(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
I’m going to be honest with you. Don’t expect anything from the Memphis Grizzlies in the foreseeable future. Ja Morant is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Marcus Smart will miss approximately six weeks with a finger injury. The brand new addition to the Grizzlies injury squad is Desmond Bane. Bane injured his ankle against the Clippers and left the game early. Unfortunately, the situation with Bane’s ankle is quite severe. The Grizzlies announced that Bane has been diagnosed with a grade three left ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.
My guess is that Bane will be sidelined for more than one and a half months for sure. In the worst-case scenario, Banes season is over and yes, the Grizzlies could be tanking now. Jaren Jackson Jr. is the only star-caliber player still standing. There’s no need for the Grizzlies to rush Bane’s return. The team should be tanking now and focusing on their bench player development. Below, I'll list the top five waiver wire pickups from the Grizzlies.
Grizzlies say Desmond Bane has a Grade 3 left ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.
1. Vince Williams Jr
If Vince Williams Jr is available, add him right now. I personally added him when Marcus Smart got injured, and haven't regretted doing so. In Williams's last game against the Knicks, he posted 17 points, eight boards, eight assists, and a handful of blocks. Williams's shot 5-13 from the field, including 1-7 from beyond the arc and 6-8 from the charity stripe. Williams's field goal and free throw percentages should improve moving forward but seeing him have this much freedom in the offense already is a great sign.
2. Xavier Tillman
Xavier Tillman is the next name on my list, especially at times when Jaren Jackson Jr is sidelined or limited and believe me, that will happen quite often. Tillman is going to be a starter from now on if anything happens to Jackson. Tillman had six steals against the Knicks, and he was productive at both ends of the floor. As a starter, Tillman will put up top-100 numbers every night. Santi Aldama is also injured, but I still think Tillman has more upside when Aldama comes back.
Xavier Tillman is having an incredible game pic.twitter.com/s9emNMorvJ
3. Luke Kennard
Everyone in the NBA fantasy world knows that Luke Kennard is a great three-point shooting specialist. Kennard is a must-add if you’re in need of a player who can improve the three-point category and not hurt your field goal percentage too much. If you have a free roster spot or you need threes this week, don’t hesitate to add Kennard as soon as possible.
4. Ziaire Williams
Ziaire Williams is an excellent streaming option right now. Williams has averaged 12.3 points off the bench in his last three contests. With Williams, you need to watch out for Memphis injury updates. If one of the players mentioned above is out, add Williams immediately, and you won't regret it.
5. GG Jackson
GG Jackson is the wild card in this list. I highly recommend monitoring Jackson's stats from now on and here’s why. In the Grizzles last game against the Knicks, Jaren Jackson Jr was sidelined. Jackson was coming off the bench, but in 27 minutes of playing time, he was more productive than most of the Grizzlies starters. Jackson tallied 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt), six rebounds, one assist and one block. David Roddy was starting that game, but Jackson is much more talented and should try starting him soon. Jackson is only 19, and needs to be developed.
WELCOME TO THE NBA GG JACKSON!! pic.twitter.com/k0PHs0LqQk
Fantasy aside, I personally feel terrible for Memphis and their fans. The Grizzlies surely had the potential to make it to the playoffs this year and to be competitive. Who knows, maybe this whole situation will work out better for them, and after the 2024 draft, they will come back stronger than ever. However this will only happen if they use this time to develop their role players.
