Memphis
Grizzlies ROSTER
3-1 • 3rd in WESTERN CONFERENCE
| NAME | POS | AGE | SALARY | HT | WT | COLLEGE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #15 | BrandonClarke | F | 28 | $12,500,000 | 6' 8" | 215 lbs | GONZAGA | |
| #22 | DesmondBane | G | 26 | $34,005,250 | 6' 5" | 215 lbs | TCU | |
| #3 | JakeLaRavia | F | 22 | $3,352,680 | 6' 7" | 235 lbs | WAKE FOREST | |
| #12 | JaMorant | G | 25 | $36,725,670 | 6' 2" | 174 lbs | MURRAY STATE | |
| #13 | JarenJackson | F-C | 25 | $25,257,798 | 6' 10" | 242 lbs | MICHIGAN STATE | |
| #46 | JohnKonchar | G-F | 28 | $6,165,000 | 6' 5" | 210 lbs | PURDUE FORT WAYNE | |
| #10 | LukeKennard | G-F | 28 | $14,763,636 | 6' 5" | 206 lbs | DUKE | |
| #25 | MaozinhaPereira | F | 24 | N/A | 6' 8" | 177 lbs | N/A | |
| #36 | MarcusSmart | G | 30 | $20,210,284 | 6' 3" | 220 lbs | OKLAHOMA STATE | |
| #2 | MiyeOni | G | 27 | N/A | 6' 5" | 206 lbs | YALE | |
| #7 | SantiAldama | F | 23 | $3,960,531 | 7' 0" | 215 lbs | LOYOLA (MD) | |
| #1 | ScottyPippen | G | 23 | N/A | 6' 1" | 170 lbs | VANDERBILT | |
| #5 | VinceWilliams | G-F | 24 | $2,120,693 | 6' 4" | 205 lbs | VCU |
Current Grizzlies Roster Status
The Memphis Grizzlies weren't very active in the offseason, as they enter the 2020-21 campaign with pretty much the same squad as a year ago. Guys like Josh Jackson and Anthony Tolliver parted ways with the Grizzlies in free agency, but all in all, Memphis was able to keep their core intact.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Grizzlies' success this season will lie heavily on one man: Ja Morant. After a breakout rookie campaign, the 21-year-old is expected to take his game one notch higher in his sophomore year, with the hopes of an entire city placed on his broad, able shoulders.
The same can be said about third-year big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who will also play a key role in how the Grizzlies fare not only this season, but for years to come. The 2018 fourth overall pick entered the new season dealing with a knee injury, which forced him to miss a handful of games. The injury does not appear to be overly serious and it is not expected to have any lasting effects.
Along with Morant and Jackson, Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, and Jonas Valanciunas come in to fill out Memphis' starting five.
De'Anthony Melton, who signed a four-year, $34.6 million extension in the offseason, will be one of this team's most important players on the second unit. Guys like Brandon Clarke, Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen, and even rookie guard Desmond Bane will likewise play their respective roles off the Grizzlies’ bench.
memphis grizzlies Team Analysis
Offense
—Memphis was not exactly the best team in the NBA during the 2019-20 season in terms of their offensive game. Their overall offensive rating of 108.7 ranked just 21st in the NBA. They were not bottom-dwellers, but nevertheless, they were in the bottom half of the league.
In terms of scoring, the Grizzlies averaged 112.6 points per game last season, which was pretty much middle-of-the-road at 14th in the NBA. Four out of their five starters averaged double-digits in scoring with Ja Morant (17.8 points per game) leading the way for Memphis. Brandon Clarke was their main offensive weapon on the second unit, with the big man putting up 12.1 points per game off the bench.
Their efficiency from the floor is actually something that the Grizzlies can be proud of. In 90.9 total field goal attempts (fifth), Memphis shot an efficient 46.8 percent from the floor, which was eighth in the entire league. This team attempted the fourth-most shots from within three-point territory, with 59.4 total two-point attempts per contest. They also shot efficiently, making 53.2 percent of their attempts (seventh).
A clear area of improvement for the Grizzlies would be in their three-point shooting. They attempted just 31.5 triples per game last season which ranked 24th in the NBA. They did not shoot well from distance either, going 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. The fact that their best player, Morant, averaged just 0.9 triples per game on a 33.5-percent clip certainly had a lot to do with this particular weakness in Memphis' offense. Needless to say, this is an area the Grizzlies want to work on for 2020-21.
Memphis wasn't very good in terms of getting to the line last season. They averaged just 21.8 free-throw attempts per contest last term (24th), making 76.3 percent of their freebies (19th).
The Grizzlies were very impressive when it came to moving the ball around, though, as their 26.9 assists per game ranked second in the league. Conversely, they averaged 15.2 turnovers per contest (23rd).
Defense
—The Grizzlies fared much better on the defensive end last season compared to how they had their woes on offense. During the 2019-20 campaign, Memphis garnered an overall defensive rating of 109.7, which was 14th in the NBA.
Although, preventing their opponents from scoring is something that the Grizzlies will want to work on in 2020-21, as they allowed opposing teams 113.7 points per game last term (21st). Opponents shot a total of 90.3 field-goal attempts against Memphis last season (22nd), making 45.0 percent of their shots (ninth).
The Grizzlies allowed their opponents to 35.3 three-point attempts per game (25th) on a 36.5-percent shooting clip (24th). In terms of shots within the arc, Grizzlies opponents attempted 55.0 two-pointers per game (15th), making just 50.4 percent of them (sixth).
Keeping away from foul trouble is another area the Grizzlies will want to work on in 2020-21, as they committed an average of 21.2 personal fouls per game last term (18th). This resulted in 25.0 free-throw attempts for opponents, which ranked a lowly 25th in the NBA.
Rebounding was actually an area the Grizzlies excelled in last term. They averaged 46.5 boards per game, which was sixth in the entire league. 36.2 of those came on the defensive end (fifth). It was Valenciunas that led the charge for the team in this department, grabbing 11.3 boards per game. It is worth noting, however, that the Grizzlies also allowed 10.4 offensive rebounds per game for their opponents, which ranked 20th in the league.
The Grizzlies also averaged 7.9 steals per game (12th) as well as 5.5 blocks per game (fifth). Jaren Jackson was their best shot-blocker last term, averaging 1.6 swats per contest, while Jonas Valenciunas blocked 1.1 attempts per game. Memphis forced 14.8 turnovers per game (12th).
Coaching
—The Grizzlies are coached by 36-year-old Taylor Jenkins, who is currently on his second season as the team's head man. Last season, in his first year as a head coach, Jenkins logged a 34-39 record. Under Jenkins' tutelage, Memphis barely missed out on a postseason berth, losing out to the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in game for the eighth seed in the West. Jenkins won the Coach of the Month award once (in January) last season.
Prior to being named as the Grizzlies' head coach, Jenkins served as an assistant coach for two other teams in the NBA. He was an assistant to Mike Budenholzer for five seasons. When Budenholzer made the move to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, he brought Jenkins with him. Jenkins served another season under coach Bud in Milwaukee before taking on the head coaching job in Memphis.
With the Grizzlies, Jenkins has a number of assistants working under him: Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Darko Rajakovic, David McClure, James Penn, Sonia Raman, and Vitaly Potapenko.
Top memphis grizzlies Roster Questions
Who Did The Grizzlies Recently Sign?
—The Grizzlies needed some backcourt depth and they decided to look in the direction of veteran point guard Tim Frazier. The 6-foot guard has been around the league for quite a bit, as he's had previous stints with six other NBA teams.
Frazier signed with a Grizzlies on a 10-day deal, and he was only able to play in three games for Memphis. During this brief spell, he averaged just 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 11.0 minutes per contest.
Who Are The Grizzlies Targeting In Free Agency?
—The Grizzlies were not very active in the offseason in terms of adding players via free agency. The only guys they signed over the offseason break (aside from the two rookies they scooped up in the 2020 NBA Draft in Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman) were Killian Tillie and Sean McDermott, who both penned two-way deals with the squad. Both Tillie and McDermott went undrafted last year, and have since played minimal roles -- at best -- for the Grizzlies this season.
Over the offseason, Memphis was linked to a number of free agents available in the market, including Marcus Morris Sr., Davis Bertans, Danilo Gallinari, and Jerami Grant.
Who Did The Grizzlies Most Recently Trade For?
—The Grizzlies took part in a three-team trade deal during the offseason which also included the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics. Memphis parted ways with a 2023 second-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick, sending both in the way of Boston. The Grizzlies also paid cash to the Blazers as part of the deal. In exchange, Memphis acquired Mario Hezonja, who they waived prior to the start of the season. The Grizzlies also got Desmond Bane from the Celtics in the deal. Additionally, Enes Kanter made his way to Portland.
What Is The Best Grizzlies Roster Of All-Time?
—During the 2012-13 season, the Grizzlies recorded a franchise-record 56 regular-season wins. They also went all the way to the Western Conference Finals that term -- the farthest they've gone since being established as a team in 1995 -- but were defeated by the mighty San Antonio Spurs in four games.
Nevertheless, it's hard to argue against the notion that the 2012-13 Grizzlies squad represents the best roster in franchise history. The quartet of Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Zach Randolph led the way for Memphis that year. They had a solid supporting cast that featured the likes of Tayshaun Prince, Tony Allen, and Jerryd Bayless. Other role players on the team included Quincy Poindexter, Wayne Ellington, Darrell Arthur, Ed David, and Mareese Speights. The team's head coach that season was Lionel Hollins.
What Is The Grizzlies' Salary Cap?
—Despite the lack of star power in the team, the Grizzlies still entered the 2020-21 season as an over-the-cap squad. According to Spotrac, Memphis currently has a total cap of $131.3 million, which is $22.2 million over the league-mandated salary cap.
Gorgui Dieng was the Grizzlies' top-earner for 2020-21 with his $17.3 million salary taking up a huge chunk of the team's total cap before he was waived in March of 2021. Jonas Valanciunas does not fall too far behind with $15 million. Justise Winslow ($13 million) and Dillon Brooks ($11.4 million) come in third and fourth, respectively, and are the only other players that will pocket eight-digit salaries this season.
Ja Morant is still in his rookie-scale deal and he is set to pocket $9.2 million this term. In terms of hierarchy in the payroll scale, De'Anthony Melton ($9.6 million) and Kyle Anderson ($9.5 million) will earn more than Morant in 2020-21.
