The Memphis Grizzlies are a successful franchise. . . sort of.
In a championship-or-bust world, the Grizzlies never took the leap they needed to make to title contention during their best year. The team reached one conference finals and were simply a tough out for much of their run with Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and the rest of the grit and grind crew.
The Grizzlies were trying to make the most with a roster that had a ceiling. A gritty identity could only get them so far. If there was a team that was beloved but constantly stuck in the treadmill of mediocrity, it was this Grizzlies team.
The remnants of what worked and identified with Memphis so much were still there as the team began to rebuild. But even the Grizzlies did not see themselves rebuilding so quickly.
That is what winning the Lottery can do. Suddenly, Memphis had a dynamic new star to center itself around in Ja Morant. The team had young talent it was trying to develop in Jaren Jackson and other players it took some risks on.
And with Morant supercharging the team, expectations were sky-high.
The Memphis Grizzlies are building a young roster similar to the Orlando Magic. But getting a star has supercharged the team and its expectations. The Grizzlies remain patient with their young talent.
In that sense then, the Memphis Grizzlies’ finish as the nine-seed and their trip to the Play-In Tournament, despite winning it with an upset over the Golden State Warriors in the final game, was something of a disappointment. After missing the playoffs last year despite holding the 8-spot for much of the season, the team wanted to take a step up.
That is the thing about youth though, things rarely go in a straight line. And Ja Morant in his second season still had a lot to learn. Not to mention injuries hit the Grizzlies hard with Jaren Jackson Jr. missing most of the season.
Memphis had to rely on its grit once again, although of an entirely different kind with the team’s focus on offense over defense with Morant leading the way.
The Grizzlies do not appear to be in any kind of panic mode. There does not seem to be some great spending spree coming. Some of that might be because the team made the playoffs and got a stellar performance from Morant in the process — 30.2 points per game and 8.2 assists per game in the five-game loss to the Utah Jazz.
Memphis knows it has a bona fide star. Now it is just about finding the right players to surround him.
But there seems to be no panic about this year’s results or no maneuvering to demand immediate action. The Grizzlies seem to have a plan and an idea of what they want to build and they are slowly going about executing it.
It all centers with Morant. He had an All-Star caliber year in his second year averaging 19.1 points per game and 7.4 assists per game.
But Memphis has built a team with several quality role players and depth to keep pressure on teams. This is what Memphis’ building looks like.
Dillon Brooks averaged 17.2 points per game and tugged at Memphis’ heartstrings as an instigator and defender. Jonas Valanciunas was the solid veteran averaging 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. In 11 games, Jaren Jackson Jr. averaged 14.4 points per game. Kyle Anderson and Grayson Allen were also both in double digits.
Orlando Magic
This is a team that probably still needs to consolidate those players into one more star player to pair with Morant. But no doubt the Grizzlies are in a position to pull something like that off. And they have Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clark (10.3 points per game) to develop around them.
If the Grizzlies are not panicking about the pace of their rebuild or trying to take another step into the playoffs, it is because they understand how young they are. There is no reason to rush the process.
Memphis actually finished the season with the third-youngest roster in the NBA, nudging just a hair ahead of Orlando.
If anything, the Magic should look at the Grizzlies roster and see a lot of similarities.
Orlando has a lot of players who are solid NBA players. The Magic ended the season with nine players who averaged at least 10 points per game or more on their roster — including Moritz Wagner and Ignas Brazdeikis. This is not to say the Magic do not need more offense or an improved offensive attack, but that they have a lot of players who can contribute.
Whether it is Jonathan Isaac’s return (11.9 points per game in 2020) or Markelle Fultz’s return (12.9 points per game in his eight games last season) or the continued growth of young players like Cole Anthony (12.9 points per game), R.J. Hampton (11.2 points per game with the Magic) or Wendell Carter (11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game with the Magic), the team has players who are capable of scoring.
The question is about consistency and whether someone will step up and take the mantle as the team’s leading scorer night in and night out.
If the Magic are not panicking quite yet, it is because they seem confident someone on the roster — or the draft pick they are about to take — will be able to shoulder that load. With such a young roster, the Magic like the Grizzlies need to exhibit patience and assess what they have as they let it grow. The team can branch out based on its needs from there.
Patience is the word of the day for both franchises. They are planting seeds and watching them grow.
Of course, Memphis’ tree is growing a bit bigger. That is because they have the super fertilizer known as a star player in Morant. That speeds everything up and gives it a crystallizing vision.
Memphis is being patient and measuring and celebrating the team’s progress. But the Grizzlies also surely are beginning to feel the pressure to start advancing further. Finding the right “all-in” move for a team like Memphis is going to define the franchise.
But with so much young talent, the team can afford to remain patient.
The Magic should watch how the Grizzlies are building and how they have decided to collect talent and form a team with a clear identity. Having that central star helps make that vision clear. But Memphis, like Orlando, is growing young talent in a positive way.
If the Magic could copy the Grizzlies in their rebuild, they would be on a good path to rebuild. And like the Grizzlies, the Magic need to be patient and let their young talent grow, even as they search for their star.