How have the prides of Beale Street performed so far this year?
By: Riley Staton (@gritandwind on IG)
p/c: Justin Ford/Getty Images The All-Star Game is upon us, and now is a better time than ever to take a step back and see how well the team and its players are performing. This season has been a fun one for Grizzlies fans and NBA fans alike, as the Grizzlies take charge in a strong Western Conference, snatching the third seed with a staggering 41-19 record. Many expectations of what this team could have done are being shattered to pieces, and many members have shown themselves to be core players for this fun, young squad. Let's take a closer look, shall we? PLAYER GRADES (so far): Ja Morant: A+ PPG: 26.8 (That's 6th!!) RPG: 5.8 APG: 6.9 I think a lot of us believed that he had this in him, but I'm not sure we expected necessarily that it would come this soon. Ja has taken the bull (or in this case I guess it would be the bear) by its horns and proven himself to be the unanimous leader of this squad, with no one even really coming close to challenge that notion. He's 6th in the NBA for points per game on the third best team in his conference, while maintaining solid efficiency and being an above average playmaker. Oh yeah, he's also putting up over a steal a game for good measure. This is easily the most confident I have ever felt in a young player on the Grizz, and I have no doubt that he will lead us as far as he can until he can't anymore. Jaren Jackson Jr.: B PPG: 16.7 RPG: 6.0 APG: 1.1 To tell the tale of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s season is to tell two stories. On one hand, Jaren Jackson Jr. has failed to improve his numbers far beyond his second season in the league and he has stagnated (to this point, at least) to a good, albeit not great, level. On the other hand, numbers do not even begin to tell the story when it comes to Jaren. His defensive impact when protecting the paint or the mid-range is impeccable, he's quite adept at guarding the perimeter for a player of his stature. His blocking numbers have skyrocketed to 2.2 per game, and he anchors a 9th best-rated defense in the league. Jaren Jackson Jr. may not be putting up all-NBA numbers, but he's still a more-than-great piece for this team, and I hope to see him in blue and teal for years to come. Tyus Jones: B+ PPG: 8.1 (Career high) RPG: 2.5 (Career high) APG: 4.2 Tyus Jones plays his role excellently. Proving to be arguably the most consistent player on this entire team thus far, he has been an amazing low-volume playmaker and scoring option for Memphis so far this year, and has even put up some amazing solo performances, such as the Grizzlies-Pelicans game on Feb. 15, where Jones put up 27 points and 9 dishes en route to a 121-109 win. I love Tyus Jones, and I'm hoping with all my might that we're able to resign him by season's end. Brandon Clarke: B- PPG: 10.5 RPG: 5.5 APG: 1.4 Okay, this might be a hot take but bear with me here. I think it's safe to say the hopes of Brandon Clarke being this super-versatile, high-energy wing that were present throughout his rookie campaign are a thing of the past. It's not that Clarke himself is a bad player; 10 points and 5 rebounds with passable defense and a block a game isn't horrible by any stretch; I'm just personally basing my grades/ratings for each player based on expectations. Brandon Clarke is a solid scheme fit and a valuable piece to our rotation, and while I don't think that he'll be a fringe all-star or anything like that, sadly, he does still provide a decent amount of spark plug off the bench. He also shoots a better-than-respectable .648 from the field, with the caveat being that he seems to have lost the ability to shoot the three-ball completely. It's complicated with BC, but I think he's found his role quite well, and that's commendable at the very least. John Konchar: B PPG: 4.8 RPG: 4.4 APG: 1.4 Perfectly fine role player. Does his job well when needed. Good 3-and-D play. Randomly has an all-star level game every three months (15p 17r anyone?). Also, he's Jitty wit it, so automatic A++. De'Anthony Melton: C+ PPG: 9.9 RPG: 4.5 APG: 2.7 Oh yeah, speaking of hot takes... De'Anthony Melton is really good at playing his role when he wants to. He's a passable spot-up shooter, a speedy little bastard in half-court, and a chippy defender. Also, 1.6 steals a game isn't just something you get by being an average defender. With all of this being said, De'Anthony Melton has a serious problem with knowing his own limits. All too often, he goes out there and takes preposterous shots, hogs the ball, and tries to take charge of an offense when he shouldn't. 34 percent from deep isn't exactly 3-point contest numbers, and 38 percent from the field is even harder to stomach. If these numbers are the best we can get from him at high volume, we need to see less on-ball Melton action ASAP; I'd honestly be okay with a guy like Konchar out there if we just want offense. Steven Adams: B- PPG: 7.0
RPG: 9.6
APG: 3.2 The story of Steven Adams this season is also a tale of two. His offense is as limited as ever, and his ability to do much else besides what he can do is scarce, to say the absolute least. With all of this being said, I don't think a lot of the blame for the Grizzlies' shortcomings should be put on him the way that they seem to be. His interior defense is above average, his playmaking out of the post looks better than it ever has, and his rebounding is stellar. He is currently 16th in the league for rebounds per game, and his offensive rebounds are leading the league by a wide margin. Sure, he's not the most versatile player of all time, but I think he fills a niche on this team decently. Kyle Anderson: B- PPG: 7.6 RPG: 5.2 APG: 2.7 Kyle Anderson is truly a jack of all trades without being a master in one. Decent in pretty much every category without having a quote-on-quote "niche." If I had to nitpick, his shooting splits aren't particularly amazing, but he does bring a veteran leadership to the squad and his ability to control the pace of the game is nice. If we can get him back on a cheaper price, I definitely wouldn't critique that move. Ziaire Williams: C PPG: 7.3
RPG: 1.8
APG: 0.9
This one definitely hurts quite a bit. I was a Ziaire believer, but I was weary that his lack of polish as a player would lead to him having a slow start to his career, and it looks like my suspicions were true. Mediocre percentage from the field, bad three-pointer percentage, a pedestrian seven points a game, abhorrent defense, and nothing much to show anywhere else. His confidence as a player isn't lacking, which has made for some games that make you question why he even sees minutes for the team, but he has shown flashes of being decent; he is, also, just a rookie, so bigger things are expected next season. Definitely isn't making that pick-swap trade look better or anything, though.
Dillon Brooks: B
PPG: 18.4 (Career high)
RPG: 3.3 (T-Career high)
APG: 2.7 (Career high)
Fan favorite Dillon Brooks has been injured for a good chunk of the season up to the All-Star break, but what he's shown us has basically been what we expected. High-volume scoring on mediocre percentages, above-average perimeter defense, good team player, overall solid play. Not disappointed, not impressed, but expected. Sometimes that's okay.
Desmond Bane: A
PPG: 17.9
RPG: 4.5
APG: 2.5
Emerging almost out of nowhere from becoming a solid role player to what is looking like a potential second option on a championship hopeful is easily the most heartwarming story of the Grizzlies season. Desmond Bane has proven to be one of the Grizzlies' most exciting young players so far, absolutely wrecking it from three-point-land, shooting a torrid 41 percent from beyond the arc. He also has the ability to absolutely take over on nights, having multiple 30+ games so far this season. Perimeter defense is abundant as well, as Bane has proven himself capable there too. This young sniper has proven to us all why he deserves to be mentioned with other Grizzlies greats when it's all said and done, and if this isn't an amazing start to doing just that, then I have no clue what is.
Other players that weren't mentioned haven't gotten enough playing time in my eyes to be worthy of a mention (although some should be out there more).
As a unit, this team has proven time and time again its ability to gel together. Through so many injuries and setbacks, this team hasn't faltered for even a moment. Players have each other's backs, filling in roles perfectly when needed, and taking on new responsibilities when they call. I'm so much more than impressed by this team, and the future is looking brighter than it ever has for this team, these fans, and this city. If we can carry this momentum from the first half of the season to the second, then our championship hopes are going to growing more and more reasonable by the second.
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