Jarell Martin A Good Fit For The The Memphis Grizzlies

By D. Goodman | Jun 26, 2015

Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; LSU Tigers forward Jarell Martin (1) shoots the ball in front of North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Ralston Turner (22) during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

The Memphis Grizzlies only had one pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft and they used it to pick Jarell Martin, a 21-year old sophomore out of LSU.

Martin is a 6-foot-10, 239-pound forward who can play either forward position. He averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game for LSU last year and helped the Tigers make a return to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2009. LSU lost in the first round, but Martin had a great game, scoring 16 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and dishing four assists.

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Beyond the stats and figures however may lie the real reason Martin caught the Grizzlies’ eye and they decided to take him with the 25th overall pick.

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Martin is known for his aggressiveness and fearless attitude when it comes to attacking the rim. He can rebound and is not afraid of making contact. He has the body of an NBA player and while he isn’t going to light up the score board, he can create scoring opportunities for others.

Most importantly, he adds some versatility to the bench and gives Grizzlies coach David Joerger something he hasn’t had much of the last few seasons: options.

Martin worked out for the Grizzlies before the draft and Memphis was impressed then, especially Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace. At a press conference late Thursday night Wallace talked about what Martin brings to the roster, via FoxSports.com.

"“We think he brings some rare skills for a power forward. He can handle the ball very skillfully. If you watched the games late in the season in particular against big-time teams like Kentucky and Arkansas, he can get in the lane and make plays through traffic, just has a scoring instinct.”"

Despite all the good Martin adds to the Grizzlies, there is some downside. He has a lot to pick up about the pro game and faces a pretty steep learning curve, especially on the defensive end. There is the issue of his definite lack of shooting skills and the fact that he will see few, if any minutes with the team so stocked up at power forward.

But that is part of why this pick makes so much sense for the Grizzlies. Martin can become a very effective piece of Memphis’ future if he is given the time to develop his game and improve what he needs to work on. Many have already said Martin has the potential to be another Zach Randolph, so what better way to help make that happen then to let him play on the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, until he is ready.

Many observers have said that Martin already plays a very Memphis style, Grit-and-Grind type of basketball, which could translate into him becoming a key part of the Grizzlies future in the post Marc Gasol era, whenever that may happen.

NBA dynasties are built by addressing the present while thinking about the future. It seems the Grizzlies are already looking down the road to keep the victories coming in Memphis.

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