The Memphis Grizzlies missed the playoffs last season after consecutive second seed finishes in the Western Conference. That said, injuries were the primary reason Memphis was not in the postseason.
Using a record number of players last season due to so many injuries, Memphis got just nine games from star point guard Ja Morant, which only begins to describe the injury issues they dealt with. Because of this, Memphis plans to bring back a similar roster next season, believing they are one of the NBA’s elite teams when healthy.
Re-signing sharpshooting guard Luke Kennard in NBA free agency, Memphis retained one of their key rotation pieces at a price that made sense.
back to the M wit it @LukeKennard5 〽️ pic.twitter.com/4fyrOgY8SK
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) August 1, 2024
The Kennard contract took a while to get completed, which led to some in the Grizzlies fanbase believing the elite three-point shooter could be heading elsewhere. Amid this speculation, Grizzlies star Desmond Bane never worried about Kennard leaving.
“I’m looking at Twitter like, ‘these fools,’” Bane said of the fans who thought Kennard was leaving (via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.)
Desmond Bane saw fans on X panicking before Luke Kennard re-signed and just thought, “these fools.”
Caught up with Bane today at his annual school supplies giveaway event.
– Playing with Zach Edey
– working out w/JJJ
– giving back to Memphis✍🏽: https://t.co/4CetaP4Zx0
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) August 3, 2024
“I think that we can accomplish great things, but if last year taught us anything, we can’t take anything for granted,” Bane added of this Memphis roster. “We got to come in with the right attitude and approach.”
Since the 2020-21 season, Kennard’s 45.9% 3FG ranks first in the NBA among the 115 players who have attempted at least 1,000 threes in that span. The next closest player is Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen, who is shooting 41.9% from deep in that span.
