Memphis Grizzlies: 5 takeaways from the first week of preseason
By Greg Cassoli
2. What is happening with Jarell Martin?
The Commercial Appeal‘s Ron Tillery reported that the Grizzlies planned to waive Jarell Martin on the team’s Media Day. The plan was to let him stay in camp to showcase his skills for other teams. We’re now two games into the preseason, and Martin has looked as good as any of Memphis’ other backup bigs.
There is no chance he’ll steal Brandan Wright’s spot given the size of his contract, and little chance he pushes out Deyonta Davis, whom the team is hoping will grow into a meaningful role this year, but he’s making an interesting case for himself.
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Martin posted a16-point, four-rebound line in the team’s first preseason game, going 7-for-8 from the field. He was significantly less efficient in the Grizzlies’ second outing, but still managed to record eight points, nine rebounds and one block in just 13 minutes of play.
Martin has looked particularly good with the ball in his hands in transition, attacking defenses before they can get set, and assaulting the rim with his athleticism. With Memphis looking to up its pace of play, a big like Martin seems an ideal fit. He’s not quite large enough to bang with the league’s biggest centers, but he’s got plenty of athleticism to switch on to wings against smaller units, and has even shown some nice touch shooting the ball from deep. That kind of player is extremely valuable in the modern NBA.
Health and consistency will be key for Martin. Both of those things have evaded him at times in the past, but if he plays all of the Grizzlies’ preseason game with the level of production he’s demonstrated throughout the first two matchups, Memphis may be faced with a challenging decision.