The Bucks will open up the preseason on Wednesday when they host the Memphis Grizzlies at the Resch Center in Green Bay. To get to know Milwaukee’s first opponent of the preseason, we look to Beale Street Bears Lead Editor Xan Nikchevich and Staff Writers Nir Regev and Ben Parker to answer on all you need to know about the Memphis Grizzlies.
BTBP: The Grizzlies have done a great job of keeping their core together and surrounding them with affordable and expendable free agents. Last year, It was Mike Miller.This year, Vince Carter will be thrown into the mix. Where do you see him fitting in the scheme of things?
Nikchevich: Carter is a great shooter who can spread the floor, and despite his age, he will probably be more effective than Miller. The biggest area of weakness for the Grizzlies last year was scoring, so VC is a great pickup. Hopefully other role players will step up and be able to compliment his floor spacing.
Regev: Gamechanger. We’re talking about a guard who’s proven himself for the last decade. You know what you’re getting: three point shots, an occasional dunkfest, and solid defense. A veteran from the ISO era who’s transitioned well to keep himself afloat. As a starter or off the bench, Vince Carter is consistent. Vince has been healthy for a quite a long time now, and is way past the half man, half a season era.
Carter gives them the consistent perimeter shooter they need. However, they still need a younger guard over the long haul. The last thing you want is to run Vince into the ground before a possible playoff appearance. Both Conley and Carter are gonna need to spend some time on the bench for their own good to keep them from injuries or burnout
Parker: Vince Carter brings three things to the Grizzlies that make him a great fit on this team. The first thing he brings is veteran leadership. The Grizzlies already have a lot of that, but the more quality veterans you have on the team, the better you are going to be come playoff time.
Secondly, Carter brings an extra scoring punch and especially a three-point threat. The Grizzlies desperately need all the help they can get to stretch the floor and VinceCarter will provide that this season.
Lastly, Carter has the potential to win the Grizzlies some games late in the 4th quarter. The clutch factor he brings to this team is huge and could serve them very well come playoff time.
BTBP: Speaking of the core, you know what you’re going to get from Z-Bo and Marc Gasol inside. What do you see from Mike Conley at point guard? He has floated with being a better than average point guard to one of the best in the Western conference. What do the Griz need from him to have success?
Nikchevich: Conley has been consistently improving each year, and this season should be no different. His playmaking and shooting abilities need the most improvement, but he’s only gotten better as time’s gone on. You can look for him to slash and distribute a lot this year, as the Grizzlies have picked up a few perimeter scorers.
Regev: The Grizzlies need him to play less minutes to keep him healthy. Memphis is still thin at point, and you run the risk of overplaying your backcourt. Carter will take on a share of the playmaking of course, but he’s still an SG/SF at heart. Memphis needs to make a trade to bulk up the point position and give Conley some rest. Conley himself has come a long way. I maintain Iverson should have started over him during his brief Memphis stint. However years later, I’ve become a fan of Conley. Impressive shooting and playmaking ability. A true rock on the Grizzlies. He’s vastly improved, and one of the most underrated point guards in the whole league. Flourishing from a starter to a star.
Parker: Conley is coming off his best season ever in terms of scoring production (17.2 points per game). In addition, he averaged 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, which were drop offs from previous seasons. It seems like Conley took on the role of scoring the ball more last season, and I expect him to continue to do that.
In Conley, I see a point guard who keeps getting better every season and is getting more comfortable as a leader on this team. Even though Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are the leaders of this team, Conley is starting to show confidence in himself as the third member of the Grizzlies’ “Big Three”.
In order for the Grizzlies to have success, they absolutely need high quality production from Mike Conley and they especially need him to put the ball in the hole at least as well as he did last year if not better. If Conley could find one more gear and get up to a scoring average of 20 points per game, that would be fantastic and really make the Grizzlies scary. I doubt that happens, but given their struggles to score the ball at times, 20 points per game from Conley would be huge for them to have this season.
BHTBP: Not only did the front office address last year’s shooting woes with the signing of Vince Carter, the also drafted shooter Jordan Adams out of UCLA. Adams and Jarnell Stokes played really well during Summer League play. Will they play major roles this season and what is their future in the organization?
Nikchevich: I think that Adams and Stokes will have to work their way into the rotation. Stokes looks to be more NBA ready than Adams, and he will probably see more minutes. Adams struggled with weight issues throughout college, but he looks to be in great shape, so that could help him move up on the depth chart.
Long term, I feel like Stokes will be a replacement to Z-Bo. They play a similar game, and Randolph should be a great mentor for Stokes. Adams on the other hand, will have to develop into a more complete player in order to really standout on this roster.
Regev: Based on Dave Joerger’s Media Day interview, Adams is ready to play minutes on day one. Joerger described him as not being a “mistakes player”, meaning he can be trusted on the court. Adams was said to be a player who doesn’t try to overreach beyond what he’s capable of and let’s the game come to him. Stokes was mentioned as having two roles, as a big body in practice and wherever minutes might find him on the court. The Grizzlies are loaded upfront with Randolph, Gasol, Koufos, and Clark. Stokes will have to work hard to earn minutes.
Parker: Given that Jarnell Stokes is a power forward, I don’t really see him playing much of a role beyond giving relief to Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in the paint. It’s no slight to him, but the frontcourt is a strong point of this Grizzlies’ team, so Stokes really has no pressure on him other than to come in and give energy minutes.The Grizzlies do need guys to do that, but Stokes’ role could be filled by a number of different players in the NBA. In other words, his role is important, but he himself doesn’t really offer something the Grizzlies lack. He’ll be a nice guy off the bench to give Randolph and Gasol a rest, but nothing more.
As for Jordan Adams, he could be very valuable even if he doesn’t play a ton of minutes. Unlike Stokes, he brings something to the table that the Grizzlies lack, which is three point shooting. The Grizzlies desperately need somebody other than Vince Carter, Mike Conley, and Courtney Lee to knock down threes. Adams can do it, and if he can produce at all from beyond the arc, his role could be invaluable.
As for the long-term future of both these players on the Grizzlies, it’s hard to say.
Adams’ ability to score from beyond the arc gives him more potential to be a long-term member of this team, but in truth it’s too early to say.
BTBP: As an NBA fan, if you don’t love Tony Allen — there’s something wrong with you. In the postseason, he proved against one of the game’s best in Kevin Durant that he is still the one of the best on the ball defenders in the league. He’s a leader, but what does his role have to be to get the best out of him?
Tony Allen is an offensive superstar’s worst nightmare.
Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Nikchevich: I think Allen’s minutes will be more limited this year and he will need to be that defensive role player. When the other team has an elite scorer at SG or SF, he’s on the floor. VC and Courtney Lee give Memphis additional depth, and more scoring, so it will really depend on the situation.
Regev: Allen is perfect in his current role, a defensive mastermind. Modern day Bruce Bowen without the kicks. Allen will do whatever it takes to get his team in front. An excellent asset to the team, and underrated. Allen needs to continue to get heavy minutes, but leave the playmaking to Vince Carter this year who’s passing game can get Allen open looks.
Parker: Tony Allen’s role needs to continue to be what it is. That may not be the answer you are looking for, but it’s the truth. He just needs to continue to provide energy in any way that he can, play good defense, and wear his opponents down. He needs to continue to be the symbol of the “grindhouse” and keep doing his thing.
BTBP: As strange as Michael Beasley’s career has been — adding him to the Memphis roster makes them one of the deepest teams in the league. It seems that besides at point guard, Memphis has players to fit in all kinds of different scenarios. Will Beasley play a solid role on this squad? Also, where do you rate the depth of Memphis when compared to the rest of the NBA?
Nikchevich: Beasley certainly has a chance to be a productive player in the NBA. Whether or not he can consistently contribute is a different question. He’s very talented, but he needs to keep his attitude in check, and I think the vets will help keep him in line.
The Grizzlies, I feel, are one of the deepest teams in the league. In the NBA, more specifically the Western Conference, you need depth come playoff time. Pending injuries, the Grizzlies could be one of the top teams in the West, so the rest of the league better look out.
Regev: Beasley will have a great impact on offense. Coach Joerger should work with Beasley personally to get his defensive game in check so the points aren’t returned on the other side of the court. Beasley has fantastic offensive potential and might be able to get to his Minnesota scoring glory days with the right minutes. This is Beasley’s chance to shine, he won’t have Lebron and Wade in front of him. If Beasley works hard this could be a career year in a strong nurturing environment.Parker: Memphis has strong starters, but their depth is not too high compared to most of the NBA. One unfortunate injury in the West could set them back for the year. The wrong person down could mean Memphis possibly misses the playoffs in such a competitive conference. That is why they need to monitor minutes like the Spurs. This is a mostly veteran team, and they’re not looking to give a heavy role to rookies. They are a yearly success and not tanking for draft picks. They’ll have to be careful and sit Randolph, Gasol, Conley, and Carter when needed. You want to keep them fresh and ready for battle.
Parker: Probably not knowing his track record, but the potential payout of this signing is enormous. If he fits well in Memphis and lives up to his full potential, then the Grizzlies could be a serious contender to come out of the West. Right now they are a contender, but nobody actually thinks they’ll come out of the West.
But with a focused Michael Beasley, the Grizzlies may have what it takes to get over the hump and into the NBA Finals. If Beasley plays well and focused, then he’ll play more than a solid role, he’ll play a season-changing role. But given the odds of that happening are unlikely, I’ll say he plays a small role. He might score some off the bench, but he’ll be wildly inconsistent and likely off the team by mid-February.
I rate the depth of this team pretty high given the fact that they have added Vince Carter and retained Tayshaun Prince. Plus, they also should have Quincy Pondexter healthy in addition to Jordan Adams and maybe a focused Michael Beasley. Once again, depth is a strong suit of this Grizzlies team.