Los_29 wrote:Rising team with a lot of good young players. The only concern I have is the way Ja Morant plays and his longevity in this league. I don't think you can win in this league if your superstar can't play defense and can't shoot the ball. Those are two very important aspects of today's game and when you can't do both that becomes a huge problem.
Memphis has a lot of talent on their squad but no one that can be the team's 2nd option. I think consolidating some of that talent and getting a legitimate #2 would make them an even more dangerous team.
This is great point regarding Ja long term and the gap in this team short term. Even if Ja can stay on the court the next few seasons, I kind of feel you need to approach things like the window to win with him is now. Guys who play the game the way he does not tend to have long careers as top-15 players. Look at how Dwayne Wade fell off after the 2011 finals, which was the end of his 8th season in the league. Wade was still a good player, but not the all NBA player he was up to that point.
So the question to me becomes (a) how do you find a true #2 option and (b) can you do the same without giving up Bane or JJJ, who as your 3rd and 4th best players are great.
Dillion Brooks likely is not in their long term future, and I would assume one of Clarke or Tillman won't get a long term contract. They also need to make decisions on Tyus Jones and SoMo, and my assumption is they will be looking to sign both guys to short term deals. Morant's extension won't kick in until after next season when both Steven Adams and Dillion Brooks are off the books, which provides some good flexibility. I think they should a decision on Clake/Tillman this year and flip the guy they choose not to resign for a late 1st rd pick to re-set the rookie scale contract clock.
I wonder if they would roll the dice on a guy like Julius Randle, similar to how they rolled the dice on ZBo years ago. If they get it right and Randle regains 75% of his 2021 form, they have a #2 option to play off Ja that fits right in with the rest of their roster - Bane and JJJ as floor spacers/defenders, and hopefully Zhaire Williams develops as a 3 and D wing. If you get it wrong and he's Pelicans Julius Randle he's still not a bad player. Harrison Barnes, Tobias Harris and Jeremi Grant could all fit this description, but I feel the upside of Randle is higher than those other 3 players.
