It's no secret that the Memphis Grizzlies killed it during the 2019 Draft, and they may have found their franchise player in Ja Morant. However, he isn't the only outstanding rookie on the team. During the Grizzlies' 125-112 victory over the Detroit Pistons, both Morant and Brandon Clarke played exceptionally well. In fact, the last time the Grizzlies had two outstanding rookies was more than a decade ago, when another great was wearing the Memphis jersey.
Tonight at Detroit, @JaMorant (16 points, 12 assists) and @brandonclarke23 (15 points, 11 rebounds) became the 1st pair of @memgrizz rookies to record double-doubles in the same game since Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo on Feb. 9, 2009 vs. New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/gErKkeZihY
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 25, 2020
It was a solid night for Morant as he led the Grizzlies through his playmaking. The electrifying guard finished with 16 points, two rebounds, and 12 assists in 31 minutes of play. His passes cut through the Detroit defense like butter and helped his team get the win.
Clarke's stat line was arguably more exciting, though. The 21st pick in the 2019 Draft was all over the court. The undersized power forward finished with 15 points, 11 boards, an assist, a block, and a steal. It was an amazing night for him that definitely harked back to the time when Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo were rookies.
The two became key pieces during the early years of the Grit ‘N Grind era of the Grizzlies, with Mayo providing the scoring and Gasol being the solid presence down low. However, things took the worse for Mayo; he is now out of the league due to a drug-related violation. Meanwhile, Gasol was traded to the Toronto Raptors after years of dominance with the Grizzlies to win his first championship.
Memphis hoops fans hope that their new young guns will be able to exceed what Gasol and Mayo achieved during their time with the team. And with the way they've been playing, that is seemingly becoming more of a reality.
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