NBA: 4 entertaining and underrated league pass teams
By Jon Soto
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have a trio of young players that deserve your attention: Ja Morant (the second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft), Jaren Jackson Jr. (the fourth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft), and Brandon Clarke (the 21st pick in the 2019 NBA Draft).
Morant – a spindly freak athlete – has assumed the role of a franchise point guard after the Grizzlies sent Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz over the summer, effectively ending the Grit n’ Grind era in Memphis. He leads all rookies in scoring and assists with 17.4 points and 6.5 assists per game respectively. ( He also leads all rookies in oh my, did you see that? type of plays.)
Morant moves with the speed of prime Russell Westbrook, elevates with the ferocity of MVP Derrick Rose and can pass the ball with – don’t get mad at me but – the vision of Chris Paul. He’s a point guard that looks to make his teammates better.
Jackson Jr. is the perfect poster child (or poster giant) for modern big men in the NBA. The 6-foot-11 center out of Michigan State takes 6.4 3’s per game. That mark is tied for second-most with Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingis for 3’s per game by centers, per NBA Advanced Stats. Jackson Jr. is also a deterrent on the defensive end of the court; he blocks 1.3 shots per game, which is ahead of some notable defensive centers like Steven Adams, Bam Adebayo, and Marc Gasol.
Clark is the biggest surprise for the Grizzlies, who acquired the 23-year-old rookie in a draft-day deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Clark is a mobile wing, who never stops screening. I like to say: he only takes shots he can make. Which is evident by his 64.5 percent field goal shooting.
The Grizzlies aren’t a good team per se, but they’re entertaining to watch. A pick-and-roll initiated by Morant can end a myriad of ways: an acrobatic layup by Morant, a Jackson Jr. 3-pointer or a rim-rattling dunk by Clark. If the Grizzlies are playing, you should be watching.