<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-kawhi-leonard-tree-company-joke');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Ja Morant has Kawhi Leonard tree company joke go right over head on stream');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Clippers-Kawhi-Leonard.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Ja Morant has Kawhi Leonard tree company joke go right over head on stream</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T09:55:49-07:00">September 11th, 9:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T09:55:49-07:00">September 11th, 9:55am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s fair to say that the NBA community has been left rocked with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-uncle-dennis-kawhi-leonard-ask-free-agency-talks">potential implications of the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration saga</a>. The NBA has already launched an investigation into the situation after Pablo Torre’s concerning report alleging that Leonard was paid $28 million by Aspiration for a no-show job.</p><p>Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was recently a part of a livestream, and one of the viewers had a hilarious question that directly referenced the Aspiration situation. </p><p>“Ja, I got a tree company if you want to come on-board,” Morant <a href="https://x.com/MrBuckBuckNBA/status/1965986722904420751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1965986722904420751%7Ctwgr%5E6529548991b6ff2acacdfe5309b426de8c865f90%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoopshype.com%2Frumors%2F" rel="noopener">read out one of the messages</a> sent on the live chat. The question was an obvious reference to the now-bankrupt carbon-credit firm.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Someone asked Ja Morant if he wanted to join their tree company and he did not get the joke</p><p>“What kind of tree you talking about bro?”</p><p>Via <a href="https://twitter.com/PlayoffMem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PlayoffMem</a> <a href="https://t.co/hzxLcnMj6x">pic.twitter.com/hzxLcnMj6x</a></p><p>— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBuckBuckNBA/status/1965986722904420751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>However, Morant did not seem to pick up on it and seemed genuinely curious about the question.</p><p>“What kind of tree you talking about bro? What you talking about bro?” Morant said on the livestream.</p><p>Aspiration filed for bankruptcy earlier in March 2025, with Steve Ballmer previously known to have invested $50 million in the firm. Further, a $1.75 million payment to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-rumors-aspiration-kawhi-leonard-minority-owner">Kawhi Leonard was made days after the Clippers’ part-owner Dennis Wong</a> sent a $1.99 million investment to the company back in December 2022.</p><p>This was despite the fact that Aspiration was already struggling and had actually laid off 20 percent of its employees the day the Leonard payment was made. While the evidence had largely been circumstantial before this latest update, Torre revealed having access to the paper trail that directly connects Wong to the said investment in the now-bankrupt company.</p><p>The NBA is now investigating the matter, and further updates can be expected to be based on what they find. However, considering the sheer publicity this controversy has received, as well as the implications it potentially has for the entire NBA, Morant’s lack of awareness comes as a bit of a surprise. Still, the Grizzlies superstar did eventually seem to understand that it somehow pertained to the Leonard controversy. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Ja Morant has Kawhi Leonard tree company joke go right over head on stream

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-biggest-defensive-gains-tuomas-iisalo-coaching-change');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Grizzlies made 6 key defensive gains after coaching change');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/How-Grizzlies-made-biggest-defensive-gains-after-coaching-change.jpg"></figure><h1>How Grizzlies made 6 key defensive gains after coaching change</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T11:30:31-07:00">September 10th, 11:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T11:30:31-07:00">September 10th, 11:30am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies were riding high last season, flirting with a top-four seed through the NBA All-Star break. Then the slide down the standings began. High expectations paired with the wasting of that early success led to the amplification of lingering frustrations. Taylor Jenkins was eventually relieved of the head coaching duties and so <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/exclusive-tuomas-iisalo-grizzlies-rebooting-grit-and-grind-culture-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr">Tuomas Iisalo took over a disconnected defense</a>. While Ja Morant led a postseason charge offensively, Jaren Jackson Jr. finally <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-zach-edey-avoid-ugly-bust-whispers-next-season">getting help from Zach Edey</a> on the other end did more to ensure the NBA Playoffs would be broadcast from Beale Street.</p><p>Tasked with steadying a team spiraling toward a Play-In Tournament berth, Iisalo’s brief tenure as interim head coach sparked a notable defensive resurgence in six key areas. These changes in personal and scheme represented a deliberate pivot to clogging the paint, reducing second-chance opportunities, and forcing opponents into less efficient shots.</p><p>The Grizzlies leaned on the stars offensively while finding out which role players still wanted to fight for a title. Zach Edey’s use went up from 20.6 minutes per game under Jenkins to 27.8 with Iisalo calling the shots. Jaren Jackson Jr. (+3.7 MPG) and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-santi-aldama-extend-spains-eurobasket-vacation-fiba">seven-footer Spanish star Santi Aldama</a> (+3.2 MPG) also saw substantial increases in workload. Desmond Bane (+2.3 MPG) and Ja Morant (+2.6) were the ball-handling hubs working amongst the trees.</p><p>Unfortunately, things got more difficult for Iisalo’s Grizzlies once Jaylen Wells crashed out with a fractured wrist and concussion. A nasty fall resulted in those season-ending injuries on April 8, just days before the NBA Play-In Tournament began. Still, the optimism going into next season is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/opponent" rel="noopener">easy to understand.</a></p><ul><li><b>Opp. Effective FG %</b></li><li><b>Opponent Shooting % (5-9 feet)</b></li></ul><p>Opponents saw their Effective Field Goal Percentage dip from 53.4% to 52.7%. More significantly, Iisalo’s defense tightened considerably where Jackson Jr. and Edey patrol. Opponent shooting percentage on attempts from 5-9 feet plummeted from 42.1% to a stifling 38.6%. With more height, the number of these high-percentage attempts fell from 11.5 to just 9.8 per game, indicating the Grizzlies were better at deterring drives and disrupting offensive flow before shots could even be taken.</p><p>The mid-range defense transformation was particularly striking. Iisalo’s scheme not only reduced opponent efficiency in the 5-9 foot range by nearly four percentage points but also forced teams to attempt fewer shots from that area entirely. This represented a fundamental shift in how Memphis approached defensive rotations and help defense. Point of attack defenders had a better understanding of where the help was coming from and how to keep the ball out of the paint.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies get greedy</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jaren-Jackson-Jr.-Zach-Edey-Ja-Morant.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Having that confidence in a clear plan worked wonders, especially for the team’s smaller guards. Scotty Pippen Jr.’s individual defense improved considerably. However, Iisalo’s changes also limited the opponent’s second-chance opportunities. The increased minutes for Edey and Aldama created a more imposing frontcourt presence that translated directly into better rebounding metrics.</p><ul><li><b>Opp. Second Chance Points</b></li><li><b>Opp. Offensive Rebound %</b></li><li><b>Opp. Paint Points</b></li></ul><p>The 2.2-percentage point improvement in defensive rebounding rate might seem modest, but it represented a significant philosophical change. Iisalo emphasized boxing out and collective rebounding responsibility, with Morant, Bane, and Pippen Jr. showing increased engagement on the defensive glass over the final few weeks of the season.</p><p>Iisalo’s lineups were slightly better when it came to making teams pay as well. Though overall team pace was down, the new-look Grizzlies let Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. pick their spots in transition. Pippen Jr. ran wild in the final two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder after all. This slight uptick in fast-break scoring under Iisalo demonstrated that defensive improvement and transition offense could coexist.</p><ul><li><b>Fast Break Points</b></li></ul><p>Immediate statistical payoffs in the win column may have been muted, but a deeper dive into the defensive metrics shows Iisalo deserves credit for leaning into the team’s strengths. The Grizzlies became a noticeably tougher team to score on in the heart of the defense; every guard found a way to use that platform to showcase their elite open-court abilities.  The game plan was allowing Ja Morant to scare the Thunder in Game 3, before the All-Star joined Jaylen Wells on the injury report.</p><p>With this much evidence of success, expect Iisalo’s Euro-styled, paint-packing ways to continue once Zach Edey returns. Until then, there is no reason the Grizzlies should not experiment with GG Jackson (6-foot-9) and Jock Landale (6-foot-11) in the role during training camp.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Grizzlies made 6 key defensive gains after coaching change

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sneakers/nike-ja-3-zombie-scheduled-for-halloween-2025');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nike Ja 3 ‘Zombie’ scheduled for Halloween 2025');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nike-Ja-3-Zombie-scheduled-for-Halloween-2025.jpg"></figure><h1>Nike Ja 3 ‘Zombie’ scheduled for Halloween 2025</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T13:03:14-07:00">September 9th, 1:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T13:04:25-07:00">September 9th, 1:04pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant have a lot of ground to make up from last season and given their run atop the Western Conference last season, they should be poised to finally take the next step if their franchise star can remain healthy. Morant has been very active this offseason, not only preparing for the upcoming campaign, but also promoting his latest signature sneaker with Nike. With a Halloween-themed sneaker releasing the last two year, Morant will return with this “Zombie” Nike Ja 3.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>Already three sneakers into his Nike Ja signature line, Morant is prepared for his most viral model yet as the Ja 3 has already garnered massive amounts of hype on social media. Many fans believe this third silhouette tops its two predecessors, a promising sign for the evolution of Ja Morant sneakers moving forward.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers/nike-ja-3-price-of-admission-release-details">Nike Ja 3 looks unlike any other sneaker</a> on the market, much like Morant is seen as a one-of-a-kind talent in the league. The shoes make incredible use of textures and colorways for a sneaker that’s almost as loud as the athlete they’re modeled after.</p><h2>Nike Ja 3 “Zombie”</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Spooky Season” is near. The Nike Ja 3 got zombified for Halloween. <a href="https://t.co/QkK8GncQH8">pic.twitter.com/QkK8GncQH8</a></p><p>— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/SLAMKicks/status/1958635418661879861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Nike Ja 3 “Zombie” releases next month 🧟</p><p>💵 $140<br>🗓️ October 21st <a href="https://t.co/JHcmfU8voq">pic.twitter.com/JHcmfU8voq</a></p><p>— SiteSupply (@TheSiteSupply) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSiteSupply/status/1965074160037613606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers/grizzlies-ja-morant-reveals-new-nike-ja-3-colorways">Nike Ja 3</a> combines a mesh material upper with texturized rubber print in a geometric pattern to create the tear marks throughout the shoe. Keeping up with his yearly Halloween releases, this colorway features alternating hues of slime green throughout the whole shoe, feeding into a slime green ZoomX outsole. The laces will come in black to match the Nike Swoosh, outlined in red where we see several small hits.</p></figure><p>Finer details will include a “MORANT” lace dubrae along with Morant’s signature moniker on the end of the laces. Finally, the shoes will feature artwork of Morant in the form of a zombie on the insoles for an added touch of creativity. Don’t be surprised if we see this release come in special packaging and yes, they’re expected to glow in the dark.</p><p>The Nike Ja 3 “Zombie” is expected to released October 21, 2025 for a retail tag of $140. The shoes will come in full adult and GS sizing with adjusted pricing, likely receiving a drop on Nike <a href="http://nike.com">SNKRS app</a>.</p><p>Where do you rank this among Morant’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/ja-morant-set-to-release-nike-ja-1-halloween">other Halloween colorways</a>?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nike Ja 3 ‘Zombie’ scheduled for Halloween 2025

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/why-grizzlies-scotty-pippen-jr-nba-sixth-man-award-most-improved-bet-odds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. is a great bet for two NBA awards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Scotty-Pippen-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. is a great bet for two NBA awards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T12:53:43-07:00">September 9th, 12:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T12:53:43-07:00">September 9th, 12:53pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In the sporting and gambling worlds, opportunity is everything. Although large market media narratives and marquee names often dominate NBA award conversations, the smartest players know to look for value in overlooked situations. All of that can be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-tuomas-iisalo-proud-scotty-pippen-jr-ja-morant-injury">found with Scotty Pippen Jr.</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/exclusive-tuomas-iisalo-grizzlies-rebooting-grit-and-grind-culture-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr">Tuomas Iisalo’s made-over Memphis Grizzlies</a> this season. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s latest moves have churned up the perfect storm of opportunity, system change, and increased responsibility for Pippen Jr. which has historically produced award winners.</p><p>The Grizzlies need the 24-year-old to step up with NBA Sixth Man of the Year production that earns Most Improved Player mentions as well. Pippen Jr. is no longer just a prospect; he is a prime candidate to follow in the footsteps of players like Dyson Daniels and Payton Pritchard or Tyrese Maxey and CJ McCollum. Julius Randle, Malcolm Brogdon, Aaron Brooks, Jordan Crawford, and Eric Gordon have also blazed this path.</p><p>Sixth Man and Most Improved awards are biased toward offense, though Pippen Jr.’s growth did allow the front office to move on from Marcus Smart, the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year. Give the Grizzlies and Pippen Jr. credit there. Still, award voters need something they can see, stats they can rest an argument on. Players need to ball as historical award winners show consistent patterns in usage rate increases.</p><p>Pippen Jr.’s <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/usage?TeamID=1610612763" rel="noopener">usage rate jumped</a> to 26.4% under Iisalo in the NBA Playoffs, allowing the bench captain to shoulder the type of responsibility required to win an NBA award. Jenkins had him at 18.7% during the regular season. This increase aligns with how Maxey and McCollum came to claim a trophy. So, the pattern is clear: when capable players receive increased usage in the right system, awards often follow.</p><h2><b>Scotty Pippen Jr.’s Sixth Man swing</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Scotty-Pippen-Jr-reveals-dream-come-true.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The archetype for the Sixth Man of the Year is well-established: a high-volume scorer who provides an offensive jolt for a winning team, often while playing starter-level minutes. With the departure of Desmond Bane (~25% Usage Rate), approximately 15 shots and 30 minutes are up for grabs. The 27-year-old veteran’s departure also removes approximately 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game from the scoreboard.</p><p>Tuomas Iisalo must replace that production immediately. Bane bouncing also mirrors the situations that launched previous award winners for Pippen Jr. When Damian Lillard was injured, Anfernee Simons emerged as a candidate. When teams reshuffled their rotations, players like Payton Pritchard, CJ McCollum, Julius Randle, Aaron Brooks, and Dyson Daniels capitalized on increased roles.</p><p>Pippen Jr. faces a similar inflection point with a franchise seemingly stuck well below the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference’s pecking order. The Grizzlies need someone to step up. Thankfully, the most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-scotty-pippen-jr-comes-clean-confidence-team-wide-accountability-nba-play-in-tournament-mavericks">compelling evidence for Scotty Pippen Jr.’s award potential</a> lies in his dramatic improvement late last season under Iisalo’s leadership.</p><p>More importantly, Pippen Jr. showcased the type of floor leadership that separates serviceable role players from award-worthy ones. Pritchard’s 2024 breakout came after being trusted with a consistent 25+ minutes per game, along with the freedom to explore a full range of playmaking and scoring abilities. Like Pritchard, Pippen Jr. has proven shooting ability (40.1% 3PA career), efficiency (58.7% True Shooting), and playmaking skills that align with what Sixth Man voters reward.</p><p>Iisalo’s European-inspired offense, which emphasizes pace, three-point shooting, and aggressive guard play, is a perfect incubator for a Sixth Man star. Pippen Jr.’s ability to attack closeouts, run the pick-and-roll, and knock down crucial catch-and-shoot threes (64.1% EFG) under pressure is ideal. If he can anchor productive bench units and maintain his late-season scoring output (~18 PPG), Pippen Jr. will check every box.</p><p>Based on his trajectory under Iisalo and expanded opportunity, Pippen Jr. projects to average:</p><ul><li>25-28 minutes per game</li><li>15-18 points per game</li><li>5-7 assists per game</li><li>4-5 rebounds per game</li><li>1.5 steals per game</li><li>47%/38%/75% shooting splits</li></ul><p>Hitting these statistical markers would place Pippen Jr. among the top Sixth Man candidates, especially if the Grizzlies are gunning for a top-four seed late in the season.</p><h2><b>Most Improved Player pathway</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Grizzlies-guard-Scotty-Pippen-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The MIP award rewards year-over-year improvement, and Pippen Jr.’s projected leap from 9.9 to 15+ points per game would represent exactly the type of statistical jump that wins awards. Combined with increased assists and expanded responsibilities, his improvement case becomes compelling. Historical MIP winners show similar statistical leaps:</p><ul><li><b>Maxey:</b> 17.5 to 25.9 points (8.4 point increase)</li><li><b>Randle:</b> 14.0 to 24.1 points (10.1 point increase)</li><li><b>McCollum:</b> 6.8 to 20.8 points (14.0 point increase)</li></ul><p>Tyrese Maxey’s 2024 MIP campaign came when he transitioned from a complementary piece to a primary offensive weapon. Julius Randle’s 2021 MIP season coincided with his evolution from role player with the New Orleans Pelicans to an All-Star-level contributor leading the New York Knicks.</p><p>CJ McCollum’s 2016 MIP win provides perhaps the most relevant blueprint for Pippen Jr.’s potential rise. McCollum jumped from 6.8 points in 15.7 minutes to 20.8 points in 34.8 minutes when given expanded opportunity. Aaron Brooks’ 2010 MIP campaign followed a similar pattern, going from backup to featured player when circumstances created opportunity.</p><p>Pippen Jr.’s statistical foundation under Iisalo’s system already shows the early signs of this type of transformation, making him a prime candidate for similar growth. Pippen Jr.’s player efficiency rating and true shooting percentage rose once Iisalo was sorting things out more often. These efficiency gains while handling increased responsibility mirror the statistical profiles of recent MIP winners.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies gearing up</b></h2><p>Tuomas Iisalo’s appointment as permanent head coach represents continuity and validation of a system that already maximized Pippen Jr.’s abilities. The Finnish coach’s European basketball background emphasizes the exact skills that make Pippen Jr. special: court vision, positional versatility, and intelligent decision-making. The stats settle most of the debate on which situation is better.</p><p>Pippen Jr. was averaging 12.5 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 steals on 49.7% shooting (39.7 3PA) from October 23 through November 27. Those numbers dove to 7.2 points and 3.4 assists on 44.5% shooting 33.3% 3PA) while turnovers rose to 3.3 per 36 minutes from November 29 through February 28. Jenkins had Pippen Jr. down to 13.1 minutes in February as the team’s confidence crumbled around the head coach.</p><p>March was better until Taylor Jenkins was fired, with Pippen Jr. posting 12.4 points and 5.5 assists on 51.3% shooting (47.6% 3PA) in 25.2 minutes per game until Iisalo took over. This was partly out of necessity as injuries started to take a toll and pressure from the front office mounted. The increase in minutes did help Pippen Jr. find a new rhythm, though, and just in time. Under Iisalo (12 games including postseason), Pippen Jr. contributed 14.4 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds with 58.3% True Shooting (42.6% 3PA) bragging rights.</p><p>The blueprint for Pippen’s breakout was written in the final month of last season. The firing of coach Taylor Jenkins on March 28 and the installation of Iisalo served as a before-and-after marker for Pippen’s career. His numbers didn’t just improve; they transformed, providing a tangible preview of what a larger role could yield. Yet current award odds undervalue Scotty Pippen Jr. due to name recognition bias and market focus on established stars.</p><p>However, the Grizzlies project as a playoff team with enough national attention to generate award consideration but not so much star power that Pippen Jr. gets overlooked for long. This “Goldilocks zone” of team success often produces surprise award winners. It also creates significant betting value for those who understand the historical patterns and fans just wanting to put a financial investment on their rooting interest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. is a great bet for two NBA awards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-funky-lineups-ja-morant-zach-edey-jaren-jackson-jr');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies must try 4 funky lineups while Zach Edey ramps up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ja-Morant-and-Tuoman-Iisalo-on-March-29-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies must try 4 funky lineups while Zach Edey ramps up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T16:49:45-07:00">September 8th, 4:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T16:49:45-07:00">September 8th, 4:49pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Early-season tinkering in the NBA is not just fun for the fans; it is essential to front offices in identifying gaps before the trade deadline. That is especially <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/exclusive-tuomas-iisalo-grizzlies-rebooting-grit-and-grind-culture-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr">true for the Memphis Grizzlies</a> as the franchise enters the 2025-26 season with Ja Morant’s first new head coach and fresh questions about their identity under Tuomas Iisalo. Is Jaren Jackson Jr. really an elite defensive star capable of 25 points per game, or was that potential just a mirage? The same <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-zach-edey-avoid-ugly-bust-whispers-next-season">doubts persist regarding Zach Edey</a>‘s All-Rookie campaign.</p><p>With Edey (ankle) <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45488490/grizzlies-edey-ankle-surgery-miss-start-season" rel="noopener">sidelined to start the season</a>, Iisalo faces an immediate challenge: piecing together effective rotations from a reshaped roster. Iisalo leaned on Edey heavily after taking over last season out of an urgent necessity. Now the task is less about establishing a permanent hierarchy and more about a strategic evaluation. The lineups Iisalo uses in the early months will serve as a live audit for the front office, identifying needs ahead of the NBA trade deadline.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies get new look</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/JA-Morant-Jaren-Jackson.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Tuomas Iisalo will definitely need a new starting lineup now that Desmond Bane is balling for the Orlando Magic. Ja Morant will obviously open at the point; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope provides shooting and defensive length at the two-guard spot. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-jaylen-wells-waves-off-fandom-miami-heat-talking-weird-nba-moments-jimmy-butler-taj-gibson">Jaylen Wells doing a Jimmy Butler impersonation</a> on the wing is the best for his development early in the season. A frontcourt featuring Jaren Jackson Jr. as a nominal power forward alongside Brandon Clarke should form a starting five capable of shooting, running, and rebounding the ball.</p><ul><li><b>PG:</b> Ja Morant</li><li><b>SG:</b> Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</li><li><b>SF:</b> Jaylen Wells</li><li><b>PF:</b> Jaren Jackson Jr.</li><li><b>C:</b> Brandon Clarke</li></ul><p>Training camp battles are usually won and lost in the five-on-five runs. The first five up need stiff competition to get ready. Edey is in a battle with Clarke and Jock Landale for minutes, but unfortunately, Iisalo will not get to make direct comparisons. Like Edey, Cedric Coward may not be ready for the start of the season either; therefore, Iisalo is left with a second unit of Scotty Pippen Jr., Vince Williams, GG Jackson, Santi Aldama, and Landale.</p><p>Ty Jerome, John Konchar, and Cam Spencer will look to supplant a few of those second-liners. Add PJ Hall, Lawson Lovering, Tyler Burton, and Oliver-Maxence Prosper for some nice bench vs. bench battles while the starters rest. Mix and match the teams as necessary.</p><h2><b>Shooting for the stars</b></h2><p>New two-way addition <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-2-way-gamble-2023-nba-first-round-pick">Oliver-Maxence Prosper might get the first crack</a> at an elevated role off the bench. Why? Well, getting the best three-point shooters some minutes will have to be a priority. Prosper shot 42% from beyond the arc in the G-League to get a reclamation project investment from the Grizzlies.</p><p>Scotty Pippen Jr. (39.7%) is the best three-point shooter returning from last season’s roster. Ty Jerome (43.9%) topped that mark playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jaren Jackson Jr. (37.5%) and Santi Aldama (36.8%) have the size to shoot over most defenders, along with the accuracy to keep an opponent honest.</p><ul><li><b>PG:</b> Scotty Pippen Jr.</li><li><b>SG:</b> Ty Jerome/John Konchar</li><li><b>SF:</b> Oliver-Maxence Prosper</li><li><b>PF:</b> Santi Aldama</li><li><b>C:</b> Jaren Jackson Jr.</li></ul><p>Ja Morant (30.9%) and Jaylen Wells (35.2%) will need to get some water breaks before the fourth quarter. This lineup would give Jackson Jr. and Aldama room to grow as a tandem. Pippen Jr. (6’1”) gives up some size on defense but deserves a shot at running the offense after that postseason run. Jerome or Konchar (both 6’5”) can help with the ball-handling duties.</p><p>Just imagine this shooting lineup going against Morant, Wells, Jackson, Clarke, and Landale in training camp. The contrast of styles would make for some great bragging rights runs.</p><h2><b>Going big on Beale Street</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Santi-Aldama.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Grizzlies will just have to go on Bully-Mode to truly protect the homecourt advantage. Not too many teams can counter what the Beale Street Bruisers can offer. Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Jock Landale can all shoot from three-point range. They have overwhelming height to help with rebounding. Jackson Jr. and Aldama can drive, kick, and finish at the rim. It should be a recipe for a blowout clinching run against smaller, lottery-bound teams.</p><ul><li><b>PG:</b> Ja Morant</li><li><b>SG:</b> Jaylen Wells/GG Jackson</li><li><b>SF:</b> Santi Aldama</li><li><b>PF:</b> Jaren Jackson Jr.</li><li><b>C:</b> Jock Landale</li></ul><p>That trio with a shifty Morant prodding the paint would give opponents problems on offense. Add Jaylen Wells (6’8”) or GG Jackson (6’9”) for their size and see what shakes out. Both Wells and Jackson need to see more looks for the Grizzlies to truly determine their long-term value. Throw this lineup on the court against <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-espn-votes-zion-williamson-most-likely-star-request-trade">Zion Williamson’s shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans</a> on opening night and be ready to learn some lessons.</p><h2><b>Closing out crucial wins</b></h2><p>The last five minutes are far more important than the first five minutes of a 48-minute slugfest. Tuomas Iisalo has to find a way to secure victories in close games. The Grizzlies have failed to figure this out for multiple seasons. Finding another wing contributor might be the biggest priority for the front office through the next NBA trade deadline.</p><p>Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will lead the way. The Grizzlies did not give Santi Aldama $52 million to watch the most important plays from the sidelines. The two wing spots are still to be determined at a later date. Kleiman may need to trade for a better fit if Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s three-point shooting remains below 38%.</p><p>Ty Jerome was brought in for these exact situations. Morant, Jerome, Wells, Aldama, and Jackson Jr. should get the first shot at closing out a tough win. However, even the sensational second-rounder would be on thin ice if the three-point accuracy is below 35%. Wells started as a can-not-miss rookie but ended the year on a months-long cold streak, hitting only 30.3% from beyond the arc over the final 35 games.</p><p>Without established chemistry and with key players still developing, Iisalo must embrace experimentation early in his tenure. The data gathered from these unconventional groups will provide a blueprint for the front office, revealing what exactly is needed to make an NBA Playoffs run. Thankfully, the beauty lies in the optionality.</p><p>The Grizzlies can go big or small, prioritize shooting or defense, and adjust based on matchups. But until Edey returns and the young players establish their roles, these funky lineups aren’t just experimental; they are essential. The question isn’t whether Iisalo will use unconventional combinations, but whether he can find the right ones quickly enough to keep Memphis competitive in a loaded Western Conference.</p><p>Failure could necessitate significant roster changes before the trade deadline. Either way, the early months of Iisalo’s tenure promise to be anything but the same old Grit and Grind product that Taylor Jenkins kept trotting out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies must try 4 funky lineups while Zach Edey ramps up

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-brooklyn-re-signs-former-lottery-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets re-sign former lottery pick to multi-year contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ziaire-Williams-i.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nets re-sign former lottery pick to multi-year contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T08:16:59-07:00">September 8th, 8:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T08:39:07-07:00">September 8th, 8:39am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Brooklyn Nets continued their active offseason on Monday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-brooklyn-brings-back-former-top-pick-12-million-contract">re-signing forward Ziaire Williams</a> to a multi-year contract. As per team policy, the terms of the deal were not released. However, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto, <a href="https://x.com/MikeAScotto/status/1965073743803474083" rel="noopener">it’s a</a> two-year, $12.5 million contract with a team option in year two.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/grading-nets-grizzlies-ziaire-williams-trade">The Nets acquired Williams and a second-round pick</a> in a salary dump from the Memphis Grizzlies last offseason. Memphis had high hopes for the 6-foot-9 wing after selecting him with the No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft. However, he struggled offensively over three seasons with the team, averaging 7.5 points per game while shooting 30.1 percent from three.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nets-trade-acquisition-could-draw-interest-free-agency-improved-season">change of scenery served Williams well</a> last season, as he turned in a career-best campaign under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez.</p><h2>Nets re-sign Ziaire Williams to multi-year contract as busy offseason nears close</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ziaire-Williams-ii.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Williams averaged 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals on 41/34/82 shooting splits over 63 appearances with 45 starts. After tweaking his three-point stroke last offseason, he shot 34.1 percent on 4.8 attempts per game, both career-highs. The Stanford product was also effective as a point-of-attack defender, <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4873#tab-defense_rebounding" rel="noopener">posting a</a> 1.7 steal percentage, which ranked in the 74th percentile among NBA wings, per CleaningTheGlass.</p><p>Williams will be part of a crowded Nets wing rotation featuring veteran trade acquisitions Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann and Haywood Highsmith. Brooklyn also has rookie first-round pick Drake Powell alongside Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin.</p><p>Following Williams’ signing, the Nets have 19 players on standard contracts, including the unofficial signing of Ricky Council IV. NBA teams are allowed to carry 15 standard contracts during the regular season. Keon Johnson, Drew Timme, Wilson, Martin and Council are on partially or non-guaranteed contracts entering training camp.</p><p>The Nets have over $17 million in cap space remaining. They can increase that to over $25 million by waiving their partially or non-guaranteed deals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets re-sign former lottery pick to multi-year contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/best-grizzlies-game-feature-every-nike-ja-morant-3-colorway');   ga('set', 'title', 'Best Grizzlies games to feature every Nike Ja 3 colorway');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Best-Grizzlies-game-to-feature-every-Nike-Ja-3-colorway.jpg"></figure><h1>Best Grizzlies games to feature every Nike Ja 3 colorway</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T11:48:00-07:00">September 5th, 11:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T11:51:33-07:00">September 5th, 11:51am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/12-stats-explain-ja-morant-nba-scoring-title-odds">Ja Morant prepares for a scoring title chase</a> kind of comeback season, the Memphis Grizzlies superstar is not just bringing his explosive court presence back to the FedExForum. No, the 25-year-old phenom is bringing an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers/nike-ja-3-price-of-admission-release-details">arsenal of fresh Nike Ja 3 colorways</a> that are as bold, rugged, and fearless as Morant’s playing style. With each colorway telling a distinct story from his journey, the strategic pairing of these sneakers with specific games can amplify both narrative impact and on-court performance.</p><p>Thankfully, with the NBA 2025-26 schedule released, fans can envision the perfect matchups for each of Morant’s <a href="https://www.nike.com/a/ja-3-release-info" rel="noopener">signature shoe colorways</a> before heading to the FedEx Forum. The 901 needs to look impeccable while creating unforgettable moments at the intersection of basketball excellence and sneaker culture after all.</p><h2><b>Ja Morant makes movie plans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ja-Morant.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Grizzlies hope to see the Ja Morant highlights early and often next season. For opponents, that would be downright scary given the All-Star’s aversion to dunking over the past 12 months. Punching up Lebron James before Father Time takes the later rounds would go a long way to earning Tuomas Iisalo some goodwill.</p><p>Morant has to wear something in the first preseason game versus the Detroit Pistons on October 6. Why not the Price of Admission (Max Volume)? It was not only one of the first releases, giving every fan a chance to cop a pair, but also one of the brightest. Donate the bright pink kicks to a Breast Cancer Awareness Month auction and call it a day.</p><p>Save the rest of the energy for the regular season and give the old Nike Ja 2’s one last run for the rest of the exhibitions. Perhaps throw out a nod to the EYBL circuit to get that Nike Ja 3 Peach Jam SE colorway centered for a while. Either way, opening the 82-game slate at home against Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans calls for a special custom edition never seen by the public.</p><p>Paint the Ja Morant revenge tour’s first strokes on the Nike Ja 3 Coconut Milk’s all-white foundation. The black inverted swoosh is perfect for the finishing touches. A “Lights Show” edition provides the best starting canvas for the Miami Heat, thanks to the orange, blue, and pink color pops. The Nike Ja 3 Channel 12 (Hustle &amp; Flow) look fits is better saved for the finale of the three-game homestand (vs. Indiana Pacers).</p><p>Marching into San Francisco and Phoenix on the first road trip calls for the throwback teal Nike Ja 3 Scratch 3.0 (Turbo Green) look. Halloween’s costume choice is simple: Nike Ja 3 Spooky Season (Zombies) will take over the FedEx Forum when the Los Angeles Lakers bounce through town. Nike Ja 3 Mink Browns release in October as well, just in time for the trip over the border to see the Toronto Raptors (Nov. 2).</p><p>Every player circles the trip to Madison Square Garden, whether the New York Knicks or in contention or not. The Mecca of Hoops is perhaps the only arena where ordinary regular-season highlights can become legendary moments. Directly naming a Nike Ja 3 colorway ‘NY vs. NY’ is a nod to that history.</p><p>Obviously, the Nike Ja 3 Snowed In (Christmas) will be held until the Milwaukee Bucks hit Beale Street. An Air Force 1-esque mostly black ‘colbalt bliss’ version is due next spring, with a few special customs pairs popping up in between.</p><p>So, as Ja Morant prepares to remind the basketball world why he’s one of its brightest stars, expect each Nike Ja 3 colorway to be strategically deployed for maximum impact. After all, when you’re built for flight, every landing needs to be perfect, including the footwear choices.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Best Grizzlies games to feature every Nike Ja 3 colorway

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-2-way-gamble-2023-nba-first-round-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies are taking 2-way gamble on 2023 first-round pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Why-Grizzlies-are-taking-2-way-gamble-on-2023-first-round-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies are taking 2-way gamble on 2023 first-round pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T11:58:15-07:00">September 4th, 11:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T11:58:15-07:00">September 4th, 11:58am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The most successful franchises aren’t just built on superstar talent; they’re constructed through savvy, low-risk maneuvers on the margins of the roster. That is why EVP/GM Zach Kleiman has been both shooting for the moon and scraping the bottom of the barrel in search of overlooked value. Getting a home run haul for Desmond Bane is still the franchise’s headlining offseason move, sure. However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/exclusive-tuomas-iisalo-grizzlies-rebooting-grit-and-grind-culture-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr">new-look Grind City Memphis Grizzlies</a> made a calculated, low-risk investment by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-memphis-agrees-contract-ex-mavericks-forward">signing Olivier-Maxence Prosper to a two-way contract</a> right after Labor Day.</p><p>At its core, this signing is a bet on tangible, physical potential. Prosper isn’t an unknown project; he’s a player whose toolkit is perfectly tailored for the modern NBA. He possesses the foundational attributes to become an elite defender: a strong frame, exceptionally quick feet, elite reaction times, and a towering wingspan that stretches beyond seven feet. This combination allows Prosper to theoretically guard multiple positions, switch seamlessly on screens, and disrupt passing lanes.</p><p>Prosper’s athletic profile addresses a direct need on the main roster. While the Grizzlies have collected talented wing defenders, few possess Prosper’s unique combination of size and physical presence. His rugged style of play and imposing frame give him a different defensive identity than the team’s other perimeter options, providing versatility in matchups and schemes.</p><p>Tuomas Iisalo and Kleiman can evaluate Prosper’s fit without long-term financial obligations or roster guarantees. If O-Max underperforms, the Grizzlies can move on with minimal fallout; if Prosper thrives, the franchise has unearthed a contributor at a bargain. This approach lets the Grizzlies experiment with high-upside players like Prosper without derailing their competitive timeline.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies got a deal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Grizzlies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Essentially, the Grizzlies now have a defensive Swiss Army knife that every contender covets for less than the veteran minimum. However, what makes this move a calculated gamble rather than a mere flier is the emerging offensive upside. The “3” in the coveted “3-and-D” archetype has often been the biggest question mark for Prosper. Yet, his performance last season in the G-League began to silence those doubts.</p><p>By knocking down three-pointers at a blistering 42% clip in the G-League last season (24 games), Prosper demonstrated a tangible, projectable offensive skill that translates directly to the NBA floor. O-max is not just a defender who might develop a shot; he’s a defender who has already shown he can shoot effectively at a professional level. Finding the right opportunity and coaching staff to unlock that potential was <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1963644286198587867" rel="noopener">more important than money</a>, per Shams Charania. That is why the Grizzlies got the deal done.</p><p>Having a variety of defensive counters is not a luxury in the Western Conference; it is a necessity. The Grizzlies aren’t asking Olivier-Maxence Prosper to be an early-season savior while others deal with injuries. Memphis is simply providing a platform for a player with all the tools to succeed. If O-Max continues to show off a reliable three-point shot and translates his defensive potential into production, the Grizzlies will have discovered a perfect rotational piece for a championship-caliber team.</p><p>If not, the cost was minimal and the Grizzlies can call up 2025 second-rounder Jahmai Manshack. In the NBA, that’s not a gamble but a genius bet.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies are taking 2-way gamble on 2023 first-round pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-memphis-agrees-contract-ex-mavericks-forward');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies agree to contract with ex-Mavericks forward');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Grizzlies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Grizzlies agree to contract with ex-Mavericks forward</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T10:13:29-07:00">September 4th, 10:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T10:58:00-07:00">September 4th, 10:58am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Free agent forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1963644286198587867" rel="noopener">according to</a> ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-final-olivier-maxence-prosper-contract-decision">brings the Grizzlies</a> a young and athletic forward into a roster that continues to balance development with competitiveness.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-signs-dante-exum">Prosper was recently waived</a> by the Dallas Mavericks, who used the stretch provision to open cap space and create roster flexibility. The Mavericks had drafted him 24th overall in 2023. However, he never found consistent minutes for himself in a crowded frontcourt. With players such as P.J. Washington and Anthony Davis established as starters, Prosper’s opportunities were limited.</p><p>Now, the 6-foot-8 Canadian forward heads to Memphis, where the organization has built a reputation for nurturing young talent while also competing at a high level. Prosper considered multiple contract offers before choosing the Grizzlies. It shows that this is a decision that reflects both fit and opportunity. Memphis had reportedly been interested in trading for him before Dallas decided to waive him.</p><h2><b>The Mavericks could finally give Olivier-Maxence Prosper a shot</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Grizzlies-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Prosper played in 92 games for Dallas over two seasons, averaging 3.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in limited minutes. While his offensive production was modest, his defensive tools and energy stood out. Scouts noted his ability to guard multiple positions and rebound at a high level. Those are skills that can be valuable in a rotation that prioritizes versatility.</p><p>At just 21 years old, Prosper enters a situation that could allow him to develop into a reliable contributor. Two-way contracts give players a chance to split time between the NBA and the G League. Memphis has used that pathway effectively in the past. For a team that has consistently emphasized depth and defensive intensity, Prosper’s arrival fits the broader strategy of building a versatile roster.</p><p>This signing represents a fresh start for Prosper and a low-risk, high-upside addition for the Grizzlies. If he can improve his shooting and offensive decision-making, his length and athleticism could help him grow into the type of wing every contender needs. For Memphis, the deal underscores a commitment to finding and developing talent that can strengthen the team’s foundation moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies agree to contract with ex-Mavericks forward

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-santi-aldama-extend-spains-eurobasket-vacation-fiba');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Grizzlies’ Santi Aldama can keep Spain’s FIBA EuroBasket crown from slipping away');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/How-Grizzlies-Santi-Aldama-can-keep-Spains-EuroBasket-crown-from-slipping-away-.jpg"></figure><h1>How Grizzlies’ Santi Aldama can keep Spain’s FIBA EuroBasket crown from slipping away</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T13:10:33-07:00">September 3rd, 1:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T13:10:33-07:00">September 3rd, 1:10pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Defending champs Spain are in a precarious position as the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket group stage winds down. Fresh off their 2022 glory, Spain are teetering on the edge of an early exit, needing a win over Giannis Antetokounpo’s Greece to earn a spot in the Round of 16. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-sign-santi-aldama-3-year-52-million-contract">Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama</a> is dropping buckets like confetti, proving why the Canary Islands kid is the heartbeat of this squad as they scrap to retain their title.</p><p>Spain suffered an unexpected loss to Georgia (69-83) to kick off their FIBA EuroBasket title defense. Georgia was defeated in every single warm-up game for this competition, yet came out ready to play for blood in what was effectively their Super Bowl. Led by Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, Georgia blitzed Aldama then capitalized on Spain’s poor shooting (21.9% 3PA; 46.2% FTA) and defensive lapses.</p><p>Georgia dominated the glass with a 46-29 rebound advantage, including grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. Mamukelashvili had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, becoming only the second Georgian player to have a 15/5/5 stat line in a EuroBasket game. Though there was not much help from the Hernangomez brothers, Spain was getting the deferential Aldama (12 points, three rebounds, three assists) that sometimes leaves the Grizzlies in a bind.</p><p>Yet head coach Sergio Scariolo <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/georgia-take-down-eurobasket-champs-spain" rel="noopener">took the blame.</a></p><p>“It was my fault for not being able to show and convince my team that this team is much bigger and more physical than us,” Scariolo stated. “We needed to make a super extra effort to match that physicality and we didn’t do that.”</p><p>Thankfully, that loss apparently got the Grizzlies forward’s attention. The Spaniards rebounded with a convincing 88-67 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, showcasing improved outside shooting (15/38 from three-point range) and a stifling defense that held Bosnia to just 14.3% from beyond the arc. Aldama swished seven of 11 field goal attempts (including 4 three-pointers) for 19 points. Sure, there were no assists, but Aldama added five rebounds and committed zero turnovers while <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/reigning-champs-spain-bounce-back-with-first-victory" rel="noopener">being far more aggressive</a>.</p><p>“After our first game, we really weren’t ourselves. That is probably the hardest part, knowing you didn’t do what you can control,” Aldama admitted. “At the end of the day, if we play our basketball with the necessary discipline and energy, I think we are in a very good spot.”</p><p>The following day, Spain dominated hosts Cyprus 91-47 in a lopsided affair, improving their record to 2-1. Willy Hernangomez led the scoring with 19 points; Aldama added eight points, seven rebounds, and two assists in only 21 minutes acting as a constant threat who kept the entire team involved. Consistency woes (3/9 FGA, two turnovers) hit again as well, a concerning trend for the Grizzlies going into training camp, but this win was more about helping everyone else find a groove.</p><p>Unfortunately, Spain’s momentum stalled against Italy in the fourth group stage game, a 63-67 battle between FIBA EuroBasket giants. Aldama (6/13 FGA) turned up to the tune of 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal, a block, and only one turnover. Still, Italy mounted a comeback in the second half to secure a spot in the Round of 16. The Hernangomez brothers account for only one point, five rebounds, and five fouls against Italy, leaving Spain’s <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/italy-celebrate-round-of-16-spot-with-thrilling-win-over-spain" rel="noopener">advancement hanging in the balance.</a></p><p>“We played a great game but not good enough. It’s just one of those games where it’s gonna be long. The second half was super long and they tried to muck up the game and play their game. We took good shots and missed some we would normally make. It’s tough to digest,” Aldama explained. “I think we did a pretty decent job. We have another game so we just have to go out there and die against Greece.”</p><p>The balance of power is tilting in international basketball. Italy won 15 of the last 20 meetings against Spain, including 11 celebrations after the last 13 games. It is clear to everyone by now that Santi Aldama needs to show out for Spain to have any chance of winning anything basketball-related over the next decade.</p><h2><b>Santi Aldama, Spain scouting Greece</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Greece-small-forward-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-34-drives-against-Spain-small-forward-Santi-Aldama-7.jpg"><figcaption>© John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo will not be going easy to close out the group stage. Greece needs a win to secure Group C’s top spot as Italy and Spain still harbor realistic hopes going into the final day. Italy (3-1) closes out against Cyprus (0-4) and will be trying to close a 46-point differential to break a tie-breaker. Spain beat Cyprus by 44 points, but are likely relegated to a race for second due to being so far behind (-27) Greece in the point differential column.</p><p>Win at all costs is Santi Aldama’s mantra for the rest of the summer. The narrative surrounding the Spanish national basketball team has, for nearly two decades, been one of legendary continuity. As pillars like the Gasol brothers, Juan Carlos Navarro, and, more recently, Ricky Rubio have gradually passed the torch, the question has always been: who will shoulder the responsibility next? At the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket, as La Roja battles to defend its crown, that question is being answered emphatically.</p><p>The 24-year-old Aldama has transitioned from a promising prospect to Spain’s indispensable two-way force. On paper, Aldama’s contributions are undeniable. Through the group stage and into the knockout rounds, he has been a model of efficiency and versatility, but the numbers only tell half the story. It’s how Aldama is achieving those hard-earned stats that have been so crucial for Spain.</p><p>Guard-like skills at 6-foot-11 allow Aldama to put the ball on the floor against slower big men, create perimeter shots, and exploit mismatches with a poise that belies his age and athleticism. Aldama’s signature move (a patient, driving hook shot over either shoulder) has become virtually unguardable late in the shot clock. Yet, Aldama’s most valuable asset to both Spain and the Grizzlies is that three-point shooting.</p><p>Connecting on around 37% from beyond the arc, Aldama forces opposing centers to venture far from the basket. This gravity creates precious driving lanes for guards like Lorenzo Brown and Sergio Llull, spacing the floor in a way Spain has not enjoyed since Serge Ibaka’s prime. The same applies when playing with Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jaylen Wells. Repetitions and responsibilities with Spain now should come in handy for the Grizzlies next season.</p><p>While Willy and Juanacho Hernangomez patrol the paint, Aldama’s modern, all-around game makes Spain’s offense click in a variety of ways. He has become the connective tissue of the team. On one possession, Aldama will set a screen, pop for a three, and sink the shot with style. On the next, a sharp extra pass will find an open shooter. A crafty up-and-under move draws a foul on the third trip down the court. This high-IQ, unselfish play is the very DNA of Spanish basketball, and Aldama is its new primary carrier.</p><p>The question was never if he’d become the guy for La Roja, but when, so forget the beach. With Spain battling to defend its crown, the “when” is now. Santi Aldama’s offseason trip back home to the Canary Islands is being spent carrying an entire nation’s hoops hopes on his 6-foot-11 frame. Essentially, FIBA EuroBasket has one big development already, and the Grizzlies stand to benefit.</p><p>Aldama is not just on this Spanish team; Santi now officially stands as the new alpha.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Grizzlies’ Santi Aldama can keep Spain’s FIBA EuroBasket crown from slipping away

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-gloating-newest-wing-insurance-policy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies are gloating about newest wing insurance policy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Memphis-Grizzlies-guard-Ja-Morant.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies are gloating about newest wing insurance policy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T16:45:39-07:00">September 2nd, 4:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T16:45:39-07:00">September 2nd, 4:45pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-top-25-stats-to-understand-tuomas-iisalos-priorities">re-prioritized Memphis Grizzlies</a> pulled off one of the most surprising trades of the 2025 offseason when they shipped Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a bundle of first-round picks. While the draft capital rightfully grabbed headlines, it’s Caldwell-Pope’s role as a versatile win insurance policy that has Executive Vice President Zach Kleiman’s Grizzlies quietly gloating about getting the better end of this blockbuster deal.</p><p>First, Caldwell-Pope’s defensive reliability and versatility are worth every penny. Ja Morant’s energy is best used on offense. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/jaylen-wells-replace-desmond-bane-ja-morant-partner">Jaylen Wells is still learning the nuances</a> needed to guard the league’s elite wings; Jaren Jackson Jr. can always use an extra point of attack buffer. At just over $21 million (14% of the cap) this season, the Grizzlies have replaced most of Desmond Bane’s $36.7 million production on defense.</p><p>Bane averaged 32 minutes (69 games) while Caldwell-Pope hit 29.6 minutes (77 games) with the Orlando Magic last season. Caldwell-Pope posted more steals per game (1.4), the same number of blocks (0.4), and committed fewer personal fouls. The Grizzlies will be demons when it comes to deflections next season as well. Jaren Jackson Jr. (11th), Scotty Pippen Jr. (15th), and Caldwell-Pope (35th) are all <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle?CF=G*GE*68:MIN*GE*20&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DEFLECTIONS" rel="noopener">elite at making sure passes</a> do not find their intended targets.</p><p>Offensive floor spacing and efficiency should not suffer with the new-look Grizzlies either. Caldwell-Pope has hit 38.5% (4.3 attempts) from three-point range over the last eight seasons, slightly below Bane’s average (39.1%) and volume last season. However, the lack of attempts is not a problem. The shots left in the margins will go to Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells after all.</p><p>In the high-stakes landscape of the NBA, contingency planning often separates contenders from pretenders. So, it’s easy to see why the Grizzlies saw Caldwell-Pope as more than a short-term supporting piece; the 32-year-old brings proven championship pedigree and positional flexibility at the wing spots. Having won titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets in 2023, Caldwell-Pope understands what it means to make meaningful contributions in high-pressure situations.</p><p>That is exactly the type of veteran presence and production Tuomas Iisalo and the locker room can lean on. The Grizzlies have long been a team built on grit, athleticism, and a never-say-die attitude, but injuries and depth issues have plagued them in recent seasons. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may not be the flashiest name, the addition of a reliable, battle-tested player who can step in seamlessly if things go awry.</p><p>While the term “insurance policy” accurately describes the safety net Caldwell-Pope provides, it almost undersells his value. KCP is not just a backup plan; he is a force multiplier. His presence makes Jaylen Wells better by reducing pressure, makes Ja Morant better by giving him a reliable outlet, makes Jaren Jackson Jr. better by locking down perimeter threats, and makes the entire team more resilient, experienced, and dangerous.</p><p>The Grizzlies did not acquire just another role player to fill a cap slot; they acquired peace of mind along with the future financial flexibility and draft capital. Of course, Memphis is going to celebrate pulling off such a crucial franchise pivot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies are gloating about newest wing insurance policy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/jaylen-wells-replace-desmond-bane-ja-morant-partner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies believe Jaylen Wells can replace Desmond Bane immediately');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Why-Grizzlies-believe-Jaylen-Wells-can-replace-Desmond-Bane-immediately.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies believe Jaylen Wells can replace Desmond Bane immediately</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T15:32:13-07:00">August 29th, 3:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T15:32:13-07:00">August 29th, 3:32pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A franchise cornerstone suddenly departing is often met with uncertainty and angst. When the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-honest-desmond-bane-trade-to-magic">Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane</a>, a homegrown star and one of the NBA’s premier shooters, to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a haul of four unprotected first-round picks, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman signaled a profound shift in the team’s trajectory. While the return provides immense future flexibility around Ja Morant, it created a glaring, immediate hole on the wing: how do you replace 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, junkyard-dog defense, and elite floor spacing? Well, the entire organization is rallying around Jaylen Wells to handle the job.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/exclusive-tuomas-iisalo-grizzlies-rebooting-grit-and-grind-culture-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr">Grizzlies are not panicking</a> after being swept out of the NBA Playoffs. Ja Morant had the Oklahoma City Thunder figured out after all. Instead, everyone in the building is excited about how Wells, a second-year forward and 2024 second-round steal, will build on the All-Rookie Team promise to step right into Bane’s shoes. Drafted 39th overall, the 22-year-old’s quick rise and all-around game have everyone in Memphis convinced the search is over for a primary perimeter threat and defensive stopper.</p><h2><b>How Grizzlies find gold</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jaylen-Wells-Grizzlies-James-Harden-Clippers.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Kleiman’s front office has a proven track record of identifying and cultivating talent. Desmond Bane is the ultimate case study, evolving from the 30th overall pick into a max-contract player posting 20-5-5 season averages consistently. The development department simply excels at amplifying strengths and integrating players into a cohesive, aggressive system.</p><p>Jaylen Wells <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/5112087/jaylen-wells" rel="noopener">burst onto the scene</a> in 2024-25, earning a starting role after just five bench appearances and suiting up for 79 games (74 starts). He averaged 10.4 points (8.6 FGA), 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game, shooting 42.5% from the field, 35.2% from beyond the arc (on 5.1 attempts), and 82.2% from the line.</p><p>The rookie initially excelled as a spot-up threat, stretching the floor for Ja Morant’s attacks, and held his own defensively with his 6-foot-8 frame. Unfortunately, a fractured right wrist and concussion from a hard fall against the Charlotte Hornets (April 8) ended his season prematurely, just as the Grizzlies clinched an NBA Play-In Tournament spot. The absence of Wells was highlighted on every Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drive in the NBA Playoffs.</p><p>Still, despite a late-season rookie wall slump in the final two dozen games and those injuries, a 15.6% Usage Rate hints at untapped potential now that Bane’s 14.6 shots per game (22.7% Usage Rate) are up for grabs. While the suggestion that Wells replacing Bane will make the Grizzlies better might seem ridiculous on the surface, some advanced analytics numbers suggest it is a pretty safe bet. Fans can cherry-pick them as they please to pass the rest of the offseason’s downtime. Meanwhile, more minutes, shots, and responsibility should see a significant uptick in production.</p><ul><li><b>2025-26 Season Per Game Projections</b></li></ul><p>These projections do not assume Wells will be Bane 2.0. Instead, they paint a picture of a hyper-efficient, high-impact 3-and-D wing who will capitalize on the creation of his star teammates. His points will come more from catch-and-shoot opportunities and cuts than the self-creation Bane mastered, but they will be no less valuable to the team’s ecosystem. Those projections do assume Wells eats up about 65% of what Bane left behind offensively, plus a few more weak-side help blocks to boot.</p><p>Memphis is more worried about how Wells adapts to the new system with an increased workload than the raw stats to start the season. He demonstrated an NBA-ready, elite-level stroke that goes beyond being a stationary shooter as a rookie. A sophisticated ability to relocate, come off screens, and knock down shots with a high, quick release gives opponents problems. Of course, now they know it is coming, but this skill set is precisely what the Grizzlies need to maintain their offensive identity.</p><p>Tuomas Iisalo’s game plans will likely remain predicated on pace, space, and giving Ja Morant room to operate. Having gravity as a shooter will be critical to preventing defenses from collapsing on Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. With the starting small forward position his to lose, Wells is projected to see his minutes skyrocket into the 30-32 minute per game range.</p><p>Based on his per-36 production, adjusted for expected growth and a larger role, realistic statistical projections start at 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and 1.5 blocks/steals per game. Wells (6.9) finished last season just ahead of Bane (6.8) on three-point attempts per-36 minutes after all. Upping that three-point volume and success rate to the 37.5% range would be more than enough to keep defenders occupied.</p><h2><b>Where Jaylen Wells needs work</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jaylen-Wells-Grizzlies-vs-LaMelo-Ball-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The biggest question mark for Jaylen Wells is on-ball offensive creation. While Desmond Bane was a proven scorer and secondary playmaker, Wells is still developing his isolation game and pick-and-roll skills. However, with Bane’s usage rate vacated, Ja Morant will undoubtedly reclaim his status as the undisputed, ball-dominant engine of the offense. This could propel Morant back into the MVP conversation.</p><p>Similarly, Jackson Jr. should see more touches and opportunities to operate in the post and on the perimeter. The gravity of a shooter like Wells on the wing prevents help defenders from sneaking away to double-team Jaren Jackson Jr. Wells, as a low-usage, high-efficiency threat, is the perfect complement, spacing the floor without needing the ball in his hands to be effective. There is time to learn the nuances of isolation excellence before signing a second contract worth around $100 million total.</p><p>The Grizzlies are not asking Wells to be the third big headliner on Beale Street. They are asking him to be the ultimate glue guy, which is a role Bane outgrew in many ways. In this sense, Wells isn’t replacing Bane’s stardom; he’s replacing his function, allowing Morant and Jackson Jr. to ascend to even greater heights. In essence, recalibrating the championship course in this manner was probably best for Bane, Wells, Orlando, and Memphis.</p><p>Bane’s true shooting percentage sat at 60.0%, reflecting his efficiency as a secondary option next to Morant and Jackson Jr. With a usage rate around 23.3%, Bane was a go-to guy for spacing and creation. The trade to Orlando addressed the Magic’s shooting woes as they ranked dead last in three-point shooting (31.8%).</p><p>Iisalo seemingly plans to utilize Wells in a similar role to Bane’s, running him off screens, involving him in pick-and-roll actions, and letting him attack closeouts. His improved three-point shooting in summer workouts has impressed coaches, suggesting he’s ready for the increased volume.</p><p>Therefore, the Jaylen Wells era may be beginning not in spite of the franchise-altering trade, but because of it. The Grizzlies did not see Bane’s departure as a loss of a star but as an opportunity to create one. In doing so, they might have built a roster around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. that is deeper, more flexible, and ultimately, more dangerous. Just look at the incoming depth that will help Wells learn.</p><p>Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a known commodity: a high-IQ, defensively stout veteran who can hit open threes. His arrival does not block Wells; it provides a safety net. It allows Wells (and GG Jackson) to compete for minutes with a clear understanding of the standard from day one. The front office, by acquiring a player of KCP’s profile, is betting that Wells can already provide similar production with a far higher ceiling. Perhaps even higher than Bane’s and close to say, Jimmy Butler’s peak.</p><p>Speaking to ClutchPoints, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-jaylen-wells-waves-off-fandom-miami-heat-talking-weird-nba-moments-jimmy-butler-taj-gibson">Jaylen Wells admitted Jimmy Butler was a big influence</a> in preparing for NBA life. He also shares Bane’s sharpshooting DNA but brings extra length and versatility on both ends. Bane was a playmaking hub; Wells flashed improved handles in NBA Summer League action. Still, risks linger, like adapting to targeted defenses, but the rewards are huge. If the Washington State by way of Sonoma State alum matches Bane’s output right away, the Grizzlies could stun the West and prove the trade genius.</p><p>The main 2025-26 NBA story starts soon and all the stars will get the red carpet treatment through training camp. However, Jaylen Wells is the most important supporting cast character to watch. With Caldwell-Pope handling 3-and-D duties on the second unit, Wells can focus on elevating next to Morant and Jackson Jr. The on-ball creation needs work, but Wells’ efficiency and defense could make him an even more balanced fit next to the Grizzlies’ stars than Bane ever was sooner rather than later.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Grizzlies News: Get the latest Memphis Grizzlies news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

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Grizzlies’ Ja Morant has Kawhi Leonard tree company joke go right over head on stream

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