Memphis Grizzlies 2015 NBA Draft In Review

The Memphis Grizzlies went into the 2015 NBA Draft with a single pick, No. 25, and a laundry list of issues that needed to be addressed.

There’s the fact that Memphis needs to deepen the bench at center and point guard due to possible departures in free agency over the next few seasons. There is the very real issue of the Grizzlies’ poor shooting from beyond the arc that might have cost them a chance to advance in the playoffs this year. And there is the simple fact that their core isn’t getting any younger and new blood needs to be infused soon so the team can remain competative.

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You are obviously not going to solve any of those concerns with a single pick, and certainly not with a pick as low in the first round as No. 25.

By the end of the night, the Grizzlies not only drafted someone many feel was the best player available at No. 25, but worked out a deal to get an additional second round pick and used that to deepen their bench a bit.

No. 25 – Jarell Martin, 6’9″, 239 pounds, SF/PF out of LSU

Martin averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his final season at LSU, helping the school return to the NCAA Tournament. He is better known for his defense than his ability to score, along with the fact he can launch himself into the air with very little space around him.

Martin is fast, aggressive and fearless and uses all three of those attributes to attack the rim in the pursuit of getting the rebound. He is not afraid of making contact in order to draw fouls and is an athletic player who can play both forward positions. He is big for a forward, plays a very physical style of basketball and should fit right in with Memphis’ whole Grit-and-Grind philosophy.

As for negatives, Martin isn’t much of a scorer and has a lot to learn in order to be an effective part of the Grizzlies roster. His defensive skill set needs work and he will need to improve his technique. Martin isn’t a player that is going to have an immediate impact on the franchise and will likely spend some time in the NBA D-League learning the ropes.

No. 44 – Andrew Harrison, 6’6″, 213 pounds, PG out of Kentucky

During the second round, the Grizzlies worked out a deal to send forward Jon Leuer to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the 44th pick in the draft. That pick turned out to by Harrison, a player Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace had his eye on as he revealved during a postdraft press conference:

"“Later in the draft, Andrew Harrison is someone we had our eyes on. We had him ranked significantly ahead of the 44th pick. He’s a player with tremendous size in the backcourt. He can swing over from point guard to off-guard. He’s a good defender, gets in the lane.”(via Grizzlies.com)"

Harrison averaged 10.1 points and 3.7 assists per game in two seasons with the Wildcats. He also shot 36.7 percent from three-point range and and impressive 77.7 percent from the free throw line.

Harrison is big for a point guard and he uses that to his advantage to go where he wants, when he wants on the hardwood. He can find open teammates with ease and is good with the ball, which is helpful since his one glaring weakness is an ability to put the ball in the basket.

Harrison is not going to blow anyone away with his skills or athleticism, but he can be a solid backup point guard in the NBA, which is exactly what the Grizzlies will need if they let Nick Calathes walk during free agency.

Final Grade: B-

Neither of the players Memphis chose are going to make the kind of impact on the roster that a D’Angelo Russell or a Jahlil Okafor are going to. But the Grizzlies did their research and grabbed two players who were the best available at that spot and have a decent chance to fit into the Grizzlies’ system. When you go into a draft with limited options as Memphis did on Thursday, you can’t ask for much more than that.

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