CHICAGO – Vince Williams Jr. knew the developmental turbulence would come.
With a team as injury-riddled as the Grizzlies have been through the first half of this season, there would inevitably be opportunities for younger or inexperienced players to emerge.
Those key and sudden rotation roles would come with stretches of breakout performances to build confidence and hope. Yet, there would also be breakdowns at critical stages of games to serve as reminders of how this current iteration of the Grizzlies are a delicate work in progress.
There would be ups.
There would be downs.
There might even be stagnation.
It’s all part of development by fire in the NBA.
“Being able to go out there and make mistakes – knowing we’re going to learn from them while in the game and not having to look over our shoulders at the moment – it means a lot,” Williams said of the team’s current predicament. “The guys are going to come back, and we’ll see how that’s going to work out.”
The Grizzlies (15-26) reach the midway point of the regular season trying to redefine a new norm amid evolving priorities the rest of the way.
The first two months of the season were about trying to remain as competitive as possible until franchise catalyst Ja Morant returned from his 25-game suspension to start the season.
Once Morant returned – The Grizzlies won six of their first nine games with him after going 6-19 – the hope was their new-found spark would ignite a run into postseason contention.
But Morant’s season-ending shoulder injury and subsequent ailments that have sidelined Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane until late February have shifted the reality for the Grizzlies. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the remaining 41 games will provide extensive opportunities to develop and evaluate a group of players now elevated into primary roles.
Some nights, there will be performances such as Monday’s contest against Golden State when second-year swingman Williams (24 points) and rookie second-round pick GG Jackson (23 points) scored their career highs in a 116-107 win.
And then there will be tough learning lessons such as the one delivered Thursday, when the Grizzlies led the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves through three quarters before rapidly faded down the stretch. The Grizzlies were outscored 37-17 in the fourth quarter, which underscored a mistake-filled second half as they squandered a 13-point lead.
With seven players out due to injuries, including six starters or top reserves, the Grizzlies are adjusting rotations nightly as coach Taylor Jenkins navigates a difficult set of circumstances.
The Grizzlies used their 23rd different starting lineup of the season in Thursday’s 118-103 loss to Minnesota, the first stop on a four-game trip that continues Saturday against the Bulls.
Although the Grizzlies didn’t close out with the preferred result, Jenkins focused more on reinforcing the competitive effort that saw his team maintain a lead through three quarters.
“That’s how we’re built, that’s in our DNA,” Jenkins reassured. “The guys have been doing it all season long. Some nights, you’re going to break through and some nights you’re going to come up a little bit short. But we’ll give ourselves a chance to win every single night we play like that.”
The plan moving ahead is to correct some late-game breakdowns that haunted the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter, while building on productive moments from the first three periods.
For now, that means following the lead set by Jaren Jackson Jr., who is coming off his seventh 30-point game of the season. Jackson is also the lone member of the Grizzlies’ primary starting five who is not sidelined with a prolonged injury recovery.
Jackson is now surrounded in the rotation by Williams, Luke Kennard, Xavier Tillman, Santi Aldama, GG Jackson, Ziaire Williams and David Roddy. Most – if not all – of that group consists of players either in their first or second NBA seasons or are facing a major decision on their contract status after this season.
The team’s evaluation process intensifies as the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline approaches. Although president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman has been among the more active executives in the league the past three years in trade talks, it is unclear what approach the Grizzlies will take this season, giving the roster’s extensive injuries.
Bane (ankle) and Smart (finger) aren’t expected to be reevaluated until after the trade deadline, while Morant (shoulder) and Steven Adams (knee) are out for the rest of the season. In the meantime, there’s plenty of motivation among players still pushing to improve their respective games in hopes of defining future roles with the franchise.
“It’s an opportunity for us young guys to develop and to try to win games, too,” said Grizzlies forward David Roddy, who has scored in double figures in four of the past five games. “It’s something we’re going to rely on in years to come, these pivotal games and this pivotal point in the season for our development. Just make it simple. Share the ball as much as we can, attack the rim and the paint. Be calm, relax and have fun.”
For GG Jackson, these moments can be equal parts exhilarating and overwhelming. After spending most of the season with the G League’s Memphis Hustle, the 6-foot-9 forward was called up to the Grizzlies last week.
Having turned 19 last month, he became the second-youngest player in NBA history to post consecutive 20-point games when he scored 20 last Saturday against the Knicks and 23 on Monday against the Warriors.
But then came the hard lesson in NBA-level consistency on Thursday, when Jackson missed all three of his shots and was a minus-25 in plus-minus rating in 10 only minutes of action.
Jenkins is encouraged by how his teenage prospect is grasping this opportunity as the Grizzlies work to figure out where and how best to utilize Jackson’s versatility.
“Figuring out what position he’ll play will come in time,” Jenkins said. “We want to continue to challenge him to be a better defender and rebounder. But the fact he’s super coachable, loves the game and wants to get better each day, I’m excited to see what transpires moving forward.”
Jackson is working to keep things in proper perspective as he learns the NBA’s ebb and flow.
“Stay humble,” Jackson said of this week’s mindset. “Don’t get caught up in those mess-ups. I’m just lucky enough to have this opportunity to get out there and play. Lean on things that you’re learning, and just try to continue stacking up these days.”
Inevitably, given the circumstances entering the second half of the Grizzlies’ season, there will be many more developmental days like this.