MEMPHIS – If the first big step toward diagnosing a problem is honestly acknowledging the key symptoms, then consider the Grizzlies well on the path to recovery from a disappointing end to an overall encouraging season.
“There were definitely some self-created distractions along the way,” Grizzlies president and general manager Zach Kleiman admitted in taking inventory entering the offseason. “As we prepare for next season . . . we’ll take a different approach.”
In the big picture, Memphis files away the 2022-23 season as another building block for a team that won 50-plus games and had the West’s second-best record for a second straight season.
They placed their two biggest catalysts into the All-Star Game, with point guard Ja Morant and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. showcased February in Salt Lake City among the NBA’s elite players.
Jackson became the franchise’s second player to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and the Grizzlies also posted the league’s best home record with a historic, 35-6 mark at FedExForum.
There were definitely some self-created distractions along the way. As we prepare for next season . . . we’ll take a different approach.
And this was all accomplished by the third-youngest team in the NBA, with as many as five key rotations players missing significant chunks of the season because of injuries or other matters.
Yet in the micro view, the Grizzlies fell short of reaching their potential due, at least in part, to a series of maturity issues, inflammatory comments in the media and a conduct-related league suspension that cost Morant eight games in March. It all contributed to the team carrying a heavier burden and a larger-than-necessary target on its back as the postseason arrived.
By the time it all ended with a humbling first-round series loss to the Lakers in six games – punctuated by last week’s 40-point, Game 6 drubbing in Los Angeles – the Grizzlies were forced to face a sobering reality.
“Some things have to change,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “There’s talking the talk and walking the walk. Well, moving forward, we need to walk the walk and walk the walk.”
The Grizzlies can no longer stroll into NBA title contention with a level of swagger and perceived trash talk that breeds overconfidence. Despite immense young talent and three consecutive seasons making the playoffs, the Grizzlies exited with a bitter taste that only experience and maturity can wash away.
From the top of the organization down to the end of the bench, no one was satisfied with how the season finished. Fortunately, there’s a shared level of accountability and responsibility to set matters straight. There’s a clear path toward improvement.
After losing in the first round two years ago to Utah and advancing to the second round last season before falling to eventual champion Golden State, the Grizzlies were again positioned with the No. 2 seed to compete for a conference title.
But persistent battles with injuries and adversity were too much to overcome for the Grizzlies, who were overpowered by a team with future Hall of Famers LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
In Sunday’s exit interviews with the media, the Grizzlies’ brass and key players accepted responsibility for a season that missed the mark as they now chart next steps.
“I think myself, the team and everyone is pissed,” Jenkins continued. “We had a trajectory we were kind of on the past couple of seasons, but we didn’t reach our standards. We’re at a pivotal point in our journey. We can’t wait for the start of next season. Next season starts now.”
From the front-office’s perspective, first on the agenda is to address the health of key players.
Kleiman indicated that veteran center Steven Adams, who did not return from a PCL knee sprain he suffered in January, remains on a non-surgical path to recovery. Adams, who led the NBA in offensive rebounding at the time he was injured, is projected to be healthy and available around the start of training camp in late September.
Power forward Brandon Clarke, who underwent season-ending Achilles surgery in March, is likely to miss at least the first half of the 2023-24 season but is hopeful to play next season.
Shooting guard Desmond Bane, the team’s second-leading scorer at 21.5 points a game, finished the season playing through lingering soreness from a toe sprain that previously sidelined him for 17 games. Both Bane and team officials indicated this week that he would seek further medical evaluation in the coming days to determine if any procedure is necessary.
“We went through a lot – this was probably one of the craziest seasons I’ve ever been a part of,” Bane said. “It definitely had its ups and downs. But we stayed positive through it all. There are always things you can learn from, good and bad. So, we’re looking forward to the offseason and building on what we’ve done these last three years.”
An offseason dedicated to growth and healing should place the Grizzlies firmly back into contention in the West next season. But there are other priorities amid a push to improve the roster through player development, the June 22 NBA Draft and July’s free-agency period.
The Grizzlies face potential contract extension decisions on at least three rotation players in Bane, looming free agent swingman Dillon Brooks and reserve center Xavier Tillman.
We had a trajectory we were kind of on the past couple of seasons, but we didn’t reach our standards. We’re at a pivotal point in our journey. We can’t wait for the start of next season. Next season starts now.
After carrying five rookies on the extended roster this season, including four from last year’s draft, Memphis is slated with the No. 25 pick in the first round and two second-round picks (No. 45 and No. 56) in next month’s draft. Kleiman and his staff have been active in trades around each of the past four drafts since he moved into basketball operations leadership in Memphis.
The Grizzlies could shift away from adding more youth and instead prioritize veterans as targets to bolster the roster in the coming months. In the free-agency market, the Grizzlies will have the NBA’s mid-level exception as their primary asset. With that, they could offer up to a four-year deal with a first-year salary projected in the $11-12 million range for the 2023-24 season.
Before the season started, Kleiman cautioned that success for the Grizzlies wouldn’t necessarily follow a linear path. Just because Memphis made it to the first round of the 2021 playoffs and the second round in 2022 hardly guaranteed a spot in the conference finals this season.
Progress can be charted through setbacks as well as breakthroughs. Vital lessons must be learned along both routes. In his exit meetings with players, Jenkins challenged them to regroup this summer by focusing on physical development, skill development and a stronger mentality.
“For us to get where we want to go, they know what they’ve got to do,” Jenkins assured. “I’m going to lean on the group that we’ve got.”
For the 2023-24 version of the Grizzlies, the call to action is simple.
The answer starts with accountability.
Almost symbolically, Kleiman and Jenkins were first up during exit interviews to share in the responsibility for this season’s shortcomings.
They each closed by setting a defined – and refined – standard moving forward.
“I’m really proud of this group – I want to make sure that comes through,” Kleiman insisted. “This is a really tough-minded, heavily motivated, very together group. There are some things we need to change up a little bit. It’s good that things come to a head. You’ve just got to make it meaningful. Everyone just needs to be honest and blunt with each other about what we need to take away from this. We’re going to be back. And we’re going to be better.”
Entering the offseason in Memphis, expect less talk.
More walk.