This Changes Everything For The Memphis Grizzlies

This Changes Everything For The Memphis Grizzlies

What is CAC and fellow thermonuclear aers I am d Valley coming at you with a solo mini emergency episode segment because John Moran is going to be out for the season he’s having surgery on a torn laam in his right shoulder just a bummer here and changes so much obviously for the Memphis

Grizzlies but about the landscape I think in the Western Conference uh very quickly Jeff STS in Street Clos on Twitter says that Morant uh the recovery period is normally 156 days that’s a long time that’s about five months following surgery but it comes with a very high success rate he notes other

Players to undergo lay room surgery include jayen Brunson Pascal cakam and Paul George I believe Paul George has had some subsequent issues with that shoulder if I’m not mistaken but he’s still an all-nba caliber player as is Pascal cakam and we’re seeing what Jaylen Brunson can do right now and so

Next season John Moran should be fine and the grizzly should be fine they still have Desmond Bay they still have jiren Jackson Jr Stephen Adams will be healthy at that point anyway they were already a little bit in Lurch because of how much ground they lost without Mor um

They now seed all of that back they had the worst offense in the league without him um they didn’t generate a ton of Rim pressure they weren’t making a ton of Threes not that he improves your three-point shooting but that creativity is Big there’s no one on this team that

Is like has unassisted an unassisted a three-point attempt rate of just like above 50 so everyone on this team most of their three-pointers are coming off assists having John Moran is a Creator to put pressure on defenses is huge in large part because you also do not have the offensive rebounding element that

You would have if both Brandon Clark and more so Stephen Adams were healthy um you look at this I think there’s been the reactions to this are the two things that bother me is one calling it a blessing in disguise because this is going to drum up the value of memphis’s

First round pick this year okay fine the Grizzlies have not drafted that well since the Desmond Bane pick they have some interesting guys on here but they bet big on their internal development and that has kind of flopped since then and they held on to some of

Their assets too long before the Marcus Smart trade there was also sort of this I want to say glaring indifference but people just not that they’ve written off John moranda they’re rooting for an injury but just everything down to um the finger gun celebration once he returned from his suspension earlier

This year I have been very critical of John Morant on a bunch of things as has Grant on this podcast this is still a 24 year old kid and we should all be rooting for Redemption and we should never be I don’t even want to say root

No one was rooting for the injury but we shouldn’t have just written him off or view this as something indifferent that it doesn’t change a lot about what the Grizzlies are going to do because it changes everything about what they can and should what they will do they looked

Like they could be they probably wouldn’t have done anything major but they could have if he was going to be healthy they still have their first round picks they still have some salary matching tools and they were four they are four games out in the Lost column of

The playin right now that’s a tall order when most of the teams in front of them are all going to try and make the playoffs there’s a chance Utah pulls back they’re playing out a a hellacious stretch right now that takes them through February they could also be

Sneaky buyers though and so they were no guarantees and if you’re Memphis this completely flips that on its head and I don’t think do we see them tank maybe what this really does that’s damaging though is it really erases any type of information they could have had on okay

Well how does jaw work with Marcus smartt and Desmond Bane and jiren Jackson Jr together there’s just virtually no sample there for that this season on the year those four have played 238 possessions together the Grizzlies are plus four during that plus four points per 100 possessions that’s

Solid um but the offense has been in the ninth percentile they were doing a lot of their damage on the defensive end and the half court offense still wasn’t very good there were things they needed to figure out and I don’t think you can look at this team and think that they

Are built to navigate the rest of the season without John rant particularly on the offensive end I look at Marcus Smart specifically has been mostly a train wreck there he is shooting above 55% on his drives he also has more turnovers than assists on those drives some of

That could just be his teammates not making shots and it is to some extent but he has never been that traditional floor General he has always needed another Creator or two around him to be optimized johnar might have given you that because you also have Desmond Bane

And you just look at when Marcus Mart is running pick and roll this year been an absolute disaster he’s scoring 6 he’s averaging 69 points per possession as the pick and roll ball handler that is an egregiously bad Mark there have been 89 players that have run at least 75

Pick and rolls this year uh Marcus smt ranks has there’s actually only one player that’s averaging fewer points per possession in pick and rolls than Marcus smt and it’s Drew holiday that’s uh not sure I saw that one coming and he’s turning the ball over on

27.7% of his pick and rolls that is dead last by a mile among everyone who has run at least 75 of those you have Marcus smt 27.7% turnover right there 89th out of 89 players and then Josh giddy checks in at 88th at 22 .3% and so like the distance between

Marcus smartt and giddy is basically the distance between Giddy and like maybe the bottom you know someone who ranks in the the 60s if that that’s a problem that’s not going to go away and so I look at this team and yes because you are Memphis because you’re still playing

The long game if there’s a player out there on the trade market that you deem can be a part of your long-term picture still go out and get them because that you can protect this year’s pick or maybe other teams are just more inclined to value your pick um because of what

Just happened with with Mor go out and get them to set yourself up for the longer term but don’t throw good money after bad and try and acquire someone who is going to get you into the playing or the playoffs because you’re not getting the playoffs at this point just

The sheer difference and the teams in front of you to get to that sixth spot you are right now as I record this eight losses back and it’s just look at the teams in front of you uh even if you don’t believe in Houston even if you

Don’t believe in New Orleans even if you don’t believe in the Lakers the Suns the Warriors either one of those teams could get hot the Jazz have been quietly playing really well but they’re you’re not going to reach the playoffs anyway and so I do think this takes them out if

They had been tangentially linked to a pascal yakum and if you were really let’s say you really believe in getting Pascal yakum okay go out and do it because then he if you resign him he comes back you could see what he’s like with ja but not having jaw I think a

Like really eliminates that possibility of going out and getting someone that they view as a high impact player right away because you would want to see that fit together before you have to pay someone like SE yakum there could be other names available but the goal

Should not be well do we all of a sudden look at deante Murray because he’s been a bear on offense this year and maybe that could help us get to the play that’s not the goal anymore this needs to be about subsequent seasons and setting yourself up to make another big

Move the big move that you really haven’t even I say another Big Move that you still haven’t made the Markus smart consolidation trade has not penned out like it should have you waited too long to make that type of trade if you’re the Grizzlies so now if I’m Memphis I’m

Looking at again if the right player became available if you get your hands on Mel Bridges for example you can’t I’m just using that as a as an example yeah you go out and do it because that sets you up for the future at this rate it’s

Not about you could keep this core intact you could play everybody and you’re still going to lose enough games to you’re not going to be on the level of the Blazers or the Spurs most likely but lose enough games to have like top five seven Lottery odds and maybe you’ll

Get maybe you’ll get lucky there and then that’s a pick that you can then move and that you should move that pick because you have John Desmond Bane and Sharon Jackson Jr right now what I think you should be doing in the inter term

And what you need to do in the in term is what is the market for Marcus Smart because I don’t you can’t say this experiment that the ship is sailed on it you don’t have enough information at full strength but it’s been underwhelming enough to where you look

At the two years and 41 plus million left on his deal he could still be very valuable to certain contenders I look at would Dallas want to take a shot at him someone suggested the Knicks I think they need more shot creation um if they’re going to go that route the

Lakers could be a team that might want to get involved that you’re willing to take back look you could kind of straddle both sides the fense if you’re willing to take back DLo in that deal and they’re going to give you their distant first round pick you have that

Extra shot Creator in DLo I don’t think he leads you to the playing and he could pick up his player option for next year but then that’s still sort of a a human trade exception type situ situation if he does exercise that option and I think

That you could get you’re not going to get nearly as much as you gave up for Marcus smt I don’t think but there are teams that I do believe would give up a first round pick and maybe more for Marcus Smart I don’t know if that team would be the Lakers specifically because

They’re only going to be able to give you 2029 or 2030 if that’s on the table you should absolutely be doing it but there are just other teams that could come in here I saw someone had mentioned to me Philly that would just be it would

Eat into their cap space but man they’re really all about this year Philly would make some sense they have all those expiring contracts and some picks that might be a team where you could watch and see them really doing something there Brooklyn probably needs more of a floor General type even though their

Defense has been a little bit wonky this year does Atlanta like do you just like a Marcus Smart de jante Murray challenge trade I still think that if you’re the Grizzlies you end up having to give up someone as part of that deal but if you’re will to take back Clint Capella’s

Money maybe send out some of your other bigs that’s something you could look at um I wouldn’t love that one for Memphis though quite frankly you could also look at something like a again if you’re trying to straddle two lines would Charlotte be interested in having Marcus

SM as a culture Setter and Defender moving forward over Terry Rosier who’s just been playing like Gang Busters lately I mean I really don’t know um other teams I don’t think this OKC that’s they’re not really a good team even though he would be I think even in

The playoffs an upgrade over giddy but the other thing here is Marcus Mt is shooting 33.3% on catch and shoot threes other teams know this as well but if you’re like you’re really going after trying to make a maybe maybe Houston they believe with him and Fred

Van Fleet and you’re going to lighten his creation duties because of shenon they could really use another Creator in there so there will be teams I think could give up a first round pick for him and then you also have Luke Canard who has a team option for next season you

Should look at moving his contract when he’s been healthy he has these knee problems he has for years he’s going to be someone who could make shots for you and you need that element but I think at this point it needs to be about aiming bigger and that’s you can call it

Tanking if you want to tank and you really you right now you’re two losses in front of the Blazers and you want to you’re not going to catch up to the Pistons or the Wizards um or the Spurs but if you want bottom four lottery odds

And you want to go after the Hornets um who are have three more losses than you and Portland who has two more losses Than You by all means you can do that but it needs to be more about setting yourself up to make the move that you

Still have not made and what Marcus Smart did not do for you and that’s why I’m looking at moving him looking at moving Luke Canard Brandon Clark If a team wants to trade for him as you know some sort of salary matching that should be on the table and it’s about getting

Picks back maybe some young players back I don’t know necessarily what young players are going to be on the table in a Marcus SM or Luke Canard deal I think you’re more looking at these protected first round picks and if what again if it’s a team that the Clippers Marcus smt

Could make some sense there uh I don’t know if they’d be willing they have PJ Tucker they have Terence man I’m not giv giving up man just giving his chemistry with his fit with the Stars I would say and his chemistry even with with zubot I

I can’t get to that point but they could step ladder their way there they have a mere coffee on top of PJ Tucker and that like right they getting kind of close you could step ladder your way there if you’re getting a distant first round pick from the Clippers from the Lakers

Then yeah you absolutely do it you can roll that into another trade for when the right player becomes available over the offseason because there will be player a player or players who just fit that you need that will become a ailable and I think you know over the next

Couple of months or even leading into the offseason I do think someone like a Larry marinin or a Mel Bridges would become available and if you can arm yourself to make an aggressive play for that player who’s a better fit and who really nudges the direction of your team

Towards that Championship ceiling um you need to load up for that because I don’t think you have it in place right now even again though we haven’t seen the full strength Grizzlies saton this changes everything about what the season could have been though because as we’ve

Said on on this podcast what they could have done is even if they were looking at this is well we’ll make the play in we might get bounced before we get to the first round or we won’t even win a playoff series because you had John Morant though anything was on the table

Not to make this Allin move for this season if it well let’s say you could have gotten Larry marke and you can’t they just I the asking price in Utah and then based off memphis’s assets um but if you had gotten and went after a SE yakum if someone else had become

Available that you wanted to look at because you have John Mor and you could have gauge the fit of whoever you’re acquiring with jaah with jiren Jackson Jr with Desmond Bane all that once that matters then for your bigger picture and now that you can’t do that I don’t think

You should be buyers if you even want to go after like kind of this lower lever lower level cheaper big if Andre Drummond can be had and it’s not going to cost you a young player or it’s not going to cost you more than some seconds

Yeah sure go that route if you can get Daniel Gafford for salary matching in some seconds and you just want to try and tread water without Mor fine that the heart and soul of your organization is done for this season it should be more about trying to set

Yourself up to make a huge swing once he is healthy and over the off season and you have enough room under the luxury tax like 11 plus million under the tax you have some players that I think teams would want Even If you’re looking at trying to move Santi Alama or Xavier

Tilman before you have to pay him this season those are not guys that are going to yield first round picks but they could be nice sweeteners in let’s say a smart trade is that going to just drum up your return or lose in the protections on the pick that you’re or

Picks that you’re going to get or the quality of youngsters you’re going to get that’s what the Grizzlies need to do right now it’s not about tanking it’s about looking at all their options when it comes to everyone on their roster not named johnar or Desmond Bane or Jaren

Jackson Jr I would say John Mor is truly the only Untouchable player here because we have to redefine what untouchability means in the league there are only a handful of players who are truly Untouchable but you need to set yourself up to go out in the offseason and make

The bigger trade that you never made when you should have in Seasons past that you tried to make this past summer and it was kind of a half measure somewhere in between and I do think that you have the players other teams would be interested in uh luuk Canard Adama

Marcus smt specifically that could get you there and look you shouldn’t be opposed to just because you have Marcus Mar the books for two more years and some flexibility if it’s getting some bad money back where maybe it’s bad money for this season and next season that shouldn’t be outside you shouldn’t

Feel that as outside the realm of possibility because if they’re going to be expiring next year but it’s not a good contract that becomes the human trade exception though if they’re coming off the even if they have two years left and I’m not saying Marcus Smart’s on

This terrible deal I’m just using it as an example of if the player you’re acquiring has including this season three years left on their deal all of a sudden that’s two years over the off season and they become more valuable as a salary matcher and so that’s going to

Drum up your level of return because there are teams concerned about the tax right now you know maybe if the Clippers are looking to to get off PJ Tucker um because they don’t want his player option on the books for next year and they’re willing to compensate you for

That that is something that you could look at theoretically doing and maybe PJ Tucker you know is I he’s not giving up that money in the player option so you’re not getting to him buy out but you sort of get the point there you can look at those Avenues as well because

You can turn around and flip those salaries over the summer because it doesn’t matter that they’re on your books right now you have room under the luxury tax you’re not going to be good anyway and you’ve probably drove up the return that you were getting in whatever trade

You are making that’s what I think they should do whether they will do it we’ll have to wait and see hopefully John Mor makes a full recovery he will high surgery success rate this team is still going to be fun and it’s still a team to

Keep an eye on in the in the years to come if you’ve not done so already please hit the Subscribe button on YouTube Apple Spotify wherever else you get your podcast we are there ratings and reviews on Apple and Spotify help us out a ton so please leave those five

Star ratings and then write a review on Apple it takes 5 Seconds means the world to us helps us climb up the charts follow us on all the social the the handles and links are in the podcast and YouTube description or on your screen right now and join our

Discord you can get great conversations you will get uh to ask mailbag questions it’s a lot of fun in there the link to that is in the podcast and YouTube description too until next time and as always I leave you all with a shout out to the one the only the indelible the

Legendary the also injured but he will be back with a vengeance next season Frank Meina

Dan gives his extended thoughts on the Ja Morant season-ending injury, what it means for the Memphis Grizzlies, and how they should approach their team-building ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS!⬇️
http://apple.co/2iIw0IJ

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY!⬇️

SUPPORT THE SHOW BY PURCHASING HARDWOOD KNOCKS MERCH!⬇️
https://bit.ly/hwkmerch

JOIN THE HARDWOOD KNOCKS DISCORD!⬇️
https://discord.com/invite/vFF4kKPMdb

BUSINESS INQUIRIES⬇️
HardwoodKnocks@gmail.com

FOLLOW HARDWOOD KNOCKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ⬇️
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwoodKnocks​​​​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardwood_knocks/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardwoodknocks
Dan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/danfavale​​​​​​​​​​
Dan’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/danfavale
Grant’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gt_hughes
Adam’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/​fromal09​​​​​​
NBA Math Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBA_Math

CHAPTERS⬇️
0:00 – INTRO
3:49 – Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors
7:14 – Wrapping up the OG Anunoby trade, the Toronto Raptors direction
20:29 – Another mega move coming for the New York Knicks?
37:34 – The direction of the Atlanta Hawks
46:54 – Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant, Should they make a trade?
57:11 – Can the Oklahoma City Thunder win the title as currently constructed?
1:12:54 – Where are the L.A. Clippers in the NBA pecking order?
1:24:24 – Where do the Chicago Bulls go from here?
1:31:11 – Are we underrating the Phoenix Suns?

This Changes Everything For The Memphis Grizzlies

#nba #jamorant #memphisgrizzlies #grizzlies