Grizzlies about to take their last leap to being a perennial top 3 seed imo
I think Smart will bolster them so much on/off the floor with his leadership and even though people don’t think he deserved it, Memphis now has two players that just won DPOYI really don't know how I feel about Memphis....they had so much momentum before everything kind of imploded
I can see easily see it going either way
They've always been really good without Ja in the lineup.....but now you replace Tyus Jones with Marcus Smart who is overall a better player but not that kind of table setting point guard and a guy that organizes the offense like Tyus
Say what you want about Dillon Brooks but he did a lot for them whenever Ja missed time
Brandon Clarke missing the start of the season
Assuming Ja just misses the 25 games....he's probably going to end up missing way more than that with injuries
In theory they should have plenty of functional depth to get them through the regular season but a lot of that depth is unproven and hasn't been tested.....Laravia, Roddy, Tillman, Aldaman, Ziaire Williams.....those guys are fine but idk what they're going to give on a consistent basis, we'll see though
On the other hand they could definitely hit the ground runnning....Steven Adams is back to start the season, the depth is real, Bane goes to another level, enough of the young guys takes a step forward, Smart is a seamless fit and they have really good coaching with Taylor Jenkins
Going to be very interesting to see what kind of season they have
I think Smart will bolster them so much on/off the floor with his leadership and even though people don’t think he deserved it, Memphis now has two players that just won DPOY
Rose will be solid on/off the floor especially when Ja is out
Internal development from Bane, Aldama, Laravia, Roddy will also happen
Steven adams is back, Brandon Clarke is back
They already have great chemistry and are very stable as far as minimal changes to their organization
I mean they finished 2nd in the west the past 2 seasons, I’m really just saying they are going to stay up there for probably the next few seasons as their floor is very high
Don’t see a drop off anywhere for them
Initially I had them sliding because of Ja’s suspension and tyus being gone but then I thought about how I been saying smart has been the heart and soul of the Celtics for years so I have to acknowledge his positive impact on the grizzlies that coupled with this group being together for years and I think it’s a minimal impactI think the departure of Tyus Jones and replacing what he gave when Ja is out is a bit underrated
I'll admit you're probably higher on their young guys than me
Brandon Clarke isn't back and might end up sitting out the whole season
If they get off to a slow start during Ja's suspension it could be an uphill battle all season
We'll see though...like I said I wouldn't be surprised by either outcome
Initially I had them sliding because of Ja’s suspension and tyus being gone but then I thought about how I been saying smart has been the heart and soul of the Celtics for years so I have to acknowledge his positive impact on the grizzlies that coupled with this group being together for years and I think it’s a minimal impact
I have to also acknowledge brooks being gone gives more shots and more reps to Desmond bane who was almost an allstar last year
I thought the grizz would slide losing Grayson and Melton and it didn’t happen
Maybe that’s from tyus but I’m not giving him the credit you giving him
That’s true as far as running the floor and controlling things and that currently isn’t on the rosterIt's a real possibility that don't miss a beat and hit the ground running with no issues
I just think Tyus is really good as a floor general and that he and Marcus do very different things for you as your primary ball handler
They may not miss him at all though
I do agree that Bane could be prime for a really big year