How to enjoy Memphis Grizzlies preseason basketball

2. Monitor the shooting guard situation

One of the biggest open questions heading into the year is who will start in the backcourt next to Mike Conley. Tony Allen and Vince Carter aren’t walking through that door, and with an offseason injury keeping Ben McLemore from claiming the role, things have never felt more open. Smart money is probably on Tyreke Evans landing the job.

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He’ll need to prove he’s recovered from a series of knee and ankle injuries, but at the end of the day, Evans is a far more proven NBA player than any of the Grizzlies’ other alternatives. He’s really the only player with any sort of track record of success at all.

It’s possible, however, that Memphis may want to keep Evans on the bench. He may be their only source of creation among potential backups, and if the Grizzlies think he makes more sense as a sixth man, then it might behoove them to start him out in that role.

McLemore won’t be out all that long, and he could slide directly into the starting spot if need be. That would keep Evans from having to figure out how to transition from a starting role to backup duties on the fly.

Memphis is going to need talent on the perimeter, though, and really Evans is their best shot at getting competent play. If he can produce at the level he was capable of pre-injury, or even just something close to it, the Grizzlies would be wise to make the starting spot his to lose.

There are no guarantees that McLemore will grow into a more talented player than Evans. Placing him at the top of the depth chart before proving he deserves to be there would be a dangerous move. Fizdale probably already has a loose plan in mind for how he would like to handle the situation, but the preseason could go a long way in cementing or changing it.