The Memphis Grizzlies Should Sign A WNBA Player

The Memphis Grizzlies‘ post All-Star break performance has been something like a roller coaster. They’ve garnered lofty wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers on back-to-back nights with tough, physical defense, only to get shut down by the Sacramento Kings and in the rematch against the Clippers.

Memphis has scored just 93 points per 100 possessions in their last four games following the All-Star break. As demoralizing as their defense is, wins will rarely come easily should they continue to struggle putting the ball in the hole.

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The Grizzlies are reportedly looking to add someone to their roster, but instead of looking to the D-league or free agency, Jonah Jordan of Grizzly Bear Blues suggests that general manager Chris Wallace should take an unconventional approach and sign a player from the WNBA; Jordan specifically named Elena Delle Donne, star forward for the Chicago Sky, as the player the Grizzlies should look to pursue — but can she truly compete at a higher level competitively and help the Grizzlies?

ESPNW writer Kate Fagan posted an article in 2013 titled “No woman, not even Griner, could play in NBA.” The piece was in response to the notion among fans that Britney Griner could play in the NBA. Fagan makes a cohesive argument as to why Griner wouldn’t be successful in the NBA.

Griner is a skinny 6-foot-8 post player who would go up against physically overmatching interior players if she transitioned to the NBA; however, that’s not to say that no female athlete could make a successful transition. A skilled perimeter player who’s capable enough to splash in threes and quick enough to keep up when the competition gets heated, no matter the gender, could carve out a career in the NBA.

At 6-foot-5, Delle Donne possesses the ideal length, speed, and skill set that’s needed to perform adequately for an NBA team. She won the Rookie of the Year Award over none other than Britney Griner, and Delle Donne has been an All-Star in her first two years in the WNBA.

She averaged 18 points per game during that span despite battling injuries for the majority of one of those seasons.

Check out her top 10 plays of the 2013 season.

The flourishing WNBA star has accumulated success both in the United States and internationally. She won the gold medal in the World University Games and has displayed her first-class shooting ability in the WNBA by shooting 41% both in college and the pros. Delle Donne’s capabilities extend far beyond that of a shooting specialist, though.

She’s adapt at both driving to the basket and hitting spot-up shooters and cutters in stride with her excellent court vision. It seems like only a matter of time before Delle Donne becomes the first female athlete to play in the NBA.

"“If any woman could legitimately play in the league, she almost certainly would have to be a perimeter player, someone who could operate in the open floor and create her own offense — someone whose skills wouldn’t be hampered by the overwhelming size and strength of the NBA’s interior players,” Fagan wrote. “And even then, she would encounter other hurdles, such as the speed and quickness possessed by NBA guards.”"

Will Garcia backs that sentiment in a piece titled “In My Lifetime…”:

"“To recap, to compete in the NBA, the most established role for a female player would be as a shooting specialist. To do well in this role, she would need to be a knockdown shooter (obviously), have good court-awareness and basketball IQ, and be an elite athlete by female standards.”"

Garcia proceeds to recognize Delle Donne as the quintessential candidate to make the leap for reasons that would greatly benefit the Grizzlies.

"“However, you also have to consider that Delle Donne put up these impressive shooting numbers as the number one option and has received much more defensive attention than she would in the NBA,” Garcia wrote. “Assuming the worst, we know that she can at least hit the open shot from distance and space the floor at an NBA level. Because the bulk of her role as a scorer would likely be based on spot-ups and shots off of screens, she would be getting plenty of open looks. She’s also a skilled passer and has a decent handle, underrated skills that come in handy, especially for players who are physically overmatched.”"

It isn’t outlandish to believe that Delle Donne could surpass the limitations of an average spot-up shooter, though. The Grizzlies’ offense would accentuate her multifaceted skill-set.

Coach Dave Joerger has never had a lethal 3-point shooter like Delle Donne, and using her in pick-and-pop situations, having her run around Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph screens, and spotting up in the corner or above the break off post-ups would open up the Grizzlies’ offense to an unprecedented degree.

Additionally, adding Delle Donne and (a healthy) Vince Carter to the second unit would certainly help with the Grizzlies’ lack of scoring off the bench.

Although having a female athlete play in the NBA would raise concerns regarding her ability to keep up defensively, it’s not as if the NBA isn’t filled with horrendous perimeter defenders. Given her stature and athleticism, nothing suggests that she wouldn’t be able to play within the Grizzlies’ defensive schemes successfully.

Even if Delle Donne proves to be a liability on the defensive end, the Grizzlies have shown that by hiding Rudy Gay defensively for two seasons, they can hide just about anyone.

Signing Delle Donne would be a low-risk, high-reward move for Memphis, and it’s an opportunity that they should capitalize on. Shooters of Delle Donne’s caliber tend to elude the Grizzlies, and obtaining her services could help Memphis capture that elusive championship.

Next: The Memphis Grizzlies Are Flexing Their Muscles

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