Post-Mortem: 2022-23 Memphis Grizzlies

[ElectricMayhem]

Growing Pains....without Mike Seaver.

Here is the data from previous years' Post-Mortems:
2020-21:

Spoiler:

Post-Mortem Results I: GM Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results II: Coaching Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results III: Performance Compared to Expectations
Post-Mortem Results IV: Rising/Treadmill/Waning

2021-22:
2021-22 Post Mortem Final Summary

Team Name: Memphis Grizzlies
Record at Time of Death: 51-31 (.622) (1st Round Loss)
Head of Front Office: Zach Kleiman (2019-)
Coach: Taylor Jenkins (2019-)

Offensive Rating: 11th
Defensive Rating: 3rd
Rebound %: 8th
Turnover %: 9th

Front Office: Change or keep?
Coach: Change or keep?
Relative to expectations, how did they fare this year?
Rising, falling, or treadmill?
If you were in charge, what would you do this offseason?

Notes:
Players under contract next year:
Ja Morant ($34m)
Jaren Jackson Jr. ($27m)
Luke Kennard ($15m)
Tyus Jones ($14m)
Steven Adams ($13m)
Brandon Clarke ($13m)
Ziare Williams ($5m)
Desmond Bane ($4m)
Jake LaRavia ($3m)
David Roddy ($3m)
John Konchar ($2m)
Santi Aldama ($2m)

Team Options:
Xavier Tillman Sr. ($2m)

Player Options:

Free Agents:
Dillon Brooks
Kenneth Lofton Jr.
Jacob Gilyard
Vince Williams Jr.

Dead Money:

Previous Post-Mortems:
30. Houston Rockets
29. San Antonio Spurs
28. Detroit Pistons
27. Charlotte Hornets
26. Portland Trail Blazers
25. Indiana Pacers
24. Washington Wizards
23. Orlando Magic
22. Utah Jazz
21. Dallas Mavericks
20. Toronto Raptors
19. New Orleans Pelicans
18. Chicago Bulls
17. Oklahoma City Thunder
16. Brooklyn Nets
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
14. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Cleveland Cavaliers
12. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Atlanta Hawks
10. Memphis Grizzlies

[Dr Aki]

Read on Twitter

[Marvin Martian]

First order of business is to find a competent 2 way wing. Dillon Brooks is garbage.

[Memories]

Desmond Bane is great, and obviously Ja Morant is great. JJJ is good when he’s not up against defensive monsters like AD. Grizzlies need a go-to wing player to become true contenders.

Dillon Brooks has to go. Dude is trash and a black eye on an otherwise young team with a bright future. They of course, along with getting rid of Brooks, need a personality rehab. They really destroyed their image this season with their overconfidence. Especially from crap players like Brooks.

If I were the Grizzlies, I don’t care how, just go ALL OUT for that legit go-to wing star player. Whatever it takes as long as you maintain that core.

[HotRocks34]

Implosion.

They need to improve their talent (Brooks), health, and mental toughness.

They got way too caught up in their hype.

[ElectricMayhem]

The Grizzlies have an opportunity to shape the direction of their franchise this offseason. The identity of the resurgence of the Grizzlies has been closely linked with Ja Morant. He is an incredible talent and he gets eyes on the team. Are they better without him, though? My take is that everyone touches the ball a little less and is a little more passive when Morant is in the game. He controls the offense in an almost Iversonian way. Iverson had a team built around him that didn't need the ball. They'd have been horrendous if they did shoot. Philly was just full of great defenders and Iverson. The Grizzlies aren't built that way. They do have some great defenders, but they're great on offense for different reasons when Morant isn't in the game. If they traded away Morant, it would likely lower their ceiling, though. The Grizzlies at their best are a team where they find a balance between Morant taking over and running an efficient offense through everyone. Then there's also the issue of Morant being a ticking injury time bomb with his playstyle.

Personally, I'd explore a trade of Morant for Mikal Bridges + ?. Don't resign Dillon Brooks, find another efficient point guard to split time with Tyus Jones. Maybe it would take away the spark that makes Memphis exciting and a potential menace. Maybe it's too safe for a team in search of a championship. A GM who does this would certainly get bad press. I do think it is the safest route to becoming a contender, though. This is coming from someone who loves Morant's game, too.

Regardless, I'd pass on resigning Brooks and definitely taking that player option on Tillman Sr. unless they decide to work out a longer deal. Assuming no Morant trade, just run it back without Brooks, finding a replacement for him, and hoping for speedy recoveries for Adams and Clarke.

[twyzted]

[Childs]

I don't remember a player talking so much, and doing so little like Brooks. And to run from the media 3 times? What makes it worse is he's from Canada/Mississauga. Just an embarrassment from the GTA.

[metalinguss]

There should be another 2 options

Q5 Fine in the West
Q5 Not fine in the West

[Sgt Major]

Ja Morant earlier this season: "I'm fine in the West"

[kingr]

Coach and front office are fine. Just need more respected veterans in the lockeroom.

[Message Boar]

Honestly, while this is certainly a disappointing playoffs result, I still feel like they're on a pretty good trajectory. Still one of the youngest teams in the league with a variety of talented guys. They just gotta get healthy again (Adams/Clarke) and upgrade the Brooks spot in their lineup this offseason, and then they'll be right in the mix to get to the conference finals next year. Especially if their youngsters can improve and round out their games a bit over the summer, which is a reasonable expectation.

[LAvision]

This team needs a KG type personality to check these clowns in check. Their mentality is way too loose.

[IAMZOOTED2]

All talk and no action.
I am not a fan rudyard kipling, but the entire Griz squad could and should be reading his work before their little bedtimes.

that, or they can bring his work with them on they fishing trip.

[makubesu]

This Grizzlies team is young and really it feels like they were winning too early. As with last year, they never seemed like a real contender. I wouldn’t panic about this loss, I think they can keep building and let their guys grow.

[zimpy27]

If they got Kawhi and were healthy, then I feel like they'd be unstoppable

[Lockdown504090]

If they got Kawhi and were healthy, then I feel like they'd be unstoppable

TBH, all they had to do was pay our price for OG anunoby and they would have won. they just had to throw in ziare williams
https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/raptors-trade-deadline-rumors-og-anunoby-asking-price/mbwywqj0oiygm370otxy9kz7

[sashaturiaf]

Grizz are fine, their health issues did them in this season. They had 3 rotation players go down in Adams, Clarke and Kennard and there's no way they could compete playing guys like Tillman and Aldama major minutes

Priority would be to add depth and a starting wing so that Brooks doesn't have to play starter minutes

[RoyceDa59]

Young team with huge potential.

Some things derailed their season.

I expect Grizzlies to be a force next season.

Just need to pick up capable wing player and keep bringing in defenders and shooters.

[Pennebaker]

They're still a rising team because they have young Ja Morant and good young pieces and they're a tough, gritty defensive team and that's always a good foundation.

Memphis was just unlucky having to face the Lakers in the first round instead of the Timberwolves, who they would've beaten.

There is no shame for a young team to lose to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the playoffs - two Top 75 guys who are healthy and who remain elite players.