Gilbert Arenas Rumors: Why Memphis Grizzlies Are Best Option for Agent Zero
Concerning the future of Gilbert Arenas, no team in the NBA will work better than the Memphis Grizzlies. According to Ronald Tillery of Commercial Appeal, this is becoming more of a possibility.
"The Grizzlies are exploring the possibility of adding free-agent guard Gilbert Arenas, according to multiple NBA sources.
Despite mutual interest, no deal will be completed until the Griz have the opportunity to see Arenas in a private workout. A source with knowledge of the negotiations indicated both parties were arranging a meeting.
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The reason this is such a perfect idea is that Arenas' skills are directly in line with what the Grizzlies need, which is depth in the backcourt. More specifically, they need depth at the point guard position.
Make no mistake, Mike Conley is the starter. Unless he gets hurt, that should not change even if they do sign Arenas. However, point guard is a demanding position, so averaging more than 36 minutes a night (as Conley does) is going to be a grind. Quite frankly, you can't sustain that kind of pressure on the body.
Arenas would take significant strain off of Conley. He wouldn't need to log more than about 10-15 minutes a game to make a big difference. Some of that time would be spent in the backcourt with Conley, while other minutes would be spent while Conley is on the bench. Regardless, Arenas is a veteran player who will make a big impact.
The fact that the Grizzlies have other guards (Conley, O.J. Mayo, Tony Allen) to log significant minutes is what makes Arenas a good fit. Obviously, we're talking about a 30-year-old point guard who hasn't played in almost a year, so the expectations for significant minutes can't be high.
But when those important minutes are needed and all of the focus is on the Grizzlies' forwards, someone will need to step up and make big shots from the outside. That is where Arenas is extremely valuable, as it's hard to imagine his shot has gone away.
With their inside presence, some depth in the backcourt makes the Grizzlies a real contender in the Western Conference. With Arenas, that depth would be there.
