Memphis Grizzlies Training Camp Primer

The 2023-24 season is about to kick off with training camp and preseason. What are things to watch for with a new-look Memphis Grizzlies eager to respond from last season's 1st-round exit?

The training camp is underway for the NBA and for the Memphis Grizzlies. Basketball is finally back to save us from offseason discourse. As training camp and preseason kick off, here’s how the Grizzlies roster stands at the moment:

• Guards: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Derrick Rose, Shaquille Harrison, Jacob Gilyard (two-way)

• Wings: Luke Kennard, Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, John Konchar, GG Jackson (two-way), Vince Williams Jr. (two-way)

• Bigs: Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams, Santi Aldama, Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke, Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Aside from Harrison, the roster is set, and any other signings (Mychal Mulder and Matt Hurt now) will be exhibit 10 players to field the Hustle roster. The team gets to sign an extra player after Morant’s 25-game suspensions hits the 5-game mark. There shouldn’t be any surprises, but never say never.

Anyways, what should we be looking for in training camp?

The Beginning of a Response

The Memphis Grizzlies had a tough go in the 2023 portion of the 2022-23 season. After humming through the start of the year on a 11-game winning streak, the Grizzlies fell to the Lakers in LA, leading to an 0-5 West Coast road trip. It was also one that saw Steven Adams go down in what became a season-ending knee surgery.

While they ultimately found their groove after a multi-week funk, Ja Morant’s initial 8-game suspension and Dillon Brooks’ trash-talking took central stage over their play in the last two months of the regular season. Then, critics considered their 1st-round exit — capped off with a 40-point loss in the elimination game — as a humbling moment for the young Grizzlies.

Now, we’re on to the response. There was a good 1st step in the exit interviews from Zach Kleiman, Taylor Jenkins, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane — assessing what this team needs to do to rally back and reach their championship aspirations.

After months of reflection, of their playoff exit festering, the Grizzlies are about to hit the court again. It’s the beginning to the response from the bad taste their playoff exit left. This time, it’ll be a bit different with a new starter in the fold and their star point guard out for the 1st 25 games of the year.

With Morant’s supsension, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are leading the charge. This moment for them could be pivotal for the trajectory of the season, as both players are poised for big years — maybe with All-Star and post-season honors on the way.

The tone set these next few weeks could dictate how they respond, and where they finish in the vicious Western Conference.

The Vets — Pending Return, and New Arrivals

The Grizzlies have 3 veterans that everybody will have their eyes on for various reasons.

Let’s start with a returning player: Steven Adams. The team’s starting center suffered a knee injury in late January with an initial 5-week timeline, while ultimately being pushed back to end his season. No one knows what went wrong, or where he even is in his rehab process. His impact on this team can’t go understated. He’s a glue piece whose rebounding, screening, and passing elevate the Grizzlies’ contention status. For that primary reason, people will be anticipating to see Steven Adams’ progress with his knee, and if he’s ready to hit the floor in training camp.

Kleiman doubled down on adding some veteran voices in the locker room with the acquisitions of Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose. Their impact in the locker room will be paramount, and people are excited to see them on the floor for various reasons.

People will be tuned into their defense anchored by the back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year winners with the pickup of Marcus Smart. How he fits in the team’s offense and pieces things together with his playmaking will be one to watch — as his passing and initiation abilities could help boost the team’s halfcourt offense and add some variability.

In addition, Memphis faithful will be pumped to see Tiger legend Derrick Rose suit up for the pro team as he enters the twilight of his career. Do we know what Rose will look like in his early-to-mid 30’s with his miles and injury history? No, but it’ll be interesting to see how he performs, given his low minutes in New York was more for rotational reasons rather than injuries. Nonetheless, Rose will bring some juice to this team — excitement for the fans, and veteran wisdom for the locker room.

Who’s taking a leap?

Each season, the Grizzlies have some player taking a leap, though to varying degrees. Fringe NBA player to rotation player, rotation player to bonafide starter, promising young prospect to All-Star — or in the extreme of Ja Morant, young star to All-NBA.

So who’s next?

Aforementioned, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. may have another gear. Morant’s absence in the 1st 25 games empowers Bane and Jackson to led the charge for this team, and it could pay dividends for them. Bane averaged 21-4-4 while mostly playing on an injured toe that needed offseason surgery. Fully healthy, there’s a realistic shot he flirts with averaging 25-5-5 on 40+% shooting from 3, which surely catapults him into All-Star (and maybe All-NBA) discussions. Jackson found a groove after the All-Star break (21.6 points per game), and the Grizzlies seemed to discover how to tap into his intriguing skillset. How these 2 players level up this season could give the Grizzlies real momentum once Morant returns.

There’s room for incredibly-needed growth with the young guys. With Brandon Clarke’s unknown impact post-achilles injury, and with the Grizzlies replacing Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks by merging their skillsets with the acquisition of Marcus Smart, a few young players have to rise up to become bonafide playoff rotation players.

Santi Aldama had moments last postseason, and was a surprising impactful player in his sophomore campaign. After building confidence in FIBA, can he elevate from 8th/9th guy to 6th/7th?

Of these young guys, they really need one of these wing pieces to hit. They don’t have to be the level of players they’ve aggressively targeted on the trade market — Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby. They simply have to become good rotation pieces for a contender. And from the formula of recent contenders, they can be developed — as teams like Miami, Denver, Milwaukee, and Phoenix have shown.

The 3 players in this category: Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, and Jake LaRavia. All of these players have the desired size and potential skillset to impact winning basketball for the Grizzlies. It may not happen for all 3 players this season, but someone has to emerge from the pack to be ready to perform in playoff basketball.

There’s faith, though. Zach Kleiman and Taylor Jenkins have fostered a great system of talent evaluation and player development. Its fortunes will need to continue as the Grizzlies enter phase 2 of this era.

Small notes

• Luke Kennard is entering his first full training camp, after significantly impacting the Grizzlies’ offense after the trade deadline. Though he may not shoot 54% this go-around — like he did as a Grizzly this past season — it’ll be fascinating to monitor how his role evolves with a full training camp to learn the system.

• And yes, Ja Morant’s suspension. I didn’t forget. It’s not a small note; in fact, it probably overshadows anything else. I just saved it for last here, because it’s a storyline talked about more detailed in other mediums. We’ll see what Zach Kleiman, Taylor Jenkins, and his teammates have to say at Monday’s Media Day. There may be more we find out about the capacity in which he can be involved in through these 25 games. The countdown starts now.

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