Memphis Grizzlies: 2017-18 season preview
By Greg Cassoli
2017-18 Roster
Wade Baldwin, PG
Dillon Brooks, SG/SF
Mario Chalmers, PG
Mike Conley, PG
Troy Daniels, SG
Deyonta Davis, PF/C
James Ennis, SF
Tyreke Evans, SG/SF
Marc Gasol, C
JaMychal Green (most likely), PF
Andrew Harrison, PG
Jarell Martin, PF
Ben McLemore, SG
Chandler Parsons, SF
Ivan Rabb, PF/C
Wayne Selden, SG
Brandan Wright, C
Rade Zagorac, SF
Offseason Additions
Dillon Brooks (No. 45 overall pick via Houston, Oregon), Mario Chalmers (free agent), Tyreke Evans (free agent, Sacramento), Ben McLemore (free agent, Sacramento), Rade Zagorac (2016 No. 35 overall pick via Boston, Serbia)
Offseason Subtractions
Tony Allen (free agent, New Orleans), Vince Carter (free agent, Sacramento), Toney Douglas (free agent, unsigned), Zach Randolph (free agent, Sacramento), Troy Williams (free agent, Houston)
Quick Thoughts
Memphis overhauled its roster significantly this summer, losing five players from last year’s squad, including longtime stalwarts Tony Allen and Zach Randolph.
The Grizzlies’ roster turnover aligns with the team’s commitment to playing a younger, more modern style. Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter are a combined 111 years old, and while each of their abilities to play effectively at their respective ages is truly incredible, none fit in with a team looking to spread the floor and play with greater tempo.
Memphis Grizzlies
Not all of the Grizzlies’ faces will be new. Memphis’ foundational pieces of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are returning, and both will continue to play extremely meaningful roles for the team. Their style of play may include a bit more running and 3-point shooting, but their effectiveness will remain the most critical component of the Grizzlies’ success. There’s no reason to think they won’t deliver. How snugly Memphis’ incoming players fit around them is another question.
Every one of the Grizzlies’ free agent additions are either unproven young players or former rotation pieces with substantial injury history. That’s not ideal, and there is certainly a world where none of them play well, and the team realizes a major drop in performance. Memphis’ financial situation restricted their options in free agency severely, but just because the result is understandable doesn’t make it any less unsettling.
Conley and Gasol should help. They both make their teammates better, and have plenty of institutional knowledge to pass along to the next generation of Grizzlies. Having a smart head coach in David Fizdale won’t hurt either, and many of Memphis’ major bench players will be returning as well. The Grizzlies have a number of newcomers, but they’re not an entirely new team (think the Boston Celtics), which should make the process of integration a bit less daunting.
Effective coalescence is not a foregone conclusion though, and the possibility of the experimentation needed to figure out the team’s best lineup combinations costing a game or two is a very real one. That could be meaningful in a context as competitive as the Western Conference projects to be.