state of their standing in the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns, for all their supposed turmoil, are still among the West’s very best. Devin Booker continue to be a walking bucket, and if Memphis plays the way they did the previous two games (in Oklahoma City and in Denver) Phoenix will make Christmas Day a little less jolly for the Grizzlies.
So in honor of the holiday, here are three Christmas wishes I wish to use on behalf of the Grizzlies - both tonight, and every night through the rest of the season.
1. The gift of FEEDING JAREN JACKSON JR.
Jaren Jackson Jr., per Cleaning the Glass, is currently posting a career-best offensive season when it comes to scoring the basketball. His 121.2 points per 100 possessions is the best of his NBA tenure to this point, and his 37% three point performance on over a third of his total shot attempts are the best marks since the 2019-2020 season. He is also lighting up the world from the midrange, shooting a stout 57% from that area of the floor. He could be better at the rim (16th percentile per Cleaning the Glass) but overall, his scoring is up and improving.
But…his usage rate is…not.
Currently posting a 21.4% in usage, Jaren is being a focal point of offensive sets for the Memphis Grizzlies less than he has been since his rookie campaign. That’s simply unacceptable - especially considering so much of JJJ’s season to this point has been played WITHOUT Desmond Bane on the floor. Jackson Jr. is the Grizzlies best option offensively other than Ja Morant and Bane. He has the three point shot (at least in theory, if not in practice - but again, they’re going in now) and can also create off the dribble for himself. His passing off those looks is putrid (3.3% assist rate, 4th percentile - woof) but that doesn’t change the fact he is more than capable of helping this offense through making his own offense.
Very few in the NBA can defend Jaren one-on-one. For whatever reason, we do not see Jackson Jr. being a key offensive beyond a catch and shoot three often - especially when he shares the floor with Ja Morant. 71% of Jackson Jr.’s shots come off of assists. He doesn’t need that much help.
Whether it is foul trouble, or lower usage, for whatever reason there appears to be less faith in Jaren’s ability to go beyond what is currently asked of him - or to respond to on the court adversity. Grizzlies Head Coach Taylor Jenkins needs to feed Jaren a heavy dose of responsibility. If he fouls out, it’s his issue. If he doesn’t create more for teammates, same deal. But you can’t limit someone’s potential because of what they may do if they are given those chances.
Growth can be painful. Jaren should be fully healthy now. FEED. HIM. MORE.
2. Sink of swim with Ziaire Williams
The Memphis Grizzlies bid adieu to Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton this past summer, thanking them for their collective service but believing those services were no longer required. In defense of Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman and company, Memphis is playing just as well (if not better) without them. But a major reason for why such decisions were made - beyond financial - was the fit of the players competing with them for minutes.
Ziaire Williams, it was widely believed, would be the beneficiary of this change in roles the most. As poorly as Ziaire played to start his NBA career (at one point he was statistically the worst rotation player in the entire league), he got valuable experience as the season carried on and was given increased responsibility. From defending the opposing team’s best offensive weapon when Dillon Brooks was out to getting his own shot off the dribble from the midrange, more was asked of him. And Ziaire delivered.
While Ziaire is once again returning from injury, just as he had to do last year, this time around it seems that faith either is late to return from the coaching staff or they’re just being generally cautious with what Williams is asked to do. This is more so true of his limited minutes (14 per game at this point) than his role in scheme. But the only way to knock off the rust - and there is considerable rust - is to get real run. And Ziaire’s ceiling this season is intricately linked with that of the team at large.
Desmond Bane is about to return, so Ziaire replacing him or Dillon Brooks in the starting lineup is unlikely to occur. But rotation patterns being altered so that Ziaire gets in to games earlier and with more opportunity to play alongside the likes of Ja Morant - with whom he shares a lob dunk affinity - could make a world of difference when it comes to accelerating that process. He has a higher ceiling than John Konchar physically, and confidence grows when playing time is increased and opportunity is more plentiful.
Both Ziaire and Jaren share the injury issue from earlier this season, and perhaps that’s why both - in different ways - seem to not be leaned on as much as maybe they should be. But still - if they’re healthy, they need to play and be closer to their workload they’ll see as the games get more intense in terms of energy and quality of opponent. Otherwise, chances for learning and growth will be missed.
3. A Moment to Reflect
I’ve been covering this team in an “official” capacity since 2013. The starting five for the Memphis Grizzlies on opening night of that season was Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince (current Grizzlies Front Office member Tayshaun Prince), Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol. It was arguably the greatest starting five in Grizzlies history to that point, and Memphis was coming off a wonderful run to the Western Conference Finals.
That group - led by the storied “Core Four” of Gasol/Conley/Randolph/Allen - did not play on Christmas Day. Worse teams did - more poorly run franchises that did not have the playoff success that the Grizzlies had. But they were in bigger markets, and while Memphis was good as a team they lacked in the “star” department.
Safe to say, that is no longer the case.
In this Ja Morant-Grizzlies world - where Nike signature shoes are on the horizon and Memphis will be in the primetime Christmas night game slot - anything in terms of exposure within media is possible. Ja has played a massive role in shining the brightest of lights on Memphis and their Grizzlies, and to his credit he has been nothing but a remarkable ambassador for the Memphis community. He is a Memphian (via South Carolina), and if any superstar could have been molded to be THE Memphis superstar, it is Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies are playing on Christmas in large part because of Ja Morant. And Memphis is a centerpiece of the NBA’s future because of his presence as well.
And there are no trade rumors. No evidence of frustration. He signed his max rookie extension WITHOUT a player option year at the end. He wants to be in Memphis. He CHOOSES Memphis. And the Grizzlies faithful will be happy to choose him back over these next five or so years - perhaps even more.
That - even more than playing time hopes, or rotation tweaks, or even a healthy Desmond Bane toe for Golden State - is worthy of wishing for a moment to reflect on. For Morant has already changed Memphis for good - and the good is just getting started.
Thank you for continuing to make my work part of your Memphis Grizzlies experience. It means more than I can ever express. I wish you and yours the merriest of Christmases, and the happiest of holidays. Enjoy the games, and I’ll “see” you Monday.