The Memphis Grizzlies had a rather good season in 2020-21, despite injuries that held both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow out for the duration of the season. The Memphis Grizzlies were swept by the top-seeded Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, but Ja Morant led the team to a 38-34 record and plenty of optimism for the future.
Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke, and Dillon Brooks are just a few of the jewels Memphis has unearthed in recent drafts. The Grizzlies are clearly building their ship around it, but apart from the obvious need for additional perimeter shooting and creativity around Morant, this is a roster with no blaring flaws, which allows the team’s brain trust to focus on value. They made a significant move by moving Jonas Valanciunas to New Orleans in order to move up to the 10th pick from the 17th, taking on the salaries of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams in the process, which seemed to signal they were looking for someone in particular.
Shooting (as well as Jaren Jackson Jr.’s fitness), and another large winger are needed on the roster.
Ziaire Williams (No. 10 overall) received a C+ grade.
Williams has a lot of potential. In many ways, he had a difficult season, and if you only knew Williams from his time at Stanford, this decision would appear to be pretty bold. At the same time, he has the length and shooting ability to provide value in this situation. If anything, I’m a fan of Williams more than others, but the drawback here is that players like Moses Moody were still available.
