As More Injuries Occur, More Opportunity Emerges for Current Grizzlies

Monday’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets was a welcome and needed development for the Memphis Grizzlies. It was just their third win over their previous 17 games, and it was a memorable as well, with Taylor Jenkins earning his 200th career victory as Grizzlies coach. Unfortunately, while some positive vibes remained into Tuesday, more significant injury news also emerged concerning Ziaire Williams and Derrick Rose:

It will be three weeks before Rose is reexamined and four weeks for Williams, the latter of whom was in clear pain during Saturday’s game against Portland. While both players will be looked at again before the regular season ends, there is a realistic chance both have played their last game of the season for Memphis.

For Rose, frequent injuries have unfortunately become consistent in recent years. This will be the third straight season in which Rose has played less than 30 games. With a plethora of injuries to other players, Rose stepped into a bigger workload than expected when he was on the court. And while he did provide flashes of good offense, he simply could not go an extended stretch without having to miss time.

In regards to Williams, he certainly has had better success this year with health than last year. However, his on the court production has shown minimal progression. In recent weeks, Williams was beginning to show better quality as his role expanded due to injuries to others. However, this latest injury may prevent Williams from gaining positive momentum for his present and future with the Grizzlies.

If this does end the season for both Rose and Williams, they will be interesting names to watch once the offseason arrives. Though both players have their salaries guaranteed for next year (roughly around $3M for Rose and $6M for Williams), they also will both be expiring contracts. As a result, their futures with the Grizzlies could go a variety of different ways in time.

As a byproduct of the injuries to Rose and Williams, that means more minutes are available for current Grizzlies to take on in expanded roles. And while wins and losses may not matter in the present, several players could strengthen their case to be a part of Memphis rosters in the future that will be looking to compete. Here is a look at a how these injuries impact some notable names currently available for Memphis:

Jaren Jackson Jr., Luke Kennard, and John Konchar

Jaren Jackson Jr. should be returning to action as early as Wednesday night, as he has been out the past three games. Luke Kennard has missed several games himself over the past few months, but also is coming off his best game of the season. John Konchar has also played better as of late, shuffling between being a starter and reserve.

While Jackson Jr., Kennard, and Konchar obviously all have different levels of significance and impact for the Grizzlies, they are grouped together here because they are veterans whose rotation roles are well-known going into next season (barring Kennard or Konchar potentially being used in a trade this offseason). Jackson Jr. will be the most important source of frontcourt impact on the roster, Kennard will be a source of shooting success as a reserve, and Konchar will provide versatility as an end of the bench option. As a result, their current performances have minimal impact on their future outlook.

GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr.

For both GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr., there is little doubt both players will likely have rotation roles for the Grizzlies next season. But unlike the vets, both Jackson and Williams Jr. are in their first full seasons of being a part of the Grizzlies rotation. As a result, more minutes should mean more featured opportunities for Jackson and Williams Jr. This includes more reps as on-ball creators, more looks in different offensive roles, and more time to build chemistry between themselves and others.

It also will be a great time to continue evolving and improving efficiency. In terms of shot value, both Jackson and Williams Jr. have experienced a decrease in quality in March. This suggests the league is adjusting to the games of both young players as they have stepped into more featured roles. If both Jackson and Williams Jr. can now successfully adjust back on their end, that will be a great development for the offseason. It also will put both players in a position to confidently contribute when the Grizzlies look to win again next year.

Santi Aldama and Jake Laravia

In contrast to the campaigns of Jackson And Williams Jr., while Santi Aldama and Jake Laravia are playing significant rotation roles for the Grizzlies currently, their future roles for the Grizzlies are less certain. Similar to Ziaire Williams, both Aldama and Laravia have had disappointing seasons to date. Furthermore, and again similar to Williams, while both Aldama and Laravia already have their salaries guaranteed for next season, both will also be in the final year of their contracts (assuming the Grizzlies decline Laravia’s fourth year option on his rookie contract.)

As a result, it is safe to assume both Aldama and Laravia have more to play for now than just about anyone on the roster. Due to the lack of front court options, Aldama will continue to likely start and see heavy minutes and usage. To Laravia’s credit, he has produced the best scoring stretch of his career since the All-Star break and will continue to fill a big role off the bench. With plenty of opportunity available, seeing the efficiency and quality improve and remain consistent for both players will be a welcome development. While it is hard to currently be certain how that would impact their futures in Memphis, it would undoubtedly be needed positive momentum going into a critical offseason for both on an individual level.

Lamar Stevens and Yuta Watanabe

Both Lamar Stevens and Yuta Watanabe were acquired at the NBA Trade Deadline to fill roster spots for the rest of the season as the Grizzlies started to focus on the future. However, they are grouped together here because both are current wild cards in regards to their futures in Memphis, even though their situations are drastically different.

Since being acquired by Memphis, Stevens has emerged as one of the Grizzlies better players while Watanabe has had minimal impact. However, Stevens will be a free agent after this year while Watanabe has a player option he can exercise for next season. It seems pretty clear due to current playing time and performance that Stevens is a priority for Memphis over Watanabe and others. And most importantly, Stevens is performing well in that featured role to show off his versatility.

As a result, continued strong play from Stevens could certainly strengthen his case of becoming a part of the Grizzlies plans beyond this season. However, because several other players, and potentially Watanabe, will already have guaranteed money for next season, Stevens staying with Memphis will depend on others being on the move elsewhere. While there is a good chance significant roster shuffling will occur this offseason, nothing is guaranteed. However, if Stevens continues to show he could be a productive end of the bench option, he certainly fits the mold the Grizzlies have shown preference to keep within the franchise in the past.

Of course, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Brandon Clarke could also return to action later this season, but like Jackson Jr., their roles are already well-known for next year. The main point is that plenty of Grizzlies in the present have reason to continue being productive in featured roles. Even if it may not lead to roles with Memphis in the future, it certainly would be beneficial for their careers moving forward.