Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined by Mo Dakhil to discuss the outlook for Memphis this season – and why finding a second option is the main goal for this year. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
The Grizzlies, I mean, the big question now is Jaren Jackson Jr. and his health after offseason surgery.
When does he come back?
But ultimately, you look at this team, their rotation.
Hey, Triple J once he’s back, Jalen Wells, KCP, Ja Morant, and then a really deep team with a lot of guys deserving of rotation minutes on some team out there in the NBA that are not gonna get it.
I don’t feel like this team is actually gonna make a lot of noise in the Western Conference, but there’s a lot of individual pieces that I like.
So I view this team this season as an evaluation year.
Who’s gonna be our long-term fixtures around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and hopefully Zach LaVine as well moving forward into the future.
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Yeah, they need these guys to kind of all step up.
We need, I mean, besides the obvious thing across the board: good health.
Right?
Like for everybody on this team, like we’ve had a lot of time where Ja misses games and Jackson now with the toe thing like, you know, we’ll see how it kind of plays out.
But it’s important that they stay healthy, and then on top of that, it’s figure this stuff out.
You know, like what is, I love the young guys.
I love Jalen Wells.
I, I, I like Scottie Pippen Jr.
I really, I like the way he plays.
It’s, I like the depth they have.
Now, what’s the offense gonna look like?
You know, last year they took a lot of the pick and roll away from Ja, and then it became a situation where what kind of offense are we running?
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So we’ll see what he kind of puts in in terms of thathow much motion, how much is his movement off of this stuff, how much of it works well for Ja, and and what it is, because he’s not a guy like I’m gonna worry about too much off the move and things like that.
Like this is a guy that needs the ball in his hands a lot more.
Let’s see if they kind of go back to that in that situation.
And then I just want Jaren Jackson Jr. to kind of deliver on the promise where he puts it all together, offense and defense.
And be that guy where he’s that true second option, you know.
When you send Bain out, you know, in the trade, obviously we understand the C stuff and things like that.
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You need Jackson to step up and be the true second option offensively and really deliver for them in a big way.
If this team is going to go anywhere besides health, is Jan Jackson Jr. Really stepping up and showing like, yeah, I can be the second option on off nights for job, I can carry this team and take us further.
And I can carry this team and take us further.
and I think that’s going to be an important thing as they get going and move forward into the season.
Yeah, I think that’s spot on with with Triple J.
He, he needs to take that leap offensively, especially with Desmond Bain now gone.
And look, I, I think the dude is a magnificent defensive player, that’s for sure.
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Um, you wish he rebounded more offensively, he’s made progress every year.
I, I wouldn’t expect that to stop.
They have good role players.
Tyrus a good, good role player.
Scottie Pippen Jr. KC P, Jalen Wells, and they have a John Consar, Cam Spencer, like they have a lot of like quality supporting pieces, but they need that true second star next to John Morant.