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Will the Memphis Grizzlies be able to continue building off their recent trips to the NBA Playoffs with a solid selection in the 2023 NBA Draft?
The Grizzlies have made the playoffs with their young roster in the last three years, going as far as the Western Conference Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. They took the second seed in the Western Conference during the 2022-23 regular season after they finished with a record of 51-31 but fell in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Memphis has the No. 25, No. 45 and No. 56 picks in the 2023 Draft. Whether the Grizzlies take a chance on the experience UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. brings to the roster or roll the dice on more of a gamble with Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis, Memphis will have plenty of options to try out with their late-first-round pick and beyond.
Can Xavier guard Colby Jones be the ideal fit for the Grizzlies with their No. 25 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft? And how will he fit with a Memphis squad looking to push their way into an extended run in the NBA Playoffs?
Extra help on both sides of the floor
No modern team is complete without reliable two-way options at both wing spots.
Forward Ziaire Williams is the only small forward listed on Spotrac's 2023-24 Salary Cap grid for the Grizzlies. Guards Luke Kennard, Desmond Bane and John Konchar are all listed at the shooting guard spot.
Jones, a former 4-star recruit out of Birmingham, Ala., can bring 83 games of collegiate experience to the Grizzlies if he falls to them at No. 25. The 6-foot-6-inch guard finished the year with averages of 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, playing a pivotal role in a Xavier offense that led the Big East conference with 81.4 points per game and field goal percentage with 49.4%.
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Jones said teams gave him positive feedback on his playing style in a May article from 247Sports Publisher Rick Broering.
“The teams I met with just like that I'm the connector on offense. I do a lot of different things on offense and defense and just making those hustle plays, all of the dirty plays. They like my motor,” Jones said, via 247Sports. “As far as like getting better, they just want me to continue to shoot the 3 ball so that I can shoot that and just be aggressive at all times. I feel like that's what they're really looking for.”
If anything, Jones can help boost a bench that placed 14th in the NBA with a 56.3 offensive rating and 17th with a 56.4 defensive rating last season.
A potential plug-and-play Grizzlies wing
Memphis has plenty of young players who have shown they can be talented options for the Grizzlies for years to come.
Forward Jaren Jackson Jr., a 23-year-old forward out of Michigan State, recently won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award after a stellar season that saw him swat away three shots per game. 12 players who logged games for the Grizzlies last season were 24 or younger, according to Basketball Reference. Only two players, center Steven Adams and now-Cleveland Cavaliers guard Danny Green, were 29 or older.
Whether they try in free agency or with their draft picks, the Grizzlies must invest in more experienced players who can be plug-and-play options or provide veteran leadership to the team's young players.
Jones's all-around talent can make him a reliable option for the Grizzlies sooner rather than later. His size and versatility will be a welcomed part of a rotation that could feature Williams, Kennard and Bane at the wing spots.
