Memphis Grizzlies Roster 2020 Grizzlies Roster

2019-2020 Memphis Grizzlies Roster Top 3 Questions

Can Jonas Valanciunas prove to be the Grizzlies’ best player?

Jonas Valanciunas was seen mainly as a throw-in in the Marc Gasol trade as the Grizzlies needed a new center in place of their departed star. While Valanciunas’ role had been diminishing last season with Toronto, he found new life with Memphis and averaged 19.9 points, 2.2 assists, and 10.7 rebounds per contest. All those were career high marks for him though he only played in 19 games. That’s certainly a small sample size, it’s amazing what Valanciunas has already done in such a short time with Memphis.

The Grizzlies certainly liked what they saw in him as the two sides agreed to a 3 year, $45 million contract over the offseason. Should Valanciunas continue playing the way he did last year, this could prove to be a very solid pickup for a team that usually has trouble attracting big name free agents. The center gives them an experienced playmaker who will often be the go-to player in the post. He could turn into a double-double machine and even become a trade asset should Memphis not be in contention by the next two or three years.

The era of Ja Morant

With Mike Conley now gone, the keys to the Memphis Grizzlies are in Ja Morant’s hands. They are confident in his ability and clearly didn’t want him to play the 2 or sit behind Conley on the bench and have him be his mentor. Instead, look for Morant to get many opportunities in the early going and have the ability to grow and mature while playing. There’s really nothing to lose for Memphis so Morant will likely see a large workload as he tries to prove he belongs in the league.

Morant rose a lot during the season and that was in large part due to his shooting. He’s a great finisher at the basket and profiles as the modern day ideal point guard. He’s a great creator, can move quickly up and down the court, and has the ability to draw fouls every game. However, he’ll have to work on his perimeter game and shooting accuracy to better develop into one of the game’s best. For now, he’s got the playmaking skills but he’ll have to work on shooting better once the season starts.

What do all the trades mean?

The Grizzlies have already made a flurry of trades this offseason with some of them better than others. First was the Mike Conley trade that helped facilitate Morant to become the starting point guard next year. While not necessarily receiving anyone great for their team, Memphis acquired Utah’s 2020 first round pick which will go towards furthering the youth movement. They also acquired a few veterans who could provide some trade value later into the season but if not, they’ll all be expiring contracts by season’s end.

Perhaps the most confusing trade was with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns essentially gave the Grizzlies a former top prospect in Josh Jackson and a pair of second round picks to save some money on contracts. For a team that’s looking for players to develop into eventual stars, Jackson is a tremendous candidate to do just that. If he doesn’t pan out, there’s always those two draft picks to look forward to. The Warriors trade helped pick up a future first round pick and they rode themselves of Chandler Parsons with the Atlanta Hawks. Overall, Memphis set itself up very well for the future and if everything pans out, we’re looking at a playoff contender by 2023.