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The young Memphis Grizzlies grew right before our very eyes last season when they defeated Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the Play-in tournament to book a ticket to the 2021 NBA playoffs. Memphis may have bowed out to the no. 1 seeded Utah Jazz in five games during the first round, but the Grizzlies proved that they belong on the big stage.
After a successful campaign, the Ja Morant-led Grizzlies will look to take the next step this 2021-22 season. Perhaps earning an outright playoff berth would be a viable goal.
Doing so, however, should be a challenging task given the stiff competition in the Western Conference. Memphis' playoff core from a season ago stayed relatively intact. They only lost starting center Jonas Valanciunas, whom they replaced with rugged big man Steven Adams, and forward Grayson Allen this summer. The Grizzlies stayed away from making roster-shaking moves. Instead, they focused on establishing continuity and banking on the growth of their homegrown studs as they look to take a jump this upcoming season. With that said, here are five big questions for the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2021-22 NBA season.
5 big Memphis Grizzlies questions for 2021-22 NBA season
5. Will the center switch pay off?
As mentioned above, the Grizzlies traded their starting center and second-leading scorer from a year ago in Jonas Valanciunas and acquired Steven Adams from the New Orleans this past summer. Memphis made the move primarily to improve its draft capital, as they jumped from no. 17 to 10 in this past draft, which used to take Zaire Williams. In addition, they also acquired a future 2022 draft pick.
Losing their lone offensive post presence in Valanciunas may have been a bummer. The Lithuanian big man was someone they could go down to on the block to get them a bucket. But they still got a more than a serviceable starting-caliber veteran in Adams. With the 28-year old, Memphis adds a rugged and more defensive-minded center that could help improve its rim protection and most importantly, set rock-solid screens for Ja Morant. He may not be as skilled offensively as JV, but the Big Kiwi definitely brings a lot with his effort and energy.
4. Can Jarrett Culver redeem himself and earn a spot in the rotation?
Memphis acquired Jarrett Culver while sending Patrick Beverley, whom they acquired in a previous deal as well, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Culver has yet to live up to his billing as the 6th overall pick in the 2019 draft. It's quite telling that Minnesota already gave up on their high lottery after just two seasons. Nonetheless, perhaps a change in scenery with the Grizzlies could help revive a lost career so far.
Getting Culver is a low-risk, high-reward move and could be a nice reclamation project for Memphis. The kid is still just 22 years old and could still turn into a solid NBA player down the line. There's a reason why Culver became a lottery pick. His calling card is his individual defense, which the Grizzlies could use with Dillon Brooks still out with a fractured left hand. However, the 6-foot-6 wing's struggles on offense have been well-documented and that is the main reason why he hasn't found his footing in the NBA just yet.
He may not have received any minutes in the Grizzlies' season-opener, but head coach Taylor Jenkins should at least give him a look at some point.
3. How will Taylor Jenkins shuffle his guard rotation?
As mentioned, Memphis is dealing with Dillon Brooks' injury, which forced the hand of head coach Taylor Jenkins to go with three guards — Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and De'Anthony Melton — in his starting lineup on opening night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The undersized unit didn't seem to have much of a problem. In fact, the three thrived playing alongside each other as Morant put up a monster 37-point performance, Bane dropped 22 points, and Melton turned in a 20-piece.
It will definitely be interesting to see how Taylor Jenkins will mix and match his guard rotations when Brooks comes back. With Bane's development and Melton's steady play, it's going to be hard for the 37-year old coach to keep any of them off the floor.
2. Can Jaren Jackson Jr. stay healthy?
Jaren Jackson Jr. has struggled to stay healthy through his first three years in the NBA. He only appeared in 11 games last season and only logged 58 and 57 games in his rookie and sophomore seasons, respectively.
He is entering this season with a clean bill of health, unlike last year when he was still undergoing rehab for a torn meniscus without any timetable for a return. Jackson should be a huge part of Memphis' plans moving forward, especially after they signed him to a 4-year, $105 million deal. The second-generation forward should get a bigger role offensively this season with the departure of Jonas Valanciunas. The Grizzlies will rely on Jackson's ability to both space the floor as a 3-point shooter and finish at the rim as Ja Morant's main pick-and-roll partner.
Can Jackson finally have a fully healthy season and break out as the star Memphis envisions him to be?
1. Is Ja Morant prime for an All-Star campaign?
For the second year in a row, Ja Morant came out with a bang on their season opener. The 2019-20 Rookie of the Year opened his sophomore season with a 44-point outburst. This year, he exploded for 37 points in Memphis' opening night victory over Cleveland.
There's no doubt Morant is already on his way to stardom in the NBA. Multiple All-Star appearances should be in the 22-year old point guard's future. But can Morant actually make the jump to becoming an All-Star caliber player as soon as this season?
Cracking the All-Star squad, however, is going to be a major challenge with the likes of Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, and Damian Lillard already being locks in the Western Conference. Then, you've got guys like Devin Booker, Chris Paul, De'Aaron Fox, and other worthy candidates. Nonetheless, even if Morant doesn't get the recognition he's due, just turning in an All-Star worthy year should be instrumental for Memphis' goals as a team this season.
