Memphis Grizzlies: 5 goals for Ben McLemore in 2017-18

1. Be a net positive when on the court

This is a rare goal where the perception of McLemore’s teammates may be a more valuable metric than any that quantitative analysis can provide. Players know when other players are helping or hurting the team, and that’s what this really boils down to.

Can McLemore become a trusted piece of a winning team, and is his time on the court contributing to that winning? The Grizzlies will have a sense of whether or not that is happening internally that will be far superior to any number an outside observer can produce.

That doesn’t mean we’re not going to look for one to use as a proxy though. On/off splits feel like the right tool for the trick. McLemore has been a net positive for his team in two out of his four seasons as a pro, including the one year he functioned as a full-time starter. That’s a decent precedent to believe he could do it again.

Obviously there is a ton of context that needs to be accounted for. If McLemore spends most of his time playing next to Conley and Gasol, for example, there is a decent chance that his on/off numbers will look extremely favorable. If the opposite is true, they may look quite bad. Then again that could mean he is playing against backup units, and diminished talent levels should provide an opportunity for increased impact.

Next: Complete 2017 NBA offseason grades for all 30 teams

We can take those factors into account when the time comes, but for now we’ll focus on a specific mark. Let’s set this goal for McLemore at having a positive effect on Memphis’ net rating per 100 possessions when he’s on the court, as compared to when he sits.