Memphis Grizzlies: Biggest needs for the 2018 NBA Draft

Wings

This need is more about the way the NBA is shifting. Wings are all the rage, and wings who can do a particular skill really well are even more the rage.

The Grizzlies’ wings stink. If Tyreke Evans is gone, Dillon Brooks will be the best wing on the roster. Not to insult Brooks, but you need someone better than that if you want to win games at any point. The Grizz should look to address this issue.

Unfortunately, their first round pick might actually be too high to address this need. The top seven players are mostly centers and guards, but a small glimmer of hope exists in Mikal Bridges.

The Villanova product is probably the best wing in the draft. He hit 43.5 percent of this 3s at Villaova and he was dynamic enough to drop in 17.7 points per game. He takes care of the ball; his turnover rate was below 10 percent in his most recent season. Oh, and he’s a great defender. Simply put; he’s a supremely skilled scoring wing, and his high floor as a shooter could make him valuable in Memphis.

The problem(s): He turns 22 this year and he is probably outside the top five best players in the draft. That means the Grizzlies would likely to be reaching to draft him in the first round, and his old age could limit his potential.

So maybe the 32nd pick is the place for the Memphis Grizzlies to draft a wing. It is always hard to say who will be available when, but Keita Bates-Diop and Melvin Frazier are two guys they could look at here.

Bates-Diop will probably go before the 32nd pick, but you never know. Tankathon has him going 28th, so falling four more slots isn’t unreasonable.

KBD is awesome, but he’s older. He just finished his fourth college season, but with a second round pick, this wouldn’t matter as much. He just won Big 10 Player of the Year after scoring 19.8 points per game and playing unreal defense for a whole season at Ohio State, so he could be an immediate contributor if he falls to the Grizz in round two.

Melvin Frazier is a bit of the same mold, but he is a year younger. Frazier is also a better shooter, so if the Grizz are looking more a more offensive wing, they could look to Frazier. It is also much more likely Frazier will be available at No. 32.

Any of these guys would be good, but drafting one of them would be the product of circumstance. Depending on who other teams pick, these guys could all end up being perfect selections for the Grizzlies.