With the Grizzlies’ season now over, many individuals who cover the Grizzlies have, in various forms, summarized their season as “making the most of a lost year.” This refers to the fact that even though Memphis lost a season of potential contention as their young core nears its prime, that same young core showed improvement while other future contributors emerged. Specifically, there was substantial individual growth from Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr., and others this season.
The excitement generated from this year’s improvements by the aforementioned players is due to what it could mean for their futures when Memphis once again looks to contend. However, a few other Grizzlies certainly impressed this season even though their future in Memphis, and in general, is not so certain. A great example of this is Lamar Stevens, whom the Grizzlies acquired at the 2024 NBA trade deadline along with two second round picks for Xavier Tillman.
At the time of the trade, not only did the Grizzlies target Stevens as their player to take in return, they also did not part ways with Stevens as they did with other players acquired in separate deals. It seemed that the Grizzlies had a bigger need for point guard and front court depth in mid-February; however, the Grizzlies prioritized keeping Stevens in Memphis to take a longer look at what he could offer.
The main reason for the Grizzlies’ interest in Stevens was due to the intriguing blend of defensive playmaking and versatility he had shown in his career with Cleveland and Boston. Under Zach Kleiman and Taylor Jenkins, the Grizzlies have consistently been intrigued by players who can create turnovers and guard multiple positions. Going back to his time at Penn State, those skills have been strengths for Stevens, who has spent the majority of his NBA career categorized as a power forward, or “4”, despite being 6 feet 6 inches.
Along with his defense, Stevens had also shown marginal improvements offensively in his first 3 1/2 seasons in the league. As a result, the Grizzlies seemed intrigued by Stevens becoming apart of their rotation as a versatile option that could help out on the wing and the front court. Furthermore, Stevens stepped right into the biggest role of his career. Averaging 23 minutes across 19 games for Memphis, Stevens averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and just under a steal and block per game. He shot 44.6% from the field, 28.9% from beyond the arc, and 79.1% from the line.
The positives that immediately standout from Stevens’ production is the contributions outside of scoring. Per cleaning the glass, the steal, block, and rebound rates produced by Stevens were all in the 85th percentile or better compared to his peers. These specific strengths of Stevens are significant because of how they fit with the Grizzlies, as his defensive playmaking further enhances a major strength for Memphis while his rebounding helps in a clear area of need. In other words, Stevens validated the interest Memphis showed in him by providing value in multiple areas when he was on the court.
Beyond the individual production of Stevens, his seamless fit into the Grizzlies’ defensive scheme also was highly impressive. He showed the ability to guard various positions effectively across different schemes. Overall, when Stevens was on the court, the Grizzlies where in the 94th percentile among NBA lineups in defensive rating, including the 96% percentile in opponent’s eFG% and 95th percentile in turnover creation. Furthermore, Grizzlies lineups were in the 98th percentile or better in defensive rating when Stevens played either the “3” or the “4” in lineups, validating his ability to provide good defensive value from multiple positions.
The value and versatility that Stevens provided is certainly eye-opening. Not only did he help to limit opposing offenses by creating turnovers, he was also highly effective at helping to limit their ability to consistently find good shots. He showed clear improvement in contesting and blocking shots compared to earlier in his career, and remained productive at guarding passing lanes. Perhaps the most impressive showing from Stevens was that he added value both guarding opposing wings and bigs. The Grizzlies’ defense is at its best when it can trust multiple defenders to guard opposing scoring threats on the perimeter and in the post, keeping opposing scorers out of rhythm. The ability Stevens showed to guard both areas effectively immediately made him highly valuable for the Grizzlies’ coaching staff.
Clearly, the majority of the value Stevens offers is through his defense. He also showed some intriguing offensive ability, as his scoring rates were the highest of his career. Specifically, Stevens showed good decision making at times in the mid-range, as he could create his own shot and limited turnovers in the process. He also proved to be reliable at the free-throw line. However, beyond the occasional solid shooting game, Stevens struggled in some significant areas. He made only 28.9% of his three point shots, offered very little playmaking, and declined in his ability to convert shots at the rim. On the whole, Stevens showed only marginal improvement at times offensively.
And yet, even if Stevens is limited on offense, he still made the most of his time in Memphis. His playing style, skill-set, and demeanor seemed to endear him to Grizzlies fans, a “blast from the past” as a player profile that personified the Grit N’ Grind era. He also quickly gained the trust of the coaching staff. His play also helped the Grizzlies play some of their better stretches of basketball this season, as Stevens had the best individual +/- mark (-1) of any Grizzlies player that played more than 400 minutes this year. While that may not seem that impressive, it does highlight how impactful Stevens was on defense when he played.
So what does this mean for Stevens in terms of having a future with the Grizzlies?
That will be an interesting secondary storyline to follow this season. While Stevens will enter the summer as a free agent, he has a skill set the Grizzlies would love to have on their roster in the future. However, Memphis already has money commitments to a nearly full roster next season. Furthermore, with the emergence of Jackson and Williams Jr., the need for wing depth may not be as big as adding to the front court. And with the fact Stevens does not offer a lot of offensive value, other talents with more offensive upside could be prioritized.
However, the Grizzlies will likely be active this summer as they look to shed more salary and perhaps consolidate some talents on their roster. As a result, if Memphis were to make multiple trades and clear several roster spots in the process, then Stevens would be a sensible addition for next year’s roster. Not only is he a preferred skill set for the coaching staff, but he plays above his size, especially defensively, which can help with the front court. Though he likely would not be a consistent part of the rotation, Stevens seems to be the type of player who will be ready as needed when a rotation spot needs to be filled.
In some ways, if Stevens were to return to Memphis, he could fill a similar role that John Konchar and Xavier Tillman have over the past few years for Memphis. With the Grizzlies growing ever more conscious of how money is spent, Stevens being a cheaper and somewhat comparable version of Konchar or Tillman could be a valuable addition for the Grizzlies. This is especially true with how many injuries the Grizzlies have dealt with over the past few seasons, but also the fact that Stevens comes from winning environments in Cleveland and Boston. Stevens knows his role and how he can add value, which is a valuable commodity for any NBA roster.
So as the Grizzlies make roster decisions this offseason, it will be interesting to see if a spot becomes available for Stevens to return to Memphis. His defensive versatility clearly offers value, and his strengths align with what the Grizzlies value. Regardless of what the future may hold, Stevens’ time in Memphis clearly was a positive experience and one that will hopefully raise his career to new heights.