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The Memphis Grizzlies, after months of talking themselves up as the next big thing in the NBA, had to swallow a huge humble pie. Their season, which began with much cacophony, ended on a whimper, as they suffered a six-game first-round series defeat to the lower-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. This defeat was heartbreaking enough on its own, but for them to end their season on the lowest of notes, a 40-point blowout? That should send even the most optimistic Grizzlies fan spiraling deep into the offseason.
Nevertheless, big changes may be coming soon for the Grizzlies. After all, a spot in their starting lineup just opened up following the departure of Dillon Brooks, the feisty forward. Shams Charania of The Athletic even reported that the Grizzlies won't be bringing him back “under any circumstances” (which Brooks' camp has denied).
At the moment, there are plenty of candidates on the Grizzlies roster who can do a job filling in for Brooks. The Grizzlies can go all-in on scoring by starting Luke Kennard, or perhaps they can roll with a much more conventional option at the position, like David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, or Ziaire Williams.
Or maybe the Grizzlies can pull yet another late first-round NBA Draft heist, like they did back in 2020 when they took Desmond Bane, one of the best shooters in the entire association, with the 30th overall pick.
The Grizzlies will have three chances to add a promising youngster to their roster, as they own the 25th, 45th, and 56th picks. Given the considerable uncertainty of the 2023 NBA Draft outside the top three, the opportunity will be there for the Grizzlies to land themselves yet another draft steal.
Here is the sleeper prospect the Grizzlies must target with their selections.
1 sleeper prospect Grizzlies must target in 2023 NBA Draft: Brandin Podziemski
The Grizzlies are in an ideal position of not really needing to plug any glaring holes in their rotation. Such is the luxury of drafting well in recent years, as, at the very least, the Grizzlies have filled their roster with players that can play quality minutes at any given night.
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Alas, some members of the Grizzlies rotation don't necessarily have the most expansive offensive games. Outside of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies don't exactly have someone who can create their own shots. The likes of Roddy, Williams, LaRavia, and John Konchar usually rely on others to set up easy buckets for them.
In the Lakers series alone, the Grizzlies had plenty of difficulties greasing the wheels on offense, and Kennard's injury, which forced him to miss the decisive Game 6, made scoring such a needlessly difficult endeavor. Thus, if there's anything the Grizzlies need, it's a player who can put the ball on the floor, and emerge as a reliable scoring option from the perimeter. This player won't necessarily have to take on a huge playmaking burden anyway, since Morant, Bane, and Jones have that taken care of.
Enter Brandin Podziemski, who ranks No. 47 on ClutchPoints' first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.
Podziemski, the 20-year old forward out of Santa Clara, does not have the longest track record of success. He did not have a huge role as a freshman at Illinois, so he decided to transfer, and it ended up being the best decision of his career thus far. Podziemski emerged as the best player on a Broncos team that finished third in their conference, averaging 19.9 points and 8.8 boards.
It's the ease with which the game comes to Brandin Podziemski that makes him such an enticing prospect. He can stroke the ball from anywhere on the court, and his smooth, fast release bodes well for his transition to the next level. Podziemski can do his damage off handoffs, off dribble pull-ups, and off catch-and-shoots, ending his sophomore collegiate season with a blistering 43.8 percent shooting from deep.
His shot mechanics are reminiscent of that of Luke Kennard's, and Kennard, as one would recall, was the best three-point marksman in the NBA based on percentage over the past two seasons.
What makes him a late first-round pick or even an early second-rounder in the 2023 NBA Draft is his lack of top-shelf athleticism. His feathery touch around the hoop allows him to prosper as a three-level scorer, but in the NBA, he may have difficulties getting to the hoop or rising above rim protectors due to his limited burst and vertical. But at the very least, Podziemski has shown an incredible feel for the game, as he gets into outstanding rebounding positions, and this also helps him stay in front of his man on defense.
At the moment, Podziemski projects as a three-point specialist. He will need to round out his game for him to carve out a long NBA career. But given the Grizzlies' track record over the past few years when it comes to maximizing these so-called “specialists”, they could very well put Podziemski in the prime position to succeed as early as his rookie season.
