<!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-rookie-jaylen-wells-must-improve-before-nba-playoffs-begin');   ga('set', 'title', 'What Grizzlies need from rookie Jaylen Wells before NBA Playoffs begin');   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/Where-Grizzlies-rookie-Jaylen-Wells-must-improve-before-NBA-Playoffs-begin.jpg"></figure><h1>What Grizzlies need from rookie Jaylen Wells before NBA Playoffs begin</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-14T15:58:35-07:00">March 14th, 3:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-14T15:58:35-07:00">March 14th, 3:58pm</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 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/why-grizzlies-believe-ja-morant-toughness-enough-to-shake-teamwide-slump">Memphis Grizzlies answered toughness questions</a> after a four-game skid but talent questions remain as the NBA Playoffs picture shapes up. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane are locked in on a four-game winning streak now and should see an uptick in on-court time once the elimination stage begins. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/is-jaren-jackson-jr-playing-tonight-grizzlies-cavs-injury-report">Grizzlies are still waiting for Jaren Jackson Jr.</a> (ankle) and Santi Aldama to return, their absences allowing reserves like a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-kevin-durant-challenge-vs-hidden-rookie-awakened-memphis-competitive-spirit">trash-talking Cam Spencer</a> to impress the coaching staff. Jaylen Wells has been called upon more than usual as well, yet it is still not clear how much the rookie can handle in the postseason.</p><p>Taylor Jenkins has been forced to tinker with lineups over the past few weeks as the veterans heal up. However, the situation could have been a blessing in disguise. Sure, Wells will get playing time as a defensive ace in the NBA Playoffs, but how many shots and minutes can be allotted to the former second-round pick? How long can Wells contain All-World stars before fouls become a problem? It seems the Grizzlies and Wells have yet to hit a ceiling, though some rookie wall woes on offense are worth a watch.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jaylen-Wells-Grizzlies-defends-Devin-Booker-Suns.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The shooting accuracy has suffered recently as Wells has taken on more minutes. Extra defensive responsibilities, an increased offensive volume, and the associated cardio demands have been taxing according to the data. However, Jenkins has not been shy about letting Wells learn on the job. Memphis is all smiles when it comes to their second rounder but they are monitoring two key categories. The first thing the Grizzlies need to see from Wells down the stretch is better shooting numbers.</p><ul><li><b>Season:</b> 10.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists</li><li><b>Last 5:</b> 4.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists</li><li><b>Last 15:</b> 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists</li></ul><p>Postseason opponents will punish any non-shooter on the court. As things stand, Jenkins is likely to go with an eight or nine-man rotation in the NBA Playoffs. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Santi Aldama are the core four. Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke will have to spell Jackson Jr. for stretches. Luke Kennard’s shooting will come in handy off the bench.</p><p>Jaylen Wells being able to handle 30 minutes a night as an offensive threat would help negate the defensive weaknesses of Scotty Pippen Jr., GG Jackson, and Vince Williams. The trio might not even be needed as the 10th man in the rotations. Fortunately, Memphis has a good 19 game sample size showing Wells is better off working longer shifts.</p><ul><li><b>2025 (27.2 mpg):</b> 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists</li><li><b>2024 (25 mpg):</b> 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists</li><li><b>30+ minutes (19 games):</b> 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists</li></ul><p>Offensively, Wells has shown promise but remains a work in progress. Better ball-handling and finishing through contact could make him a more versatile threat, but Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. will handle most of the bucket-creating burdens though.</p><p>Wells is already playing at an NBA All-Defense level over 60+ regular season games. The inexperience in high-stakes situations is a concern only cured with a trial by fire seven-game series. Wells must prove he can avoid putting opponents on the line though, not an easy task when guarding All-Stars. Improving his ability to read plays off the ball and maintain positioning will be essential to earning trust from Jenkins in high-pressure moments.</p><p>Luka Doncic has drawn <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1642377/head-to-head?dir=D&amp;sort=SFL" rel="noopener">four shooting fouls in just over four minutes</a> against Wells, for example. Crafty vets like CJ McCollum (119 team points, 27 individual in 19 minutes) have given Wells fits as an on-ball defender. It seems the rookie’s off-ball defense and defensive awareness are not yet advanced enough for prolonged NBA floor time either. Face guarding and ball-denying All-Stars will only work for so long in the NBA Playoffs.</p><p>Jaylen Wells has the lateral quickness, wingspan, and 6-foot-8 frame to be a series-tilting, versatile stopper. NBA Playoffs readiness hinges on two glaring concerns: streaky shooting and foul discipline. The rookie must avoid putting opponents on the line and knock down open shots at an average clip. It’s that simple. Thankfully, the 21-year-old has mostly passed those tests this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

What Grizzlies need from rookie Jaylen Wells before NBA Playoffs begin

<!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-rookie-jaylen-wells-deserves-serious-nba-all-defense-consideration');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells deserves serious NBA All-Defense consideration');   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/Why-Grizzlies-rookie-Jaylen-Wells-will-not-get-serious-NBA-All-Defense-consideration.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells deserves serious NBA All-Defense consideration</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-07T17:04:45-08:00">March 7th, 5:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-07T17:04:45-08:00">March 7th, 5:04pm</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-news-ja-morant-shooting-woes-exposed-thunder-shai-gilgeous-alexander-nba">Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies are striving for more</a> than individual awards, but the team will surely be doing everything possible to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-all-star-jaren-jackson-jr-earn-all-nba-supermax-leverage-free-agency-nba-market">get Jaren Jackson Jr. $100 million worth of leverage</a> this summer. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old’s All-NBA and NBA Defensive Player of the Year campaign is on pause due to an ankle injury. Thankfully, the Grizzlies believe they have an NBA All-Defense dynamo roaming the perimeter as well in Jaylen Wells. The 22-year-old has been consistently running through NBA All-Star level roadblocks to drum up serious consideration for more than one award as a rookie.</p><p>Jaylen Wells (11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 37.4% 3PA) will be on the NBA All-Rookie First Team or the fans riot in the FedEx Forum. NBA Rookie of the Year votes are expected, but there is competition for that trophy. However, the stats show the rookie is worth a mention in the varsity-level, veteran-laden awards conversations already.</p><p>Pure totals matter over an 82-game season though. Wells has 36 steals (179th) and six blocks (346th) over 62 games (57 starts). Production per game within the given minutes played does not favor Wells either. His steals (0.6 per game) and blocks (0.1 per game) are below average, but field goal percentage against All-Star matchups is a plus. Wells cannot steal a pass or block a shot if his full-court ball press denies his assignment any opportunities at all. So why are we talking Jaylen Wells NBA All-Defense before the first 82-game sample is in again?</p><h2><b>Where NBA voters see value</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jaylen-Wells-Ja-Morant-defense-Grizzlies-.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wells has a 46.1% Defended Field Goal Percentage. That might not be great on first look, but <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1642377/head-to-head" rel="noopener">factor in the stars shooting</a> and it’s a different picture. The rookie is keeping All-Star in check, making them look merely average often. Wells made history in holding Stephen Curry to the worst offensive output of a Hall of Fame career. Curry finished 0-for-7 and a pitiful two points (Dec. 20). Wells was the primary tracker for Damian Lillard’s four points on 1-12 shooting on Halloween. Anthony Edwards shot just 12-32 combined in January.</p><p>The type of shots faced (9.9 per game) should be factored in as well. Wells is chasing everyone off of the three-point line, facing less than one beyond the arc bomb per quarter (3.6). Most opponents are forced to pull up from beyond 15 feet though (4.9) and with only a 34.1% swish rate.</p><p>Edwards has 13 points (33.3% FGA) in 19 minutes against Wells. Deven Booker has four points (12.5% FGA) in just under 18 minutes versus the rookie. Chris Paul has two points, six assists, and three turnovers over 16:50 in action. Follow-up dates with Booker, Darius Garland, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic are coming up soon.</p><p>Taylor Jenkins could help matters by giving Wells (26.1) more on-court time per game. Show that trust. Being seen stuck to All-Stars all night is one way to get noticed, for better or worse. At least give the rookie a chance to sink or swim. No more safety vests in the weeks before the NBA Playoffs. It’s time to find out just how much foul trouble Wells can avoid over 35-40 minutes. John Konchar and Vince Williams will understand.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies, Jaylen Wells working overtime</b></h2><p>Fans should prepare for disappointment after Wells receives little to no votes? Rudy Gobert has won four of the last seven NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. While not quite at those former peaks individually, anchoring the Minnesota Timberwolves into a top-four seed with a top-five team defensive rating is a strong standalone argument. Jaren Jackson Jr., NBA DPOY in 2022-23, will be the Grizzlies’ All-Defense representative. Other Defensive Player of the Year winners are warming up their spots in the team as well, leaving little room for the rookie.</p><p>The Grizzlies traded Marcus Smart, 2021-22’s winner, after an injury-riddled stint in Memphis, and he is in no danger of being nominated for anything after another season on the sidelines. However, Draymond Green (2016-17) is having a late career resurgence now that Jimmy Butler is buddied up with Stephen Curry. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20) has brought the Milwaukee Bucks back from the dead after a 2-8 start to the season.</p><p>The NBA All-Defense Team’s frontcourt is practically set. Alperen Sengun, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Evan Mobley will appear in some order. Rudy Gobert may push Antetokounmpo into one of the wing positions. Lu Dort and Jalen Williams will split votes but no one will be surprised to see the first two on an All-Defense Team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may appear on some ballots, but All-World wonder is arguably worse than teammate Alex Caruso.</p><p>Dyson Daniels and Jrue Holiday are making cases as well. However, voters could go big-heavy. It’s not an equitable way to dole out the honor in a way that respects the entirety of the game, but unfortunately that’s the trend. With the ‘positionless’ selection rules in place, Ivica Zubac and Domantas Sabonis could sneak in as well. Amen Thompson is fighting with Jaylen Wells, yet also pushed out on the fringes as thanks for handling the hardest perimeter assignments.</p><p>When the Grizzlies drafted Jaylen Wells, they knew they were getting a tenacious competitor. No one could have anticipated the 6-foot-8 wingman emerging as one of the NBA’s most impactful defenders so quickly. Voters will be watching how each closes out the season. There are still enough games remaining for both young guards to gain ground as the big men lose steam.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells deserves serious NBA All-Defense consideration

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-jaylen-wells-stealing-offensive-moves-every-defensive-possession');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins shares eye-opening take on Jaylen Wells’ two-way impact');   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/2025/01/How-Grizzlies-Jaylen-Wells-steals-offensive-moves-on-every-defensive-possession.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins shares eye-opening take on Jaylen Wells’ two-way impact</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-28T21:08:02-08:00">January 28th, 9:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-28T21:08:02-08:00">January 28th, 9:08pm</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>First-year employees must fight for recognition in any sport or industry. Thankfully for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-accepting-no-excuses-nba-trade-deadline">accept-no-excuses Memphis Grizzlies</a>, Jaylen Wells is carving out his niche with his defensive tenacity and an emerging offensive flair. While dynamic defense has been his calling card, the second-round pick’s offensive game is showing signs of significant growth, <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1883188998681882968" rel="noopener">influenced by the very All-Stars being defended.</a></p><p>Wells had to laugh when asked by ClutchPoints about a snake dribble through the lane and floater that mimicked CJ McCollum.</p><p>“I was actually thinking about how yeah, just guarding those moves I just kind of naturally started to do more of them,” Wells admitted. “Being able to guard the best player every night has been helpful for my offensive game, especially when we go back in film and watch it. Just seeing how guys are moving, I’m definitely (stealing offensive moves).”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaylen Wells on learning nuances and stealing moves from the defensive covers: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> <a href="https://t.co/g9eYlLbI0j">pic.twitter.com/g9eYlLbI0j</a></p><p>— Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1883188998681882968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Jenkins has been effusive in his praise for Wells, particularly highlighting the rookie’s resilience against some of the league’s top scorers.</p><p>“I’ve said it before about Jaylen Wells, he does not get deterred. I mean he is going against some of the best offensive scorers night in and night out. They can score in many different ways and (Wells) is having a lot of success (on defense),” Jenkins boasted. “(Wells) is not getting deterred and just playing within himself on the offensive side in our system.”</p><p>“(Wells) has got some creativity that I’ve been seeing like some of the plays you are talking about,” added Jenkins. “His dribble game and finding angles when defenders cut him off. It might be an outlet pass or how he is still able to get a finish opportunity. He is playing on balance and it’s impressive to watch this early in his career.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jaylen-Wells-Grizzlies-guards-Jalen-Brunson-Knicks.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Grizzlies are giving Jaylen Wells the toughest defensive assignments but also the freedom to freelance when necessary. The 21-year-old usually just sticks with the full-court denial blueprint that has worked so far. Face-guarding NBA All-Stars is one way to have the offensive nuances rub off on the rookie.</p><p>“I enjoy (face-guarding all game). I look forward to it now. (CJ McCollum) asked me in the middle of the game if I do it every night. Had to tell him, ‘Yup, yup.’ It’s fun for me,” Wells admitted. “I haven’t tried (asking for a defensive assignment switch) yet. They’ve started giving me freedom on ball screens, saying to just figure it out. So I’ve got freedom there.”</p><p>This light-hearted approach to the game, combined with a serious commitment to improvement, reinforced the front office’s bet that Wells is a very promising player. It is also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-exclusive-jaylen-wells-prepares-nba-rookie-of-the-year-campaign">why Jaylen Wells is also a Grizzlies fan favorite</a>. His journey from a rookie learning the ropes to stealing moves from some of the league’s best is a narrative of growth, resilience, and the joy of basketball. Jenkins and the Grizzlies just have to let the young man continue to learn against the best.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins shares eye-opening take on Jaylen Wells’ two-way impact

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-exclusive-jaylen-wells-prepares-nba-rookie-of-the-year-campaign');   ga('set', 'title', 'Exclusive: How Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells preps for battle amid Rookie of the Year campaign');   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/2025/01/Exclusive-How-Jaylen-Wells-prepares-for-battle-amid-Rookie-of-the-Year-campaign.jpg"></figure><h1>Exclusive: How Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells preps for battle amid Rookie of the Year campaign</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-27T12:25:57-08:00">January 27th, 12:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-27T12:25:57-08:00">January 27th, 12:25pm</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">Exclusive</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Welcome to the NBA moments are usually rough on rookies. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-bothered-disappointed-after-beating-lamelo-ball-hornets">not-quite-dialed-in Memphis Grizzlies</a> have an exception to that unwritten rule though. It took less than 40 games for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-everythnig-taylor-jenkins-loves-about-jaylen-wells-display-lamelo-ball-hornets">Grizzlies to find out Jaylen Wells can get emotional</a>, in a good way, while waging war with NBA All-Stars. Veterans on opposing teams are shooing the rookie away out of respect while trying to shake free. They have not been successful and it’s not much of a secret why. It was obvious as ClutchPoints walked through a routine day with Wells before a 125-103 win over the Utah Jazz.</p><p>Fans in the FedEx Forum can rest assured as one trait has stood out going back to NBA Summer League: Jaylen Wells wakes up thinking about how to best put a rubber band around the next opponent’s best player. Being able to bend but never break starts early and there is only one way to reasonably expect championship results. Do the work early and often.</p><p>“I like to stretch every morning. That’s one of the things I do that is constant,” Wells shared. “The main thing is in the morning and before bed I always stretch, do my yoga routine.”</p><p>Forget the cartoons and cereal boxes littered through most college dorms. No one holds hands in the pros and rookie checks only go so far. An all-business Wells is one of the first in the gym when the Grizzlies play home games and takes few if any detours. The in-house chefs have a better spread of options and it’s more nutritionally sound than a stop at McDonald’s or the Waffle House.</p><p>“I always take advantage of the meals (at the facility),” Wells laughed. “I’m grabbing breakfast from here.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jaylen-Wells-Grizzlies-yoga-pose-Taylor-Jenkins.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Individual skill work, film study, and more stretching follow. Lunch boxes start appearing, and disappearing, as others file in for treatment. Pregame shootarounds sessions depend on tip-off times. Travel days are tough on the schedule but once in the gym, some parts of the routine are non-negotiable.</p><p>Warriors of all cultures throughout history have come together before battle. Everyone’s ‘lock-in’ looks different and it’s not wise to get in the way of that process. Jaylen Wells gets the shots up early on game days. Some pregame banter with the other early group guys (Scotty Pippen Jr., Jake LaRavia, Jay Huff) helps take the edge off a bit. There is an argument about the best NCAA basketball conference before facing the Jazz, for example.</p><p>No matter what is going on, Wells is going to wander off about an hour before the game starts though. It’s time for Chapel.</p><p>“I think it’s a good moment to just get into The Word,” Wells shared. “That is something that I’ve been trying to do more recently is be connected more with God. I feel like I haven’t been as connected to Him as I should have been in the past so that’s something I’m kind of working on.”</p><p>Faith and confidence go hand-in-hand for Wells. The head has to be right before the body will listen.</p><p>“It’s good to get 10 to 15 minutes before every game, about an hour before the game,” Wells added. “It’s kind of a calm before the storm type of feel.”</p><p>This was a quick conversation concerning no sect nor denomination, just the Spirit. Then it was time to clear out of the way and back to the press box. Wells and some other players would be back soon for a snack. Then the Grizzlies would be fueling the pregame energy with some music before Taylor Jenkins gives the pregame speech.</p><p>We did get a chance to talk about how hoops can bring people and cultures together then the chat ended with something new to Wells: The Sportsman’s Prayer.</p><p><i>To the Almighty Commissioner above we pray that </i><i>when Your great Scorekeeper comes to mark against our names – have mercy in judging not on whether we won or lost but on how we played The Game.</i></p><p>The <a href="https://artemaltman.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/04/alumnus-football/" rel="noopener">prayer is repurposed prose</a> from Grantland Rice’s “Alumnus Football” but surely the great scribe will not mind. Wells smiled, took it for what it was to him, and was soon bounding through the locker room’s rear hallway. About two hours later the Grizzlies had another win. The 21-year-old had another argument for not only some NBA Rookie of the Year love but also NBA All-Defense Team consideration.</p><p>Wells has played The Game well and has been everything the Grizzlies hoped for plus a few buckets. He finished with 16 points (5-8 FGA, 2-4 3PA), four rebounds, and just a single personal foul committed in the win over Utah. The defensive dynamo was arguably more impressive on the other end of the floor. Lauri Markkanen needed 14 shots to score 11 points (5-14 FGA, 1-8 3PA) with Wells as the main defensive cover.</p><p>Getting the best of an NBA All-Star who barely knows a rookie’s name is one thing. Keeping household names in check on a nightly basis gets noticed.</p><p>For Jaylen Wells, well, it’s almost becoming routine.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Exclusive: How Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells preps for battle amid Rookie of the Year campaign

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-everythnig-taylor-jenkins-loves-about-jaylen-wells-display-lamelo-ball-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies love how ’emotional’ Jaylen Wells went after LeMelo Ball');   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/2025/01/What-Grizzlies-love-about-Jaylen-Wells-on-display-vs.-LaMelo-Balls-Hornets.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies love how ’emotional’ Jaylen Wells went after LeMelo Ball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-23T15:08:51-08:00">January 23rd, 3:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-23T15:56:15-08:00">January 23rd, 3:56pm</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>Some nights can highlight both the highs and lows of life in the NBA. Rookie Jaylen Wells can attest to that after trying to corral LaMelo Ball’s Charlotte Hornets. Ball might have scored 22 points but it took 20 shows and a few unearned free throws as far as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-bothered-disappointed-after-beating-lamelo-ball-hornets">Ja Morant’s grumbling Memphis Grizzlies</a> are concerned. Taylor Jenkins was not worried about the fouls or Ball’s stats though. The entire arena fed off of the defensive dynamo’s passion in the 132-120 win.</p><p>Fans in the FedEx Forum got loud in showing their appreciation for the effort while hounding the refs. Wells even got a little “emotional” while guarding Ball due to some confusing foul calls by the officials. Still, Jenkins appreciated how the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-revelations-podcast-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane-ja-morant">Grizzlies rookie known as J-Murda</a> in the locker room <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhPQk2HY9t4" rel="noopener">rebounded from a rough start</a>.</p><p>“I love his poise and demeanor. Naturally going to get emotional at times when you’re trying to figure out why something is being called or not called,” Jenkins admitted. “It’s a learning process for (Wells). It’s tough with what offensive players can get away with on certain nights but I love his poise and determination to stay with it. Unfortunately, he got some fouls called but it did not deter him from going out there and trying to execute the game plan. That’s what I love about the kid.”</p><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>Jaylen Wells does not linger on the last play. Asking questions is best left for film study. Getting back into the fight and figuring out what works at the moment is a big part of the development plan. The Grizzlies have gotten the best out of Wells by, well, staying out of J-Murda’s way. The 21-year-old has been up to the challenge of slowing down All-Stars at every turn after all and the offense is coming around.</p><p>Guardrails sometimes limit growth and this war with Ball was more mental than physical. Only live-fire reps can prepare a player for what is to come in the postseason.</p><p>“(Wells) is not searching for answers when something is not going his way like what the heck happened,” Jenkins shared. “He is just locking in on the next play. I thought he was playing some really good defense on (LaMelo Ball).”</p><p>Next up for Wells is another battle with CJ McCollum, perhaps the only veteran who has gotten the best of the rookie this season. McCollum has scored 62 points in two meetings between the New Orleans Pelicans and Grizzlies already. Ball is an All-Star who barely broke 20 and needed help. Wells will look forward to keeping the 33-year-old under 30 points for once.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies love how ’emotional’ Jaylen Wells went after LeMelo Ball

<!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-rookie-power-rankings-24-25-jaylen-wells-history-not-seen-since-2017');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Jaylen Wells could make history not seen since 2017');   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/2025/01/Jaylen-Wells-could-make-history-not-seen-since-2017.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Jaylen Wells could make history not seen since 2017</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-15T08:59:43-08:00">January 15th, 8:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-15T09:00:24-08:00">January 15th, 9:00am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024-25 NBA season has seen underwhelming rookie play compared to previous seasons when Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero ran away with the Rookie of the Year award. Still, plenty of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rookie-power-rankings-24-25-jared-mccain-headlines-wide-open-race">first-year talents have made a difference for their teams</a>, especially Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain. Unfortunately, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-tough-jared-mccain-announcement-rookies-injury">McCain’s season ending due to knee surgery</a>, the spotlight of the NBA rookie rankings is now being cast on Memphis Grizzlies swingman Jaylen Wells.</p><p>After being overlooked in the 2024 NBA Draft, Wells was selected 39th overall by the Grizzlies. Although many second-round picks don’t enter the league and play right away, the opposite has occurred for Wells due to injuries compounding early on for Memphis.</p><p>As a three-and-D wing, the Grizzlies rookie rapidly exceeded expectations and has started in 35 of his 40 games to this point.</p><p>If he keeps this up, it’s possible that Wells could become the first player selected in the second round to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award since <a href="https://www.nba.com/bucks/malcolm-brogdon-wins-nba-rookie-year" rel="noopener">Malcolm Brogdon did so with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2017</a>.</p><p>The Grizzlies rookie is making an impact on what has turned out to be one of the best teams in the league this season, which is why he is right at the top of the NBA rookie rankings.</p><h2><b>1. Jaylen Wells – Memphis Grizzlies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Grizzlies-Jaylen-Wells.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous rank: #4</i></p><p><i>Stats: 40 games, 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 43.8 FG%, 37.8 3P%</i></p><p>Wells is currently tied for the most games played by any rookie this season, and he is second behind only Zaccharie Risacher for the most starts by a first-year player. He is also tied with Alex Sarr for the scoring lead among all rookies, not counting McCain due to his season-ending injury.</p><p>The Grizzlies needed some sort of spark with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane being injured early on in the year, and they found it through Wells’ ability to be a real force from the perimeter. Wells has made 76 triples this season, which is by far the most out of any other rookie around the NBA.</p><p>As far as a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-jaylen-wells-defensive-assignment-stephen-curry-james-harden-nba-all-defense-team-effort">rookie making the greatest impact and winning games</a> with his team, Wells ranks at the very top of the NBA rookie rankings.</p><h2><b>2. Alex Sarr – Washington Wizards</b></h2><p><i>Previous rank: #7</i></p><p><i>Stats: 34 games, 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 40.6 FG%, 32.5 3P%</i></p><p>Out of all the rookies in the NBA, Alex Sarr is in the best possible position to win the Rookie of the Year award simply because he is going to see plenty of minutes the rest of the year. With the Washington Wizards rebuilding, Sarr has emerged as one of their focal points in the frontcourt, and he is consistently playing close to 30 minutes per game. Entering the second half of the year, Sarr’s role will only keep increasing if he remains healthy.</p><p>Defensively, Sarr is really making his presence felt as a true rim protector. He is one of 13 players across the entire league to have recorded at least 50 blocks to this point in the season. The Wizards’ rookie is currently tied for the league lead in scoring among all rookies with Wells.</p><h2><b>3. Yves Missi – New Orleans Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Pelicans-Yves-Missi.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous rank: #5</i></p><p><i>Stats: 40 games, 9.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 55.9 FG%</i></p><p>Perhaps the most underrated rookie this season has been Yves Missi. Although the New Orleans Pelicans are nothing to brag about, Missi has consistently been a double-double threat for them at the center position. What makes him a special prospect moving forward is the fact that Missi can protect the rim with force.</p><p>Missi currently leads all rookies in rebounding, field goal percentage (min. 200 shot attempts), and blocks.</p><h2><b>4. Stephon Castle – San Antonio Spurs</b></h2><p><i>Previous rank: #2</i></p><p><i>Stats: 37 games, 11.0 points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 39.3 FG%, 25.4 3P%</i></p><p>Stephon Castle is the future of the San Antonio Spurs’ backcourt. The rookie guard continues to learn a lot behind Chris Paul, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/stephon-castle-using-versatility-as-building-block-for-rookie-growth">we have seen clear growth from Castle</a> since the start of the season.</p><p>While his shooting percentages are still pretty low, Castle is seeing a consistent role as a secondary playmaker and scorer off the bench in San Antonio. He currently ranks third and fourth in field goals attempted and made, respectively.</p><h2><b>5. Zaccharie Risacher – Atlanta Hawks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Hawks-Zaccharie-Risacher-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous rank: #3</i></p><p><i>Stats: 39 games, 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 40.2 FG%, 28.1 3P%</i></p><p>The 2024 first-overall pick has continued to make a difference for the Atlanta Hawks. Zaccharie Risacher has started on the wing in 37 of the 39 games he’s played, and he’s helped the Hawks look like a team that will be in the playoffs. However, his three-point shooting percentage has dipped recently, as Risacher is shooting just 22.2 percent from distance since the start of 2025.</p><p>If he can develop into a consistent shooting threat, Risacher will help unlock the full potential of Atlanta’s offensive attack with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson leading the way.</p><h2><b>6. Zach Edey – Memphis Grizzlies</b></h2><p><i>Previous rank: #9</i></p><p><i>Stats: 26 games, 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 58.2 FG%, 39.3 3P%</i></p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-zach-edey-injury-update-lakers-clash">Zach Edey missed nearly a month’s worth of action</a> from the middle of November until right before the holiday season in December due to an ankle injury. Since returning to the Memphis Grizzlies’ lineup, Edey has been a legitimate double-double threat.</p><p>However, the Grizzlies have cut the rookie’s minutes in recent games, resulting in him only averaging 5.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over his last six contests. He is still in the mix to rise into the top 5 of the NBA rookie rankings.</p><h2><b>7. Tristan da Silva – Orlando Magic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Magics-Tristan-da-Silva.jpg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous rank: #8</i></p><p><i>Stats: 37 games, 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 41.9 FG%, 31.5 3P%</i></p><p>Due to injury concerns for the Orlando Magic, Tristan da Silva has seen a bigger role than imagined. When the Magic selected da Silva, they imagined a lengthy wing who could do a little bit of everything for them off the bench. That is exactly what the rookie has done, and he’s even managed to showcase his offensive prowess in the absences of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs.</p><p>Recently against the Milwaukee Bucks, da Silva recorded his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while playing a career-high 40 minutes.</p><h2><b>8. Ryan Dunn – Phoenix Suns</b></h2><p><i>Previous rank: Unranked</i></p><p><i>Stats: 35 games, 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 45.5 FG%, 31.5 3P%</i></p><p>Mike Budenholzer recently made a change to his starting lineup, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-mike-budenholzer-reveals-reasons-bradley-beal-jusuf-nurkic-benching">inserting Ryan Dunn on the wing in place of All-Star Bradley Beal.</a> Over his last seven games since this decision was announced, Dunn has averaged 10.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and 36.0 percent from three-point range.</p><p>Dunn has a chance to really make a positive impact in Phoenix for many years to come because of his two-way play on the wing.</p><h2><b>9. Dalton Knecht – Los Angeles Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lakers-Dalton-Knecht-1.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous rank: #6</i></p><p><i>Stats: 37 games, 9.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 46.1 FG%, 34.7 3P%</i></p><p>Early on this season, it seemed like Dalton Knecht was going to be in the running for Rookie of the Year. After seeing over 25 minutes every single night, Knecht has fallen in JJ Redick’s nightly rotations and is only averaging 15.8 minutes per game in 2025.</p><p>A lot of this has to do with Knecht’s elongated shooting slump, as he has shot just 12-for-63 (19.0%) from three-point range since the start of December. Finding Knecht’s confidence will be key for the Lakers entering the back half of the season.</p><h2><b>10. Carlton Carrington – Washington Wizards</b></h2><p><i>Previous rank: Unranked</i></p><p><i>Stats: 38 games, 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 40.3 FG%, 34.1 3P%</i></p><p>Much like how Sarr continues to develop and see minutes, the Wizards are focusing on developing Carlton Carrington in their backcourt. Carrington is consistently seeing about 30 minutes per game as of late, and he currently leads all rookies in minutes played. The Wizards guard also leads all rookies in assists while ranking second in threes made and attempted.</p><p>There is plenty of opportunity for Carrington to become the focal point for Washington’s offense and rise in the NBA rookie rankings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Jaylen Wells could make history not seen since 2017

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-jaylen-wells-off-limits-jimmy-butler-cj-mccollum-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells will be off-limits in potential Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum deals');   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/2025/01/Why-Grizzlies-Jaylen-Wells-will-be-off-limits-in-potential-Jimmy-Butler-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells will be off-limits in potential Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum deals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-04T10:59:29-08:00">January 4th, 10:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-04T10:59:29-08:00">January 4th, 10:59am</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>Everyone loves a Cinderella story, especially when they play for your hometown team. Thankfully for Fedex Forum fans, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-not-getting-early-nba-all-star-voting-respect">Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s disrespected Memphis Grizzlies</a> have a storybook rookie season unfolding this season. Jaylen Wells might even be worth mentioning with Morant and Jackson Jr. as off-limits assets through the NBA Trade Deadline. Even stars like Jimmy Butler and CJ McCollum do not raise the Grizzlies’ ceiling enough if it means losing Wells.</p><p>Jimmy Butler will reportedly never suit up for the Miami Heat again. Both <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/will-heat-move-jimmy-butler-latest-nba-trade-deadline-intel-siegels-scoop">CJ McCollum and the Pelicans need fresh starts.</a> Taylor Jenkins may like more firepower as Ja Morant (shoulder) battles injury woes but the front office has to be more worried about the long-term viability of such a move.</p><p>Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane are the championship core. Everything else is just window dressing in a way but the franchise has a contingency plan in rookies Wells and Zach Edey. Any newcomer is going to have to step back from their usual mode of operation and make a substantial adjustment.</p><p>Looking at how Wells, Butler, and McCollum <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional?PerMode=Per100Possessions&amp;TeamID=1610612763&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=GP" rel="noopener">stack up in their current situations</a> suggests neither veteran would make much of a difference. The money crunch on PoBo/GM Zach Kleiman would be quite significant, however.</p><ul><li><b>Jaylen Wells </b>(4 years, $7.9 million – Grizzlies hold options/rights)</li><li><b>Jimmy Butler </b>($48 million in 2024-25, $52 million Player Option)</li><li><b>CJ McCollum </b>($33.3 million in 2024-25, $30 million 2025-26)</li></ul><p>Sure, Butler and McCollum add a bit more scoring but they would also take the ball away from Morant, Jackson Jr., and Bane. Yes, Butler and McCollum would be useful and short-term upgrades over Wells for the next 50 games. Memphis would have very few bench options in case of emergency. Matching salaries would be difficult without also including Marcus Smart along with other rotational pieces like Sanit Aldama and Jake LaRavia.</p><p>There are several ways to upgrade the current roster without parting ways with Wells. The Grizzlies just have to be patient. Butler and McCollum might not even be the best options available over the next year. The Pelicans are also dealing with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson situations for example.</p><p>Teams that fall short of the NBA Finals will also be looking to restructure. A move now that means losing Wells as an asset is too risky to even consider. Getting greedy by trying to cash in on a surprising Wells now would not only be shortsighted but also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-memphis-grumble-wild-jaren-jackson-jr-stat-loss-sacramento-kings">out of character for the Grizzlies.</a></p><h2><b>Grizzlies cannot get greedy</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jaylen-Wells-Grizzlies-slips-defense.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The long-term strategy cannot be sacrificed for short-term gains. Memphis has more than a handful of first- and second-round picks to work with over the next few seasons. Will any one of those selections wind up being better than Jaylen Wells? That’s doubtful. Wells might be better than Butler and McCollum after another 100 NBA games.</p><p>Opportunity costs matter. Jimmy Butler and CJ McCollum are declining assets. Memphis has operated as a smart small market team on the rise. Unless the front office is absolutely sure that everything will work out, which it can’t be, Wells has to be off the table for any over-30 veteran. The risk is too great for a reward that limits the team’s future, hamstrings the salary cap, and puts a lid on their current potential.</p><p>Trading Wells and other assets for an aging star has more potential to backfire than end with an NBA Finals run. The Oklahoma City Thunder fleeced the Los Angeles Clippers and got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the process. Wells might not make an All-NBA team, but the All-Star potential is clear.</p><p>It’s a straightforward game plan for the Grizzlies. Keep the second-rounder around for as long as possible on a team-friendly deal and shop elsewhere if needed. Wait out the market, especially considering Butler’s suspension and exile from the Miami Heat. Butler and McCollum will not be the only options available before Jaren Jackson Jr.’s next contract extension kicks in.</p><p>Wells might be the best option regardless of service time or draft position though. That should make the 21-year-old near untouchable going into the NBA Trade Deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells will be off-limits in potential Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum deals

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-jaylen-wells-defensive-assignment-stephen-curry-james-harden-nba-all-defense-team-effort');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells’ ‘relentless’ effort puts him on All-Defense radar');   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/2024/12/Grizzlies-news-Why-Jaylen-Wells-relentless-effort-puts-him-on-All-Defense-watch.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells’ ‘relentless’ effort puts him on All-Defense radar</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-25T11:48:09-08:00">December 25th, 11:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-25T11:48:09-08:00">December 25th, 11:48am</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>Defense often takes a backseat to flashy offensive plays but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-credits-captivating-ja-morant-amid-personal-growth">Ja Morant’s captivating Memphis Grizzlies</a> have a rookie giving every All-Star a headache. Jaylen Wells has been a quick fan favorite thanks to some relentless effort on the less glamorous side of the hardwood. Taylor Jenkins has every reason to trust the second-rounder consistently corralling Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Dejounte Murray (New Orleans Pelicans), and Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics).</p><p>Wells deserves to be on the future NBA All-Defense watchlist judging solely on the season’s first 10 weeks. Forget the rookie label on the nomination. The 21-year-old’s impact, particularly after a standout performance against Curry, is getting noticed by those paying attention. Jenkins gave ClutchPoints a <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1869953638308684032" rel="noopener">detailed report card</a> on Wells after a big Grizzlies (20-10) win over the Warriors (15-13).</p><p>“Jaylen has been consistent on that side of the floor,” Jenkins said. “He has been relentless in his effort. He has been dialed in on his gameplan execution in learning player tendencies and what he has to do on a game-to-game basis.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Taylor Jenkins on how the Grizzlies will approach the next few days, and what went into that decision to full court press in the first half even with a lead.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> <a href="https://t.co/ueLsbZfZoP">pic.twitter.com/ueLsbZfZoP</a></p><p>— Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1869953638308684032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“We talked the other day (about) whatever is happening on the offensive side. I’ve got a lot of faith in (Wells) with how he moves and shoots. He is improving how he is handling playmaking opportunities but it’s all about the defense,” continued Jenkins. “For him to go out and set a tone on Curry, who is one of the toughest covers in the history of the NBA, was great. He is going to be tested again night after night when he gets those assignments. Whoever we are playing, it’s a great challenge for him.”</p><p>Curry managed 2 points (0-7 FGA) against the Grizzlies on December 19. James Harden went 6-of-16 from the field in Memphis two days before Christmas. Wells helped <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-speak-new-minute-allocations-taylor-jenkins-zach-edey">Ja Morant’s minutes-crunched Grizzlies</a> notch a historic road win over the Boston Celtics on December 7. Derrick White and Brown combined for eight turnovers and it’s been more than a month of mayhem from the rookie.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies got Jaylen Wells locked in early </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>Jaylen Wells won the NBA’s first Rookie of the Month award despite not having eye-popping steals (14) or blocks (5) totals this season. Still, he is <a href="https://x.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1871636201855492192" rel="noopener">seventh in drives stopped</a> and fourth in Defensive Win Shares right behind Zach Edey. Wells does not need to do as much point-of-attack defending given how All-Stars are denied the opportunity to even touch the ball.</p><p>“In my time in the NBA, (Wells) definitely stands out as one who has really excelled. It’s a rookie campaign, he is having his learning moments for sure, but I attribute a lot of his success to his commitment to that side of the floor,” Jenkins shared. “It’s his identification with that side of the floor.”</p><p>Everyone knows the importance of playing defense, especially for long shots to make the squad. No one with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-great-value-trio-nba-sixth-man-of-the-year-candidates-jake-laravia-scotty-pippen-jr-santi-aldama">Grizzlies saw this level of elite play coming</a> so soon. Wells was not looking for it either though. He was just a head down and keep working type since Summer League and through training camp.</p><p>“Coming in as a rookie, (Wells) had no grand expectations for himself other than getting in the rotation and making an impact,” Jenkins explained. “He and I talked about how defense was going to be a big thing. Coaches say that all the time but I think he has been locked in with the amount of film he watches and the tutelage he gets from his teammates.”</p><p>“Conversation I’ve had with (Wells), even with winning NBA Rookie of the Month, everything steers back to wanting to lock in and getting these (defensive) assignments,” added Jenkins. “He just has a feel for engagement on that side of the floor. I love the impact he is making on the offensive side and the growth areas there. But when you’ve got a rookie that can come in, (play defense), and still be a two-way impact player that is pretty impressive.”</p><p>Voters for the NBA All-Defense teams should be taking notice sooner rather than later. There is not much else Wells can do to get on that award radar.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells’ ‘relentless’ effort puts him on All-Defense radar

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-jaylen-wells-waves-off-fandom-miami-heat-talking-weird-nba-moments-jimmy-butler-taj-gibson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells waves off fandom for Heat while talking weird NBA moments');   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/2024/11/Grizzlies-news-Jaylen-Wells-waves-off-fandom-for-one-team-while-talking-wierd-NBA-moments.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells waves off fandom for Heat while talking weird NBA moments</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-18T17:09:59-08:00">November 18th, 5:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-18T17:13:13-08:00">November 18th, 5:13pm</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>It’s early when it comes to judging the 2024 NBA Draft class but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-teases-good-injury-update-coming-soon">Ja Morant’s injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies</a> might have the best rookies on any roster. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-encouraged-zach-edey-singing-praises-start-nba-career-rookie">Zach Edey is converting new believers down on Beale Street</a> while Taylor Jenkins has invested time in unearthing a gem of a second-rounder. Jaylen Wells has not yet been baptized with a welcome-to-the-league moment, and that’s a good thing, but there was one assignment that had the rookie in a twilight zone.</p><p>Wells told ClutchPoints about the one player that had the rookie <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1858333795453211003" rel="noopener">shaking his head in disbelief.</a></p><p>“I don’t really have a welcome to the NBA moment yet,” Wells said. “But I was talking about this preseason game and it’s like ‘I’m guarding Taj Gibson. This is crazy.’ Like out of all the guys that was the one that got me. It was like ‘Why am I guarding Taj Gibson right now?’ This is wild.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaylen Wells on the player he grew up watching, the team he is no longer a fan of, and his welcome to NBA moment of sorts..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> <a href="https://t.co/IwzBOpUxsB">pic.twitter.com/IwzBOpUxsB</a></p><p>— Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1858333795453211003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Folsom High (California) alum is not circling any dates on the schedule, even for a role model like Jimmy Butler. Wells rescinded his Miami Heat fan card after a month of NBA action and is not bothering with the internal hype that comes with circling dates on a calendar.</p><p>“Jimmy Butler. That’s probably the main guy (I’m looking forward to facing),” admitted Wells. “I grew up being a Heat fan, (but) I’m not a Heat fan anymore…I don’t even know when that (Grizzlies versus Heat) game is, to be honest with you.”</p><p>Wells will have to wait another three months for that matchup. The Grizzlies host the Heat on the Ides of March 2025 before an April 3 date in South Beach. Butler might be idling up for the NBA Playoffs for another franchise if <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-brooklyn-favored-land-jimmy-butler-heat-trade">Butler’s current stalemate with Heat head honcho Pat Riley</a> continues. Butler wants a new contract and one more shot at a championship run. Miami could move in a different direction before the NBA Trade Deadline passes.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies, Jalen Wells getting ready for NBA Cup action</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jaylen-Wells-versus-Jamal-Murray.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Will Jaylen Wells get the jersey swap opportunity of his childhood dreams? Only time will tell. However, the rookie is doing a very good impression of his idol over the first month of the season. Taylor Jenkins might even have a hard time keeping Wells out of the starting lineup even with a fully healthy roster.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-teases-good-injury-update-coming-soon">Ja Morant will not be ready for the Grizzlies’ NBA Cup tilt</a> versus the Nuggets on November 19. Nikola Jokic (personal reason) might not make it back either. Either way, Wells and Edey have to be prepared to contribute in a big way to help the Grizzlies tread water in the Western Conference.</p><p>Jenkins talked about what Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey can do to <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1858673234931315006" rel="noopener">cut down on mistakes</a> and catch up to the NBA’s pace before the holiday season kicks into high gear.</p><p>“It’s watching film,” Jenkins stressed. “Then when we do our walk-through just showing the movement patterns where, yeah, you tried to make that play we’ve been drilling but maybe you missed the other opportunity. Maybe there was even something earlier in the possession where we didn’t have to rely on that high-risk play later in the possession. ”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Taylor Jenkins talks about Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey cleaning up mistakes…</p><p>Then throws a shoutout to an old friend who got their first win with the <a href="https://twitter.com/MemphisHustle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MemphisHustle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> <a href="https://t.co/dn6aVJPEoz">pic.twitter.com/dn6aVJPEoz</a></p><p>— Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1858673234931315006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>We’ll go back and keep educating our guys,” continued Jenkins. “It’s still a work in progress. I love that the intent is there. Sometimes their decisions can be…a little more beneficial than the ones that result in a turnover.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
10.5	3.3	1.7	0.1	0.6

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
10.5	3.3	1.7	0.1	0.6

Jaylen Wells news

Jaylen
Wells news