Ja Morant is a superstar. He’s ready now. Are you ready, Memphis?

Ja Morant is a superstar. He’s ready now. Are you ready, Memphis?
The Backdoor Cut crew is joined by Shawn Coleman (@StatsSAC), host of Locked on Grizzlies and contributor for Grizzly Bear Blues, to discuss the preseason opening win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. We marvel at Ja Morant’s efficiency and go through the roster to give our thoughts on each player’s performance and overall team performance on both ends. We wrap it up by discussing who has caught our eye around the league, before giving Grizzlies season predictions.
Zak and Sam are joined by Keith Parish, host of multiple Nashville-based NBA podcasts (Fastbreak Breakfast & Grits and Grinds). They cover down on Keith’s favorite Grizzlies memories, Buddy Hield trades, Brandon Clarke ceiling, and the bucket list experience that is the NBA Summer League.
But rather than dwell on the obvious, this series intends to do the opposite: focus on the lower-profile free agents who may have some value to teams. No NBA player is actually “99 Cents,” of course, but these are all players who may be bargains based on their perceived market. Most of the players mentioned will probably go in the $3-5M range in terms of salary. Some exceptions will be marked as “featured items” that may go in the higher $5-10M range. If a player is listed as a “clearance rack,” then they may be on the fringes of NBA rosters and take minimum deals.
In a league where shooting is king, the defensive-minded player is often forgotten — Memphis Grizzly Kyle Anderson may be a player existing in an era that is not suitable for his style of play. Let’s take a look behind the curtain and try and determine if the Kyle Anderson signing of several summers ago was a positive move or a detriment to the organization.
The Grizzlies fell to the Blazers in the first ever NBA play-in game. The guys break down the game and then give their predictions for the future and y’all offseason upgrades.
Justise Winslow will not make his Grizzlies debut in Orlando.
We all want the NBA to resume games (under safe conditions of course), but the NBA wants more than that.
The Ringer, one of the better sports and pop culture website out there — besides yours truly, of course — released a video earlier this week breaking down the game of Memphis Grizzlies rookie sensation Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies center has carved out a nice role for himself on a potential playoff roster. Let’s take a look at the numbers to see where he makes his biggest impact.