It wasn’t that long ago when the Memphis Grizzlies finished as the two seed in the Western Conference with a 51-31 record. In fact, that was only a year ago. It’s easy to lose sight of that because of how disastrous the 2023-24 season treated the Grizzlies. Memphis went from the two seed to a 27-55 record, missing the playoffs, and owning the seventh-best odds in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft Lottery.
Injuries derailed any chance of the Grizzlies competing this year. Ja Morant played just nine games due to a suspension and a labral tear in his right shoulder. Marcus Smart, their prized offseason addition, appeared in only 20 games. Desmond Bane missed 40 of the 82 games this season. The Grizzlies wound up playing 33 different players this season because of the numerous injuries they dealt with. At least they have a lottery pick for their troubles, where they will have plenty of options at finding a new contributor to this core.
Reed Sheppard, Guard, Kentucky Wildcats
One player who should be near the top of Memphis’ wish list with their first-round pick is Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard. Offensively, it’s hard to find a better fit next to Memphis’ stars than the Kentucky native. He doesn’t need the ball to be effective, evidenced by his 52.1% mark from three last season in Lexington.
That doesn’t mean Sheppard can’t cook with the ball in his hands either, however. He scored 17.2 points per 40 minutes and was efficient from everywhere on the field. Sheppard did that while posting shooting splits of 53.6/55.5/52.1/83.1. He also averaged 6.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per 40 minutes. The Kentucky product can do a bit of everything.
On paper, it doesn’t seem that guard is at the forefront of Memphis’ needs. Obviously, Morant is the face of their franchise and one of the best point guards in the league. Bane is one of the better combo guards the NBA has to offer too. Smart defends just about everybody but he has guard skills too. But the Grizzlies could use some more shooting (they were 29th in the NBA in three-point percentage this season and 23rd last year). They learned in 2024 how valuable depth is too. Sheppard provides both.
Dalton Knecht, Forward, Tennessee Volunteers
If the Grizzlies want more shooting, they could also look to Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht. Knecht was arguably the breakout star of the 2023-24 college basketball season. After transferring from Northern Colorado, he burst onto the scene in Knoxville by scoring 21.7 points per game on robust volume (16 field goal attempts per game) and efficiency (57.8% true shooting percentage and 53.8% effective field goal percentage).
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