Previewing The 2023-24 Memphis Grizzlies
September 25th, 2023
by Alan Lu
The Memphis Grizzlies had rose up to be one of the best teams in the West in 2022, and they were an up-and-coming team on the rise. Despite falling short in the playoffs, they were expected to build off that season. In 2023, they were still able to reel off a good number of regular season wins, but unexpected incidents from Ja Morant arose, combined with Dillon Brooks’ antics, and the Grizzlies ended up losing in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round series of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
This year, they have retooled their team, as they added Marcus Smart but let Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks go, and they also were able to select Gregory Jackson II in the draft. The Grizzlies will have to navigate without Ja Morant for the first 25 games, but they may have the talent to be an upper-tier team in the West this season.
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will look to lead the Grizzlies to get plenty of wins this season.
(Photo: Nelson Chenault/USA Today Sports, via Fansided’s Beale Street Bears)
Star Players:
G Ja Morant, F-C Jaren Jackson Jr., and G-F Desmond Bane
Ja Morant is a very athletic, skilled star point guard that has helped his team win many regular season games, but he’s run into a slew of off-court incidents that have gotten him suspended lately. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a dynamic big man that can stretch the floor, finish plays above the rim, and he also won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Desmond Bane is a sharpshooter that is one of the best shooters in the game.
On the other hand, Morant has gotten into off-court incidents that have led him to get suspended at times, and Jaren Jackson Jr. has had trouble rebounding or staying away from foul trouble, which hurt him in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. But if they can get past those things, they could end up having better than expected seasons this year.
Additions:
G Marcus Smart, G Derrick Rose, F Gregory “G.G.” Jackson II, G Josh Christopher, and F Isaiah Todd
Their big addition was Marcus Smart, who will help shore up their defense. He gives them defensive versatility and insurance at the point guard position while Ja Morant serves his suspension.
Subtractions:
G Tyus Jones and G-F Dillon Brooks
They lost a couple of key role players in Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks, and they were previously mainstays in their rotation, and both provided quality defense. Although on the other hand, the subtraction of Dillon Brooks could be viewed as an addition by subtraction, because they will no longer have to deal with his antics and inefficient play.
Rookies:
He is a very young, athletic combo forward that could prove to be one of the steals of the second round of the 2023 draft. Despite having an inconsistent freshman campaign, Jackson has shown flashes of his versatility and intriguing skill set, and he is a versatile scorer that has promising defensive potential. He isn’t likely to play much right away, but he is a talented prospect that could end up being a solid player in the NBA in the future.
Expected Rotation:
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72418800/usa_today_20545509.0.jpg)
Desmond Bane is a sharpshooting swingman that will be an integral player to the Memphis Grizzlies for the upcoming season.
(Photo: Petre Thomas/USA Today Sports, via SB Nation’s Frogs O’ War)
The Grizzlies have a talented group led by Ja Morant, and they have three All-Star caliber players. However, they will have to weather the storm while Morant is serving his 25-game suspension.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Brandon Clarke will lead a deep, Grizzlies bench for the upcoming season.
(Photo: Nic Antaya/ Getty Images, via Bleacher Report)
The Grizzlies have a fairly solid bench, and they have a talented young group of players that can step in and contribute to their team.
F-C Santi Aldama
G-FJohn Konchar
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F David Roddy
G Jacob Gilyard (Two-Way)
F Gregory “G.G.” Jackson II (Two-Way)
G Vince Williams Jr. (Two-Way)
Others in Camp:
G-F Timmy Allen (Exhibit 10)
Head Coach:
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/LD654PWTBVCS7EI5OTOWEJKE6I.jpg)
Taylor Jenkings has helped the Grizzlies win a lot of regular season games over the past two years, but he will need to find ways to get them further in the playoffs.
(Photo: Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Taylor Jenkins
2022-23 (MEM): 51-31, 2-4 in the playoffs
Coaching Career: 179-130, 9-14 in the NBA Playoffs
Taylor Jenkins has helped the Grizzlies win many games in the regular season over the years, but his team had a surprising early exit in the playoffs last year. They will need to figure out how to adjust to their opponents to make a deeper playoff run in 2024.
Outlook:
The Memphis Grizzlies will have to play the first 25 games of the regular season without Ja Morant, but they are a talented enough team to make it to the playoffs in 2024.
(Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)
The Grizzlies have enough talent to post a good regular season, but the true test will be the playoffs, where they haven’t proven that they can consistently win in the postseason. In order to level up as a team, they will need to show that they can come together to make a deep playoff run in 2024.
Projected 2023-24 Finish:
Projected Regular Season Finish: 4th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to lose in the 1st Round
2023-24 Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 9
I went to Basketball-Reference and No-Trade Clause to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing the in-season tournament to see how that will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2023-24 Memphis Grizzlies. Thanks for reading.