PAUL SANCYA/AP
Every year, professional scouts, GMs, and armchair analysts alike gather around to evaluate the players they feel could fit into their team and organization the best, both on and off the court. This freedom of choice between players gives way for many different options for said teams; for this is the beauty of the draft. Today, we will be looking at potential picks the Memphis Grizzlies could make, how likely they are to fall to the team, and why I feel they would be great fits for the team.
As displayed above, one player many scouts see falling to Beale Street at the 17th overall pick is Oregon 2-guard Chris Duarte. Duarte, standing in at 6'6" and 190, is a Swiss Army Knife-type player, projecting to be a versatile defender as well as a consistent offensive threat. In his senior season in the NCAA, as well as his second with Oregon (he transferred from Northwest Florida State before his junior season,) he averaged 17.1 points per game, while leading his team in both steals and blocks as well. He was also the first player from Oregon to win the Jerry West Award, which designates the best shooting guard in the NCAA. At his height, he could theoretically run the 1-3 slots on defense, although he could stand to add some weight to his frame. Duarte would be a very fitting pick to pair with Ja Morant in the backcourt. His shooting (he shot 42% from from beyond the arc this past season,) would pair well with Morant's relentless playmaking. The only clear downside to drafting Duarte is his age. He's already 24, and is likely a lot closer to his peak at this exact moment than other potential picks for the team. All in all, this would be far from a bad pick, and would benefit the team if Zach Kleiman and Taylor Jenkins wanted to win now.
Another potential pick the Grizzlies could make is a 19-year-old out of Michigan by the name of Franz Wagner. Brother of current NBA big man Moritz Wagner, this versatile perimeter threat has shown flashes of being a do-it-all wing. His shooting was quite good for a 2nd-year player, at 34%. While this wasn't the highest percentage and does leave a decent amount to be desired, his form looks NBA-ready, and the confidence at which Wagner is able to find his spot and manipulate it is very impressive. His defensive ability, while leaving a small bit to be desired, showed great flashes, as he averaged over 1 block and 1 steal per game. His scoring ability is also very versatile, with him being able to shoot off the catch and shoot, as well as create for himself. His playmaking was also much improved from his rookie to sophomore year, going from only a single assist per game to three assists. This, combined with his frame (6'9", 220) and his age (19) makes him a player with considerable upside that could potentially be a major piece for this young Grizzlies squad.
The third player I believe would be a very formidable talent for this Grizzlies squad could be Texas big man Kai Jones. Jones' athleticism is second to none in this draft, if "none" is a nickname for Jericho Sims. Let's not discount Jones though, as his strength is immense; this isn't even taking into consideration his reported over 44-inch vertical. With his 6'11", 218 frame, his body is close, if not completely NBA ready. He averaged 8.8 points per game in his sophomore season at Texas, to go along with 4.8 rebounds and almost a block a game. At 20 years old, he is on the younger side compared to other potential picks the Grizzlies could consider. Although he does occupy a field of positions the Grizzlies already have a starter in (PF/C,) I'm sure most Grizzlies fans would love to have Jones on the team as an energy big off the bench.
Lastly, and and likely most interesting, we have Josh Giddey out of Australia. Giddey is a 6'8" combo guard out of the NBL, the top professional league in Australia. Giddey has both extreme upside and extreme downside that need to be heavily evaluated before he's drafted. Firstly, he is not an amazing shooter. Shooting sub-30% for his lone season for the Adelaide 36ers, Giddey will have to be willing to put in extra work to make sure his jumpshot translates to the NBA. He also had problems with turning over the ball, possessing a relatively hiogh 23.7 turnover rate. However, Giddey has shown intense upside as a do-it-all ball handler. Averaging 10.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, he's shown the ability to stuff the stat sheets in any statistical category you could imagine. Giddey in a backcourt with Ja Morant could potentially be a nightmare for any defender having that task at their hands.
Overall, the Grizzlies have a fair amount of flexibility with who they could select at the 17th overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Wing options are available in Franz Wagner and Chris Duarte, guards such as Josh Giddey are ripe for the picking, and a versatile big man such as Kai Jones could slip through the cracks far enough for the Grizzlies to give him a shot. Overall, the Grizzlies have an array of talent at their hands to select, and I'm sure that the front office will make the decision that benefits the team most. Hopefully, at least.
Honorable Mentions: Ayo Dosunmu (G, U. of Illinois); Corey Kispert (F, Gonzaga); Jalen Johnson (F, Duke); Moses Moody (G, U. of Arkansas); James Bouknight (G, U. of Connecticut)
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