Grizzlies quarter season player grades
Plenty of top grades for this competitive team, but several players have left much to be desired
We have eclipsed the quarter season mark and the Grizzlies have shown themselves to be in the Western Conference elite despite racking up lost time to injuries. As Phil Jackson would quote, “the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
It’s been a group effort and several guys have shown through while others have faltered and left us hanging based on our previous expectations. With that in mind, let’s visit this year’s quarter season player grades.
Ja Morant - A
The Grizzlies’ point guard is well on his way to earning a Super Max contract that will be given to him after a likely second consecutive All-NBA showing. While his true shooting has seen a slight dip this season with decreased efficiency at the free throw line and inside the arc, Morant has improved his three point shot and earned more opportunities at the charity stripe than ever before.
One thing that remains true about Morant is that he controls the game when he is on the court. The Murray State product impacts the game in a massive way with his scoring and creation ability. B-Ball Index data shows that Morant excels in every single playmaking category, creating opportunities for his teammates at will.
In addition to creating for others, Morant is one of the most ball-dominant players in the league with a usage rate nearing 39% per Cleaning the Glass - and is elite at getting to, and finishing at the rim.
Ja is also a sneaky good rebounder, pulling in over six boards per game. We won’t kid ourselves and act like Ja has made significant strides on the defensive end of the court - that side of things is still a weakness for him, but in late game situations he seems to increase his prowess and capitalize on his reactions and the chances that he takes.
If you enjoy all-encompassing metrics, which of course have their flaws, you will be intrigued to see Morant has earned a top five RAPTOR rating at plus -7.6, behind only Jokic, Steph, Luka, and AD.
The only things holding Morant back from being in the MVP conversation are his defense and ability to convert at an elite level at the free throw line. Now that he has ascended into superstardom, he earns the whistles, now he just needs to convert.
Desmond Bane - A
Nine, eighteen, and twenty-four. Those are the points per game that Bane has averaged in each of his NBA seasons. How can you be anything but hyped about his progression and ascension to elite sniper and All-Star hopeful.
Throughout his NBA career, Bane has seen an increase in shooting proficiency accompany his increase in workload and usage rate. In nearly any manner you slice or dice it, Bane has performed at a top-20 level among his peers.
Desmond is converting on 45% of his nearly nine three point attempts per game. He is doing this while also assisting nearly five times per game, which puts him in the 94th percentile among shooting guards.
Without question, his leap in playmaking ability has been the deciding factor in multiple games. His passing has risen to the next level and the offensive threat that he creates by being a deadly shooter, combined with his adeptness at driving and dishing has thrown opposing defenses into a tizzy.
Steven Adams - A
In addition to being one of the coolest 29-year old dudes out there, Steven Adams also happens to be a fantastic anchor for the Grizzlies. His dribble-hand-off and screen-setting expertise help elevate his team in a myriad of ways.
With the risk of being uber-nerdy here, I want to call out that Stevo is leading the NBA with six screen assists per game.
Adams is a notable name present in four of the Grizzlies six most productive 3-man lineups. With Adams on the floor, the Grizzlies are outscoring their opponents by 14 points per 100 possessions, which puts him in the 93rd percentile among centers.
Steven is doing everything that could be asked of him this season and deserves his high grade.
Dillon Brooks - B
Though Jaren Jackson Jr. may receive the accolades, Dillon Brooks is the heart and soul of this Grizzlies defense.
He takes ill-advised shots, fouls a ton, and frustrates the crap out of you, but DB is a huge part of the Grizzlies success.
Brooks is always given the toughest assignment on defense and per B-Ball Index, his matchup difficulty is off the charts. Though he doesn’t always shut down the opposing star, he makes them work for every bucket and wears them down over the course of a game.
With Dillon in the game, Memphis gives up 14 fewer points per 100 possessions, which is absolutely elite.
The main question for the remainder of the year is: can contract year Dillon score more efficiently? It’s not his bread and butter, but it sure would help.
Santi Aldama - A
If I’m giving out superlatives, Aldama gets my award for most pleasant surprise of the season. With Jaren Jackson missing the start of the season and Ziaire Williams yet to make an appearance, Santi has taken advantage of his 25 (!) minutes per game and is proving himself in an important way.
Aldama is averaging a cool 9 points and 5 boards and nearly 2 STOCKS per game. He stretches the floor with nearly half his shots from three on a slightly soft 33%.
Though he is far from an offensive juggernaut, Aldama is playing an ever-growing role on the defensive end of the floor where he has notable steal rates and compliments the more post-grounded Adams.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - A
Triple J gets a Triple A grade from me.
Though he is still working to catch fire from the field, Jackson is averaging, count ‘em one-two-three blocks per game!
One area in question in the past for Jaren has been his rebounding. This season he has been much more aggressive on the boards, and is pulling in nearly ten boards per 36 minutes, his career highest by far.
Small sample size so far for Jaren, but the outlook on the season is very promising.
Jake LaRavia - B
LaRavia has been a mixed bag this season. He is shooting efficiently from beyond the arc, which is the reason the Grizzlies traded up in the draft to select him. The spot-up game is where LaRavia is going to make his money, and so far he has done that on low usage and attempts.
Jake is a step slow on defense, as is to be expected from a rookie. The good thing for LaRavia is that the second unit has lots of room for someone to step up and impress so he should continue to get minutes as the Grizzlies work through the season.
Brandon Clarke - D
I just went to type in Clarke’s name in b-ball reference and put in “yikes” by accident because that is what was on my brain.
Clarke’s minutes and impact are down for the second year in a row. Clarke can play the roll man just fine when he shares the court with Morant and Bane, but otherwise he has proven to be a zero on offense. His patented floater isn’t falling and his inability to stretch the floor makes him impossible to play alongside Adams.
I’m hopeful that Clarke can regain his rookie form, but with the way things are shaping out, he won’t get too many opportunities to earn the minutes that he will need to impress.
David Roddy - C
Roddy the Body is a bully on the court and I’m very intrigued by him. So far, similar to LaRavia, he has struggled on the defensive side of the ball. Occasionally he shows glimpses of offensive prowess by nailing a few threes off of kick outs, or smashing his way to the rim.
He is on an upward trend as a low usage guy who doesn’t mess up, so that is good?
John Konchar - A
Speaking of low usage efficient guys, that description is Jitty to a T.
Over 41% from three, 90% from the stripe, and 6+ rebounds per game. Konchar has a nose for the ball and rebounds at an elite level for someone his size.
Konchar takes the shots that analytics guys love - dunks and threes. I’m surprised that Daryl Morey hasn’t opened up the piggy bank for John.
On defense, Konchar mucks things up and averages over a STOCK and a half per game and challenges opponents at the rim, limiting their ability to convert on the closest of shots.
Tyus Jones - C
Maybe Tyus had more options last year on the second unit to work with, or maybe his heavy minutes in the starting lineup without Morant skewed the results, but Jones has been unimpressive this year.
Re-signing him was one of the key targets for the Grizzlies this past offseason. They accomplished that, but so far Tyus has not lived up to his contract.
The Grizzlies are basement dwellers in the minutes that Tyus plays despite him averaging a career high ten points and doing just fine on the assist to turnover ratio front that he always dominates. His impact this season has just not been as much as he needs for it to be if he is going to earn many minutes deep into the season or the playoffs.
Not graded due to lack of PT
Ziaire Williams
Vince Williams Jr.
Kenneth Lofton Jr.
*All stats accurate as of 12/3/22