Following the 2023 NBA trade deadline, it was well-known that the Memphis Grizzlies were looking for the perfect wing player to play next to their three stars Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies were rumored to have offered the Toronto Raptors three first-round draft picks for O.G. Anunoby and the Brooklyn Nets four first-round draft picks for Mikal Bridges to add the perfect complimentary 3 and D wing to their young trio.
The reality of their push at the 2023 trade deadline could’ve been taken as a couple of things:
- Dillon Brooks’ time with the Grizzlies was coming to an end
- The Grizzlies were trying to take advantage of a championship window
- The Grizzlies admitted to their draft failures in the wing position
Well, Dillon Brooks’ time did come to an end as the Grizzlies let him walk as a free agent after the 2022-23 season. He struggled down the stretch shooting 31% overall and 24% from three in the Grizzlies’ 4-2 series loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers. Also, although the Grizzlies were indeed trying to take advantage of a potential championship season, the window is still open even after the lopsided injury-riddled season the Grizzlies just experienced.
A huge part of the reason for the championship window remaining is one of the bright spots that happened because of the injuries this season: “The Transition of the Grizzlies’ Wing Position.”
Out with the Old
Going into the 2023-24 season, the Grizzlies were expected to start a three-guard lineup after acquiring Marcus Smart to replace Dillon Brooks last summer. With the undersized nature of the lineup, the Grizzlies’ young wings had an opportunity to compete to see who would be most likely to potentially push their way into the lineup for the roster’s future.
The Grizzlies spent the 2021, 2022, and 2023 drafts on five wings which included lottery pick Ziaire Williams, mid-late first-round picks Jake LaRavia and David Roddy, and second-round picks Vince Williams Jr. and G.G. Jackson II. With Ja Morant missing the first 25 games of the season, the chance to start and even make that a potential long-term thing arose for these young wings, specifically the first-round picks.
Ziaire Williams, coming off a lackluster sophomore season in which a knee injury set him back early in the season and he was eventually played out of the rotation, got the first opportunity as the starter for the Grizzlies’ first eight games of the season. Coach Taylor Jenkins preached a lot about defense from the wings in the Grizzlies Media Day before the season and that is what Ziaire struggled with to begin the season as he was slow on rotations. Also, offensively he didn’t set himself apart shooting only 40% from the field and 31% from three while averaging 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in his first eight games before moving to the bench.
Jake LaRavia showed even less to begin the season as he shot 35% from the field and 17% from three in the Grizzlies’ first five games of the season as a reserve before being inactive for 17 straight games due to injury. David Roddy, who played his way into the playoff rotation in his rookie year the season before, struggled to separate himself from the pack as well as he shot 23% from three in the teams’ first 12 games. As mentioned earlier with Ziaire, the defense from all three players was lacking consistency with rotations and staying in front of their matchup.
In with the New
Due to the shortcomings of the former first-round picks to separate themselves throughout the first dozen games, Vince Williams Jr. got the call to get real rotation minutes after only playing garbage time minutes in his career up until that point on November 19th against the Boston Celtics. In that game, Vince Williams Jr. played some of the best defense the Grizzlies had seen from the wing position since the departure of Dillon Brooks as he was called to guard the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in 16 minutes of play. It also helped that Vince showed some efficiency in his few shot opportunities in that game shooting 2-3 from three for his 6 points.
After a couple of games of inconsistent minutes due to coach Taylor Jenkins’ gamely rotation switch because of injuries and matchups, Vince Williams Jr. began getting consistent minutes in a November 29th game against the Utah Jazz and rewarded the Grizzlies with a 15-point, 9-rebound performance in a win against the Dallas Mavericks on December 1st. Vince received his start on December 13th and proceeded to play so well that fans had to debate whether he would be a better fit in the starting five over Marcus Smart as he started 7 of 8 games before Marcus Smart returned from injury.
The Defensive end was Vince Williams Jr.’s calling card as he consistently frustrated the stars of the league with his tenacity and even received compliments from Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant.
However, it was when the calendar flipped to 2024 that Vince Williams Jr. would continue his ascension on the offensive end of the court. In the 28 games (26 starts) he played in 2024, Vince averaged 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals on 48% shooting from the field and 41% from three. He displayed increased playmaking ability in his opportunities and succeeded which only adds to his fit for the team moving forward.
As the injuries piled up for the Grizzlies’ stars, GG Jackson II began to enter the lineup with extended minutes on January 13th against the New York Knicks. With the potential he displayed during his stint with the Memphis Hustle (20.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in 16 games) and as a high-ranking prospect coming out of high school, GG scored 20 points in back-to-back games against the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors to make his stamp on being considered as part of the core going forward.
While his defense was considered a weakness for GG Jackson going into the draft last season, he grew in that aspect to the point where he was tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player down the stretch of the season. In the 42 games to end the season that GG played more than 10 minutes, he scored over 20 points 12 times, over 30 points three times, and capped off his rookie season with a 44-point performance against the Denver Nuggets.
The Final Verdict
As the youngest player in the NBA, GG Jackson showed significant growth and the will to be great with his postgame comments and pregame study of other stars in the league. Whether he is a starter or not next season, expect to see GG Jackson as a part of the Grizzlies’ core and rotation.
The Grizzlies entered this season with a huge question mark about their wing rotation and how it could be solved and somehow it was solved because of the struggle the season presented. While Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson solved that question, Ziaire Williams’ (scored his career-high 27 points on February 15th against the Milwaukee Bucks) and Jake LaRavia’s (14.1 points in the final 24 games) performances during the second half of the season could make the Grizzlies consider keeping them on the backend of the roster to insert when an injury occurs.
The nature of how the Grizzlies have solved their wing rotation is unprecedented. The three first-round picks that were spent on wing players were surpassed by the two second-rounders (albeit GG Jackson is unlike most second-round picks). However, it doesn’t matter how it happened, it just matters that it did happen and the Grizzlies are in good hands going forward with the transition that has taken place in the position for contention in the Western Conference.