Which Memphis Grizzlies Training Camp Invitee Will Make the Team?
The race for the Memphis Grizzlies' last roster spot opened up after Michael Beasley left the team on Thursday to sign with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Beasley was the most experienced and talented of the Grizzlies' four training camp invitees. He also had the most to prove. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports noted, off-court issues caused teams to shy away from him.
With Beasley departed, four players are vying for the 15th spot. Most of them have little NBA experience, and power forward Earl Clark, a five-year veteran, hasn't played at least 60 games in a season.
Here's a look at each candidate.
Luke Hancock
The undrafted small forward is waiting for a break. He played one game for the Orlando Magic in the Orlando Summer League and scored 4.8 points in 11.1 minutes per game while shooting 29.4 percent for the Houston Rockets in the Las Vegas Summer League.
This was discouraging after the 24-year-old shot only 40.8 percent from the field for Louisville in 2013-14.
Hancock, who is 6'6" and weighs 200 pounds, lacks size at a position where the players get bigger.
That Hancock has only seen action in one exhibition game doesn't help his cause.
ESPN Radio Louisville's Jared Stillman quoted a scout via Twitter who suggested Hancock could eventually push his way onto a roster:
That won't be with the Grizzlies as he works on his shooting.
Patrick Christopher
Christopher, a 6'5", 209-pound shooting guard, is trying to use his capital from a hot finish with the NBA D-League's Iowa Energy last season. He averaged 13.6 points per game on 53.1 percent shooting. He scored 47 points on April 4 against the Maine Red Claws. He averaged 33.7 points per game in three playoff games.
He's produced from downtown, shooting 48 percent on 8.3 three-point attempts per game.
As DraftExpress.com's Matthew Kamalsky noted, his defensive inconsistency has long been an issue.
After going undrafted in 2010, he played two years abroad before joining the Energy.
The California product is averaging 4.7 points in 10.9 minutes per game while shooting 38.5 percent from the field.
A return to Iowa is likely for the 26-year-old. His outside shooting is nice, but he won't be able to hold his own on defense.
Hassan Whiteside
Whiteside would be a nice addition to the Grizzlies' imposing frontcourt if he could contribute. He's a 7'0" center with a 7'7" wingspan.
He blocked 0.8 shots per game and 5.0 per 36 minutes for the Sacramento Kings in 2011-12.
Whiteside said in his media day interview, "[I] just [want to] really be a defensive presence. I think what separates me from all the other guys is that I'm a shot-blocker, and rim protection."
However, Whiteside has several defects in his game. He's a dismal shooter and ball-handler. He shot 44.4 percent from the field in 2011-12. He committed 3.1 turnovers per game for Al Mouttahed Tripoli in the Lebanese Basketball League in 2013-14. He doesn't make free throws, having gone 5-of-12 for the Kings and shooting 54.6 percent in the D-League and 57.8 percent for Tripoli.
Consequently, he logged 5.8 minutes per game in 19 appearances across two seasons after the Kings took him with the 33rd overall pick in 2010.
Whiteside struggled to find a place in the D-League, scoring 6.3 points in 12.7 minutes per game in 61 games in three years.
He averaged 20.5 points per game in 16 appearances for Al Mouttahed Tripoli.
He has two points, a block and two steals in 25 minutes of two preseason games.
The Grizzlies have bigger needs than a third-string center. With Kosta Koufos averaging 14.1 minutes per game off the bench last year in the games Marc Gasol played, Whiteside would seldom step on the court.
Kalin Lucas
Lucas is slowly rising in the pro basketball ranks.
The Michigan State product played two years overseas before joining the Energy in 2013-14. He scored 15.1 points per game on 44.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range while starting 20 of 29 affairs.
Three years after going undrafted, Lucas made his first appearance in a preseason game last week. He averaged four points in 7.3 minutes per game while shooting 5-of-10 from the field through three contests.
Like Hancock, the 6'1" point guard, who has a 6'1.5" wingspan, doesn't have the size to help him make plays against tough reserves. His underwhelming first step, which DraftExpress.com's Walker Beeken discussed, compounds this issue.
Aside from brief appearances during a season, Lucas may have hit his ceiling in the D-League due to his inability to overcome his physical limitations.
Earl Clark
Clark is trying to reestablish himself after disappearing down the stretch with the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks last season. Clark took a step in 2012-13, averaging 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. He collected 11 double-doubles.
But he struggled to make shots for the Cavaliers in 2013-14, shooting 37.2 percent from the field. He shot 40 percent in his first 10 games, which is unacceptable for the position, even for a stretch-4, and fell out of the starting lineup.
Clark faded in the rotation in January, was traded and received two 10-day contracts with the Knicks.
He's a reasonable three-point shooter, hitting 33.7 percent on two three-point attempts per game in the past two years.
The 26-year-old is catching eyes as he works to win another permanent spot on a roster. Head coach Dave Joerger has given Clark the amount of playing time he has due to Clark being a veteran reserve. He scored 13 points in 31 minutes in the first two games.
The Memphis Flyer's Kevin Lipe noted Clark's hard work and said he deserves a roster spot.
As long as the Grizzlies decide to award someone before the regular season with the spot, Clark will be the one. He may be able to redeem his long-range shooting in the sparse moments he gets on the floor.
Statistics are current through Oct. 12 games.
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