HOUSTON – Jaylen Wells had no idea the call would come so soon.
So, when Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins motioned for the first two substitutions to enter the game midway through the first quarter of the season opener, Wells initially froze.
Jenkins and his assistants yelled down the bench for backup point guard Scotty Pippen and Wells to head to the scorers’ table Wednesday at the Delta Center. But only one of those names registered in the rookie’s initial comprehension.
“I was not expecting that,” Wells said through a sheepish smile. “I’m not even going to lie. I think they (yelled for) Scotty. And I thought they only said, ‘Scotty!’ And then they said my name a second time. And I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”
Fortunately, the second-round pick in last summer’s draft was ready to contribute off the bench in his NBA debut. That was also the case for a cast of reserves Memphis will rely heavily upon early this season to help push through a relentless stretch of games to open the schedule.
If the opening outcome is any indication, the Grizzlies depth is ready to deliver. With four key rotation players sidelined to start the season, Jenkins reached far deeper into his bench than usual and got a level of production that was a difference maker in a 126-124 win over the Jazz.
The Grizzlies look to build on an effort in which their second unit matched Utah’s in rebounding (17-17), and held advantages in scoring (37-33), assists (11-8), blocks (4-2) and steals (4-3).
In a quick turnaround, the bench faces its second test in Friday’s game against the Rockets to complete a two-game trip to open the season. That’s the second contest in a stretch of six games the Grizzlies play over the season’s first nine days, including Saturday’s home opener.
Therefore, it’s essentially an all-hands-on-deck scenario from the outset. By the time Ja Morant’s late-game heroics, Santi Aldama’s steady scoring and Desmon Bane’s versatility sealed the win, Memphis had 11 players log between 14 and 31 minutes against the Jazz.
“I probably haven’t played 11 guys my entire time in Memphis,” said Jenkins, who entered his sixth season having used all 11 in Wednesday’s first quarter. “All 11 contributed in different fashions at different stages through the game. We’ll see what we do moving forward, and how deep we’ll play. But that’s got to be a strength of ours moving forward, our bench. These guys are taking advantage of this opportunity. What a heck of a first game to have under your belt.”
Playing the first game of the season in Utah’s altitude at a newly installed offensive pace was among the reasons Jenkins was prepared to liberally spread minutes throughout the roster. But a commitment to that approach comes easier when there are contributions across the board.
Pippen played both behind and alongside Morant to give the Grizzlies a two-point-guard lineup look at times Wednesday, with the tandem combing for 17 of the team’s 28 assists. Wells came off the bench and immediately made his first career 3-pointer on a night Memphis knocked down 17 of 45 attempts from beyond the arc.
Wells entered the opener coming off a productive preseason, when he scored in double figures all five exhibition games and ranked fourth among all rookies in preseason scoring. The Grizzlies have turned to Wells, John Konchar and Jake LaRavia to step into increased roles as GG Jackson (foot), Vince Williams Jr. (leg) and Luke Kennard (foot) work their way back from injuries.
Those rotation tweaks were anticipated heading into the season. Another came as an in-game development Wednesday, when third-string center Jay Huff stepped up after rookie lottery pick Zach Edey struggled with foul trouble against the Jazz.
Huff, playing on a two-way developmental contract, finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks off the bench in 22 minutes. The 7-foot-1 Huff made three 3-pointers and caught a couple of lob passes from Morant to finish at the rim. One of Huff’s challenges was to avoid being too mesmerized in the moment by Morant’s athletic and acrobatic feats in the game.
“Seeing that up close and seeing it on TV is way different,” Huff said of sharing the court with Morant. “There were a couple of times when he didn’t even get to dunk it. He went to the rim with the intent, but just decided to float in the air. Getting to be a part of that, it’s just fun.”
The busy schedule and the missing bodies on the roster created an opportunity for players on the back-end of the rotation to move into primary roles. Maximizing the moment is critical.
“It’s very important that we have guys ready to step up,” said Pippen, who was part of the reserve unit that got extended preparation during the preseason. “But we also know the regular season is a different ballgame. We have a mentality that we’re all here and ready for that.”
That bench should get even deeper and productive when key players return to the rotation. Star power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. could make his season debut Saturday should he continue to make progress in conditioning workouts. Jackson has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since the first day of training camp back on Oct. 1.
In some ways, Aldama’s breakout play should count toward bench production. His team-high 27 points were the second-most in franchise history in road season opener. When Jackson Jr. is ready to go, Aldama likely returns to his role as first big man off the bench.
“My role will change a little bit, but I just want to play as much as possible,” Aldama insisted. “I’m super-confident in my game, with my shot, my drives, my passing and even my defense. The goal for all of us is to go out there and just make winning plays to help the team.”
The early schedule is demanding, but even rookies know not to look too far ahead.
Wells is only focused on the next opportunity to step up Friday.
“I just go day by day, game by game,” said Wells, who wasn’t aware of the looming workload of six games in nine days. “Each game, we definitely want to have the bench out there helping and making sure we’re not messing up the lead and we’re playing with 100-percent effort when we’re out there or when we’re mixing with the starters. Our job is to keep the game flowing.”
If so, playing time for a deep group of reserves may keep flowing, too.