The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t have many needs entering this season.
They only need their stars to get back to full strength and be on the floor, and they should be good enough to compete again.
That’s why they could afford to take some risks in the NBA Draft, especially considering the fact that there weren’t any clear-cut superstars there.
So far, two of the three players they took have proven to have a bit of a clutch gene.
First, Zach Edey forced overtime with a tip-in in their first game of Summer League.
Then, fellow No. 39 pick Jaylen Wells knocked down a game-winning floater.
Of course, we’ve already established that these games are pretty much meaningless, but it’s always nice to see young players get their careers off to a solid start.
The Grizzlies were a playoff-caliber team on paper last season, but they just could never stay healthy.
Ja Morant suffered a season-ending injury shortly after being reinstated after his suspension.
Nonetheless, Taylor Jenkins found plenty of reliable rotation pieces throughout the course of the tough season, and while their record was quite mediocre, they actually managed to compete and stay close in games more often than not.
Needless to say, Wells is going to have a tough time cracking the rotation or getting minutes right out of the gate, just like happens with most second-round picks.
Still, the Grizzlies reward hard work and grittiness, and they have one of the most promising young teams in the game, so perhaps they’ll give him a chance to prove his worth.
