The Memphis Grizzlies have reached the moment when the age of players may impact their competitive capacity. This is an inevitable aspect of continuity, as Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph went from being part of an intriguing quartet with Rudy Gay in 2010-11 to a limited trio with two players possessing age or injury issues.
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Moreover, the Grizzlies rank as the fifth oldest team in the NBA, as Mark Porcaro tweeted.
Updated NBA Roster Counts & Average Ages pic.twitter.com/GBQ5jxp1X3
— Mark Porcaro (@MarkPorcaro) September 16, 2015
Seven Grizzlies players will be 30 years old by opening night. Besides Randolph (34), Beno Udrih (33), Vince Carter (38), Tony Allen (33) and Matt Barnes (35) face significant age questions.
Carter, who ranks 27th all-time in minutes, hardly settled into a rhythm last season after having lingering discomfort in training camp following an offseason right ankle surgery to remove bone spurs. He averaged a career-worst 5.8 points per game and shot 29.7 percent from three-point range.
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Allen missed 47 games in the past two seasons, including the last nine games of the 2014-15 regular slate and most of the final two Western Conference semifinals games against the Golden State Warriors due to a sore left hamstring.
Udrih had his best run in a few years with 7.7 points during 18.9 minutes per game on 48.7 percent shooting in 2014-15. The Slovenian’s 14.6 points per 36 minutes were his highest since 2009-10. He had right ankle surgery in June. Udrih charged the Grizzlies’ offense with his rapid drive-and-kick action and running jumpers, but the Grizzlies must prepare for the possibility that his explosiveness won’t be the same.
Pro Basketball Talk’s Kurt Helin warned age will diminish Memphis, saying, “If the Grizzlies keep this core together, it will inevitably drop off. Father Time is undefeated.”
The Grizzlies can avert a crisis with age with a few simple moves.
Managing Minutes
Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger did fine handling starters’ minutes last season. No player averaged more than 34 minutes per game. Gasol and Randolph had a rest day on Mar. 12. Randolph had six games after the All-Star break with fewer than 30 minutes.
This year, the Grizzlies must do better putting teams away earlier so that they can get rest. Sometimes, as with the Dec. 12 double-overtime win against the Charlotte Hornets and the Dec. 13 overtime victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis played unnecessarily close games against inferior opponents instead of shutting the door early. Such games force the Grizzlies to play tired, as seen with the four-game losing streak following three overtime games in six days during December.
Randolph, Carter and Barnes need their minutes closely monitored.
Beale Street Bears
For Randolph, who has logged 29,036 minutes in his 14-year career, between 10 and 15 games with fewer than 30 minutes seems reasonable. Joerger should give second-year power forward Jarnell Stokes more time after allotting him 6.6 minutes per game in 19 appearances last season. Stokes, who had 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes in 2014-15, possesses the strength and interior toughness to advance as a rotational big man.
Carter merits a strict minutes limit. He caught 16.5 minutes per game in 2014-15, but should be kept at 15 considering the Grizzlies’ abundance on the wing. There should be a significant amount of sharing between Carter, Barnes, Jordan Adams and Udrih (who could still get some time running alongside Conley).
Besides, Carter faces a substantial risk of injury due to wear and tear. He’s settled into his late-career role as a high-volume three-point shooter. As he spends the vast majority of his time hanging beyond the arc, that’s the most he can do without sitting even more.
Barnes saw a career-high 29.9 minutes per game last season for the Los Angeles Clippers. That’s unsustainable. The Grizzlies should keep him a bit below 20 per game while focusing him on perimeter shooting. Barnes shot 36.2 percent from downtown while taking 60.3 percent of his shots from that range. Keeping him out there will protect his body.
Promote Jordan Adams
Sitting behind three 2-guards who will be 30 on opening night is a talented 21-year-old with skills matching the Grizzlies’ needs and scheme. Adams is the perfect player to help stretch the offense. He’s a playmaker who hits perimeter shots. Adams, who averaged 3.1 points in 8.3 minutes per game across 30 contests as a rookie, made four of 10 from three-point range last season and shot 35.6 percent from deep during his last year at UCLA.
He’s also a heady defender. Adams allowed 100 points per 100 possessions as a rookie and set UCLA’s single-season steals record. Adams’ toughness defending the perimeter allows him to easily transition into the rotation.
CBSSports.com’s Matt Moore touted the possibilities if Joerger gives Adams a chance, saying, “If he can stop making young-guy mistakes and become a plus-defender, he has real potential to earn meaningful minutes and legitimately contribute to a contending team.”
Perhaps because of the impact of age on Carter and Barnes, Adams can defend better than either if he refines that aspect of his game. Carter’s contribution on that end was his discipline. If Adams can demonstrate that, he can boost the second unit.
Give Russ Smith A Chance
The Grizzlies received the six-foot, 165-pound rookie point guard from the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 12 in the trade that sent Tayshaun Prince to the Boston Celtics and landed Jeff Green. Smith scored just 25 points in six games for Memphis. After the season, he didn’t seem to have a meaningful future with the team.
But NBA Summer League provided a glimmer of hope. Smith averaged 14.8 points per game and made the game-winner in the Orlando League championship game. His aggression, creative playmaking and smart passing offered the possibility he could blossom into a decent backup.
But Joerger should take a fair look at him in training camp in order that he may gain significant minutes. If Smith competes well, he should get time in games when Udrih’s quickness isn’t right. Also, at least once, Smith should get a start in the event that Conley gets injured.
Conclusion
Preserving players on an aging roster amid another brutal Western Conference race will be tough. However, the Grizzlies hold remarkable depth, including young reserves in both the frontcourt and backcourt. Stokes and Brandan Wright provide firm support behind Gasol and Randolph. Adams and Smith may appear buried in the depth chart, but should get opportunities. Particularly, giving Adams more time could help them on the perimeter now while building the bridge for the future.
Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time
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