New Season Tour: Grizzlies: Continue to bet on dual-core drivers, and success will be considered if they reach the playoffs

Since then, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Prince, and Conley have become a strong force in the Western Conference with their iron-barrel defense. Whoever meets the Grizzlies in the playoffs will lose a piece of meat even if they die.

Until the 17-18 season, the Iron-Blooded Grizzlies disintegrated and the era of the Black and White Bears ended. They achieved 22 wins and 60 losses in the season and became a mess.

In the 2018 draft, the Grizzlies selected Jaren Jackson Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the first round. As the cornerstone of the team, the Grizzlies began to rebuild.

In the 18-19 season, Jackson averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, and was selected to the All-Rookie Team. The Grizzlies only achieved 33 wins and 49 losses, ranking 12th in the Western Conference.

In the 2019 draft, the Grizzlies selected talented guard Ja Morant with the second overall pick in the first round as the cornerstone of the new team. Morant is very impressive. In his rookie season, he averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, winning the Rookie of the Year award. He also led the team to 34 wins and 48 losses, ranking ninth in the Western Conference.

In the 20-21 season, the Grizzlies achieved 38 wins and 44 losses, ranking ninth in the Western Conference. They first defeated the Spurs and then the Warriors in the play-offs, entering the playoffs as eighth in the Western Conference. Although Morant averaged 30.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in the playoffs, the Grizzlies still lost to the Jazz 1-4.

In the 21-22 season, Morant averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game, becoming an All-Star. Under his leadership, the Grizzlies achieved a record of 56 wins and 26 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, Morant averaged 27.1 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists per game. He was injured in three games against the Warriors in the second round, and the Grizzlies lost 2-4.

In the 22-23 season, Morant still led the Grizzlies to a record of 51 wins and 31 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference. However, they were defeated by the Lakers 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs.

In the 23-24 season, Morant started to cause trouble. He made two mistakes in live broadcasts and was suspended for 25 games by the NBA. After his comeback, he suffered a shoulder injury. He only played 9 games in the season. The Grizzlies achieved 27 wins and 55 losses.

In the 24-25 season, Morant played 50 games. Although he was stopped due to injuries, he still helped the Grizzlies achieve a record of 48 wins and 34 losses, ranking eighth and entering the playoffs. Although the Grizzlies fell behind 0-2, In the third game, the Grizzlies had a chance. Morant scored 15 points and 5 assists in 15 minutes, helping the Grizzlies lead by 28 points. However, Dort was injured and left the game. The Grizzlies were reversed and lost in the second half. In the end, the Grizzlies, who lacked Morant, were eliminated in the first round 1-4.

Looking back at Morant's six seasons in the league, he has been helping the Grizzlies win since his rookie season. He led the team back to the playoffs in his second season, and then led the team to win 50+ games in a row and return to the Western Conference giants. He can be regarded as a qualified cornerstone of the team.

Morant's biggest problem is off-court factors. If he doesn't cause trouble, he is a good star. Another problem he has is his injury risks. After entering the NBA, Morant has suffered 4 injuries to his left ankle, the most serious one being a grade two sprain in December 2020. In February and November 2022, he suffered first-degree sprains of his left ankle twice within 9 months.

After reading the above, I think everyone should understand why so many of Morant's games are introduced during the Grizzlies' new season tour. Morant is the lifeblood of the Grizzlies.

Morant is only 26 years old, in the prime period of his career. He played 50 games last season. If he can stay healthy in the new season, the Grizzlies will be competitive enough.

Let’s talk about another cornerstone of the Grizzlies team, Jaren Jackson Jr. Although the Grizzlies have Morant as the core, Jackson, as the second-in-command, provides the Grizzlies with great influence on both offense and defense. In the Grizzlies' two 50+ win seasons, Jackson was selected to the All-Defensive First Team, and he also won DPOY in the 22-23 season. To be the leader, Jackson is not that good, but to be the second leader and support, Jackson is still a good choice.

In the offseason, in order to renew Jackson's contract, the Grizzlies had to send Desmond Bane, a super shooter whose shooting in recent seasons can rival Curry.

What I said is not an exaggeration. Statistics show that since 2020, only Bane, Curry, and LaVine have hit 800 three-pointers in the league, and their three-point shooting rate has reached 40%.

Do you know how Bain has lived in the past five years?

This season, his shooting percentage from fixed-point three-pointers reached 43.2%. He is both productive and has a high shooting percentage.

It's so good, but I can't keep it. Memphis is just a small ball market and is not willing to pay the luxury tax. Bane has four years and 170 million left on his contract, and Morant has three years left on his five-year and 193 million contract. The Grizzlies want to renew Jackson's contract with the maximum salary, and they really can't afford three big contracts.

can only be sent away.

The Grizzlies split Bane's 36.72 million contract for the new season into Pope (21.62 million) + Cole Anthony (13.1 million), then used the extension clause to waive Anthony and pay his remaining salary in three years (3.7 million in 3 years). This directly saves money and does not have to pay luxury tax.

Therefore, the Grizzlies' team building idea is still the dual-core drive of Morant + Jackson, and they will add some puzzle players to maintain competitiveness in the playoffs.

First of all, the Grizzlies signed Aldama, who averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season and shot 36.8% from three-point range, for 3 years and 52.5 million (the third year is a team option), which is quite a deal. The 2.13 meter space center can give the Grizzlies better space on the court.

Secondly, make up for what is missing. Bain, the shooter, is gone. Let's replace him with another one at a cheaper price.. Jerome was signed for 28 million in 3 years. He made his mark with the Cavaliers last season, averaging 3.6 three-point attempts per game and shooting 43.9% from the field. This guy is also a ruthless person, and his firepower is as good as that of Bane.

Let’s talk about the Grizzlies’ draft. Because Morant and Jackson are here, the Grizzlies have always maintained competitiveness, and there will be no problem in the next three to five years, so their goal in the draft is immediate combat power, which they can use as soon as they are available.

In 2024, the Grizzlies benefited from Morant's reimbursement and had a bad season. Finally, with the 9th pick in the first round, they selected Zach Eadie, who can rebound and protect the frame, and with the 9th pick in the second round, they selected Wells, a 3D engineer. Both drafts were very successful, and he played well in his rookie season.

In 2025, the Grizzlies' draft strategy remains the same. They traded up and selected forward swingman Coward with the 11th pick in the first round. This is still a 22-year-old with immediate combat capability and a 3D engineer.

Therefore, the Grizzlies' expected starting lineup for the new season is:

Edie, Jackson, Wells, Pope, and Morant;

This starting lineup relies entirely on Morant for its offensive ability, but it is full of defense and can defend both inside and outside.

替补阵容看起来也不错：

克拉克、阿尔达马、杰罗姆、小皮蓬、考沃徳、GG-杰克逊

所以，新赛季灰熊在莫兰特和杰克逊健康的情况下，依然会是西部季后赛强有力的争夺者，他们的目标可能并非总冠军，能够保持竞争力，稳赚不赔就是赢。