5 Players the Memphis Grizzlies Need to Step Up Next Season
The Memphis Grizzlies are looking for reinforcement on the wing after they couldn't keep up with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs with a core focused on scoring in the paint. Their main offseason signing, Vince Carter, reinvented himself in recent years doing just that.
The Grizzlies count on him warding off decline in his 16th season. Carter can make good by remaining accurate on the striking number of three-pointers he launches.
The Grizzlies are banking on a sharp year from Quincy Pondexter. They extended him for four years last fall only to see him miss most of the season due to injury.
Likewise, Courtney Lee needs to bounce back after his three-point shooting soured down the stretch last year.
Generally, the Grizzlies need more from the outside because their core players have already reached their peaks. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley won't score much more than they currently do, and Zach Randolph has tailed off a bit. This slow-paced offense will require sharpshooting from a few players so that Memphis can keep up with high-scoring playoff teams, even while they grind them defensively.
Follow along for breakdowns on how a few Grizzlies players need to raise their games.
Vince Carter
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The Grizzlies set their hopes for a marginal offensive boost on the acquisition of Vince Carter. Carter has become a role player late in his career, having averaged 11.9 points in 24.4 minutes per game in 2013-14.
Like the man he replaces, Mike Miller, Carter will come off of the bench firing three-pointers and spacing the floor. He shot 39.4 percent from downtown last year and took 45.7 percent of attempts from that range.
Memphis will count on him to hit around that mark with his high-volume three-point shooting after losing the league's second-best three-point marksman.
Moreover, the Grizzlies hope that the 37-year-old's body maintains its record of health. He hasn't missed more than nine games since 2002-03.
Courtney Lee
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The Memphis Grizzlies are in danger of holding onto the idea of Courtney Lee instead of the player who fits his capabilities.
As Noam Schiller described in a Hardwood Paroxysm article, that version of Lee "gives Memphis a much needed outside threat, defends well enough to fit the core ideals, can add athleticism and professionalism to your backcourt and might be able to handle the ball in a pinch if need be."
In the first few weeks after the Grizzlies acquired him from the Boston Celtics, Lee fit that idea. He averaged 14.2 points per game on 56.2 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range. He defended well, allowing 103 points per 100 possessions.
That was the pinnacle of Lee's contribution for the year. He nailed 31.8 percent of threes from February to April.
He faltered defensively, allowing 107 points per 100 possessions, even though others improved due to the return of Marc Gasol.
In six seasons, Lee has been a decent overall player, averaging double digits in only two full seasons. At his norm, Lee can still help the Grizzlies' offense. Because he lives on the perimeter, he still adds floor spacing.
He draws shooting to the outside on an offense that's focused on the paint, even if he's not great from three-point range. His career 38.2 percent downtown mark is better than most of the roster. Lee simply needs to shoot around that career average so that his high frequency of threes are worthwhile.
Considering the real Lee hasn't helped much most of his career, as he has a career defensive rating of 107, his best hope for changing is following cues of defensive leaders like Gasol.
He might have needed some adjustment after Gasol came back, so Lee could use more instruction in a more intense defensive system. After all, as Peter Edmiston noted in a piece for Memphis' Commercial Appeal (subscription required), Lee played for poor defenses after his rookie year.
Perhaps Lee would make better use of his physical tools in a full season in the defense.
Quincy Pondexter
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Quincy Pondexter bloomed in his third season two years ago by shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range and averaging 15.3 points per game in the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, he had just 15 games in 2013-14 to show he'd take the next step before he went down with a stress fracture in his foot.
Now, the 26-year-old must reload so that he doesn't get lost in mix at the 3 spot behind two veterans. A 35.9 percent career three-point shooter, Pondexter needs another strong showing from that range to stay in the rotation.
He isn't an instant scorer. He has 31 double-digit performances in four years and averages 8.8 field-goal attempts per 36 minutes for his career.
While his injury-shortened 2013-14 campaign gives little upon which to infer, he had a 14.2 percent turnover rate, three percent higher than the year before, with an 18 percent usage rate, 4.1 higher than 2012-13. That causes concern about what he does when he acts as more than a spot-up shooter.
Hence, he should sharpen his aim while returning to that role. In his successful year, he took a bit more than half of his shots from long range.
Besides, offensive improvement for a Grizzlies offense without many significant added pieces depends in part on Pondexter's outside stroke. Pondexter's three-point acumen broadens Memphis' offense. With him, they might not have ranked last in three-pointers attempted per game last year.
In his offseason report on the team, CBSSports.com's James Herbert said, "The biggest change next year might be the return of forward Quincy Pondexter," alluding to the usefulness of the nifty three-and-D player.
To validate such optimism, Pondexter should stick to his area.
Tayshaun Prince
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Tayshaun Prince's value is disappearing after posting career lows in shooting percentages and showing very little productivity.
He can't do much to avoid losing more minutes after dropping below 30 minutes per game for the first time since his rookie year. His counterparts at the 3 spot include a stronger veteran in Vince Carter and a fresher role player in Quincy Pondexter.
What he can do is hit a couple of shots when the time comes and make use of his long body on defense. As seen in his 14 double-digit scoring affairs last season, especially his 21-point game against the Washington Wizards on March 3, he can occasionally make opposing defenses pay for ignoring him.
A 34-year-old who shoots 75.7 percent for his career should be prepared to sink free throws on his infrequent trips to the line, unlike Prince did by shooting 56.7 percent last year.
Prince's long arms can help force turnovers, even while his other abilities have waned.
Prince may be helped if he entered the season healthy, whereas he entered last season weak after missing the preseason with a stomach ailment. According to The Commercial Appeal (subscription required), he lost 12 to 15 pounds in that time.
He can only do better by starting the year stronger than the past October.
Jon Leuer
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With Ed Davis leaving in free agency and a second-round draft pick taking his place, Jon Leuer has a chance to become the Grizzlies' No. 2 power forward.
Leuer had some time as Zach Randolph's primary backup last season. He averaged 11.4 points on 53.3 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from downtown in 21.6 minutes per game from Nov. 30 to Jan. 7.
Afterwards, he returned to his usual position, buried on the bench, where he spent most of his three NBA campaigns.
The Grizzlies' design isn't kind to Leuer. He's a stretch 4 who's an unspectacular rebounder and defender, averaging 8.9 rebounds per 36 minutes and allowing 108 points per 100 possessions when playing more than 20 minutes. Jarnell Stokes' hard-nosed approach and paint presence make him a better fit.
Leuer must show immediately that he belongs in the rotation by working hard in training camp and preseason. If he plays tough in October, he could persuade Dave Joerger that using a change-of-pace big man off the bench more often is worthwhile.
Unless otherwise noted, advanced metrics come from Basketball-Reference.com.
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