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Welcome to the NBA moments are usually rough on rookies. The not-quite-dialed-in Memphis Grizzlies have an exception to that unwritten rule though. It took less than 40 games for the Grizzlies to find out Jaylen Wells can get emotional, 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.
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.
“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.”
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.
“I always take advantage of the meals (at the facility),” Wells laughed. “I'm grabbing breakfast from here.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
Faith and confidence go hand-in-hand for Wells. The head has to be right before the body will listen.
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“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.”
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.
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.
To the Almighty Commissioner above we pray that 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.
The prayer is repurposed prose 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.
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.
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.
For Jaylen Wells, well, it's almost becoming routine.
