Part One of my Choose Your Own Adventure series focused on the ways that Memphis could potentially replace the departing Dillon Brooks using players already on the roster. For Part 2, the focus now shifts to one Ja Morant. The Grizzlies are currently awaiting the league’s punishment to be handed down on their young superstar after an incident occurring on social media earlier this month.
The point of this exercise however, is not to speculate on any potential suspension the commissioner may or may not hand down on 12. It is to prune through the possible choices which lay in front of Memphis. A storm awaits them at the start of next season, this is inevitable, but the Grizzlies still must chose how they will weather the storm ahead.
!WARNING and BEWARE!
‘This piece is different from other pieces. You and YOU ALONE are in charge of what happens this Memphis ‘offseason’. There are dangers, choices, adventures and consequences. YOU must use all of your numerous talents and much of your enormous intelligence. The wrong decision could end in disaster—even death…
But, don’t despair. At anytime, YOU can go back and make another choice, alter the path of your story, and change its result…. You have just received word of Ja Morant’s suspension and prepare for the start of the season…
If you decide to anchor yourself to ‘Stones’ turn to #21
Should you stick with what you know, choosing this path for the Grizzlies would signal a significant change in the organization’s offseason plans. At least in my opinion. I find it quite difficult to imagine Tyus Jones being a part of Memphis’ long term thinking at this point. Nothing against ‘Stones’, he’s done quite a remarkable job holding down the back-up point guard spot at this point.
Therein lies the question though: “Do you really need a remarkable back up point guard in this league?” The answer is yes and no oddly enough. As has been the case in Memphis, Tyus has helped get them across the regular season finish line on more than one occasion; We know what he is capable of when he starts.
Starting in 22 games in Morant’s place this past season, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 33.2 minutes/game. Those are incredibly solid numbers to hang your hat on. Now, is trading Tyus Jones perhaps in the cards for the Grizzlies this offseason? Absolutely. After yet again another dud of a post season performance against Los Angeles when combined with his contract makes him extremely tradeable.
However, you may instead choose to throw ‘Stones’ on the brakes of that idea for the time being. You’re looking at arguably the safest choice in the book.
If you cast off, preferring to chance it with the unknown turn to #25
Should you chose to traverse this path in Memphis, you’re betting on the unknown. The thing is, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s actually a great deal one could chose to do with the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft. Should you chose to draft a replacement or trade the pick to another team in an effort to garner a serviceable back-up in return you are not without options.
Jalen Hood-Schifino the freshman from Indiana, Jordan Hawkins the sophomore out of UConn, and Dariq Whitehead the freshman from Duke are all three prospects I believe would fit well with the Grizzlies. They are all three also over 6’4″, which after seeing Tyus torched in the playoffs this past year gives my heart joy. They could all three possibly still be available when Memphis picks at 25 as well.
I understand the hesitancy to chose this route, especially after the commitment that was made to the youth movement last season seemingly backfired. Yet, if the franchise is decidedly ready to move on from ‘Stones’, they should really consider leveraging the 25th pick as a means to finding his replacement.
If you elect to attempt and race ‘Downhill’ turn to #22
If you’re more of a risk taker than this may be the choice for you. In this scenario, we chose to get crazy and let ‘Downhill’ Desmond Bane run the show until his running mate returns. At first glance this may seem like a truly bizarre choice. If you’re only going to take Des for the player he is “at first glance” you’re going to truly miss out on an exceptional hooper.
Let me remind you of the 2021 Summer League when Bane was responsible for running the point for Memphis. In two games at the Salt Lake City Summer League that year he averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while in two games at the MGM Resorts Summer League he posted averages of 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. He was simply a man amongst boys this summer, and he’s only improved on every facet of his game since.
In this scenario, you would be looking at a starting lineup of Des at the 1, Luke Kennard at the 2, the Villain’s replacement at the 3, Jaren Jackson Jr. at the 4, and Steven Adams at the 5. That’s quite the tantalizing combination you have there, and one with lethal potential depending on who Memphis gets to replace DB. Let’s say for the sake of argument they pull of a trade for OG Anunoby. You’re telling me you don’t like the sound of a Bane/Kennard/Anunoby/Jackson Jr./Adams to start the season? Well I’m telling you you could do significantly worse.
If you’d rather travel back to ‘KC’ instead turn to #1
‘You fling yourself through the portal, hoping to get through fast enough to avoid being in the two places at once. But as your legs run forward, your head and shoulders are wrenched behind you. In whirlpool of time, moving backward, and at the same time forward, you are swept into eternity.’
Also another actual ending to a book in this series. Also deeply unsettling.
I’m just saying there was a reason why Kennedy Chandler is the only rookie that the Grizzlies drafted who is currently not on the roster. Do not go racing to bring back yet another undersized, underperforming guard. Please and thank you.
What ending will you chose for the Grizzlies?
I’m actually far less confident about the choice the franchise makes here than I am regarding how they replace Dillon Brooks. There’s just a large amount of detail that is still up in the air in this scenario. From the actual suspension itself, to any specifics about teams that may or may not be interested in Tyus, there’s significantly more uncertainty that shrouds this decision than the one presented in Part One.
Personally I’d love to see the reigns handed to Desmond, but I’m not the man in charge. Honestly they really just need to avoid the final option and I’ll keep my ‘angry mob’ meter on the lower end of that scale.