Memphis Grizzlies
Brandon Clarke
The young and feisty Memphis Grizzlies led by rookie sensation Ja Morant surprised everyone by making the playoffs with one of the youngest teams in the league. Memphis is loaded with tons of talented young players that can help boost Grind City back into contender status sooner rather than later. While Ja Morant is clearly the star on the team, I think the player who will really break out this season will be his fellow sophomore season teammate Brandon Clarke.
Clarke came out as a junior from Gonzaga and was drafted in the late first round last year. The skills and shooting combination were never a question scouts had about Clarke – it was more of a question of position and size. Scouts seemed to be dubious on whether Clarke could stay on the floor as an undersized forward/center (6’8) with a below-average wingspan.
Boy, did those scouts miss the boat on him. What Clarke lacked in size and position, he made up for it scoring and athleticism during his awesome rookie season. Clarke averaged 12.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in 22 minutes per game last season, which included four 20-point game performances and three double-doubles. Clark led the league in Effective Field Goal percentage (EFG%) at times and showcased the wide range of offensive skill in the fast break, in the post, and one on one situations. Overall, Clarke was consistent with both his output and effort year long.
Clarke’s tremendous rookie season went somewhat unnoticed due to Ja Morant’s success. Memphis will be expecting a lot out of Clarke, who will have to take on more minutes with Jaren Jackson Jr. expecting to miss time. But if Clarke produces at the same level as he did last year, that’ll be just fine for Grind City fans. The future is looking bright for Memphis.