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MEMPHIS – In charting his growth as a team leader and budding NBA standout, incremental progress would be one of the last terms to describe Desmond Bane’s ascent.

So as the Grizzlies’ breakout guard winds down the summer of his third NBA season, it’s only fitting that Bane is embracing the task of taking another big leap – in life and in basketball.

Juggling changes on both fronts has kept Bane busy coming off a breakout season when he helped Memphis post a franchise-record 56 victories, win a postseason series for the first time since 2015 and push eventual NBA champion Golden State in the Western Conference semifinals.

“Basketball is the main thing – that never stops,” Bane said of his mindset seven weeks out from the start of NBA training camps. “It’s my kid, camps (and) community events. But basketball is always the main thing. As long as I keep that the main thing, everything else falls into place. I’m definitely going to continue to grow and make another jump for sure.”

When it comes to Bane’s impact off the court, significant leaps have already been made.

Last month, Bane shared photos and messages on social media of his newborn son as a proud father for the first time. The 24-year-old sharpshooter wrapped up July by hosting a free youth basketball clinic and community picnic in his native Richmond, Indiana.

And those wide-ranging outreach efforts continued this week in Memphis as Bane opened August with a back-to-school backpack giveaway at FedExForum that benefited 150 kids. In words and deeds, Bane is as committed to expanding his outreach for worthy community causes as he is determined to improve almost every aspect of his rapidly developing game.

Fatherhood has added another layer of maturity to a young man who already conducted himself with poise and class well beyond his years. And as his profile blossoms as one of the NBA’s top young shooters, Bane is grateful to redirect some of that spotlight and attention onto growing his base of sponsors and business partners he’s aligned with for his charitable causes.

“The visibility is what it is, but I do this out of the goodness of my heart, regardless of being an end-of-the-bench guy or the best player on the team,” Bane said of his outreach, with Shelby County Schools set to open Monday. “I want to do things like this, bring smiles to kids’ faces, the best way I can. Especially in an area like Memphis, it’s essential for kids to get some excitement going into the school year, to get the proper materials. I remember going school shopping as a kid and some things you have, some things you don’t. But we’ll be able to supply them with the necessary things to get started.”

The Grizzlies have a long and strong Indiana-to-Memphis pipeline of guys who have endeared themselves to this community with their play as well as their personal philanthropic touch.

Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, both with Indiana roots, were deeply embedded in this community as they drove the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff seasons during the Grit’N’Grind era. Randolph’s retired No. 50 sits high above FedExForum and he now serves as a franchise ambassador. The Grizzlies have also committed to retiring Conley’s No. 11 eventually.

Bane, however, only needs to look across his current locker room to find a teammate who’s traveled a similar pathway. Grizzlies star forward and fellow Indiana native Jaren Jackson Jr. has been instrumental since arriving in Memphis four years ago in the development of community voting initiatives as well as girls’ athletics and fitness programs.

Bane is already firmly following in some phenomenal footsteps as a person and player. His next goal is to partner with more of his current teammates to give back in even more ways throughout the region and across some of his colleagues’ hometowns.

“Just get out in the community, hang out and chill – bring people together,” Bane said of his motivation, especially coming out of a global pandemic that limited such gatherings. “I’ve talked to a few of my teammates about eventually doing some things together. Memphis being the place where I play, and Richmond, Indiana being the place where I grew up, those will be the two places that hit home the most. Anything on top of that is a cherry on top.”

Building on a sweet season on the court is the next task at hand.

Bane, Jackson and All-NBA point guard Ja Morant anchor a chore group that returns largely intact from a team that was one of the league’s most improved squads last season. The Grizzlies have advanced a step farther in the postseason in each of coach Taylor Jenkins’ three seasons in Memphis. They’ve re-signed point guard Tyus Jones in free agency and added four players, including first-round picks in forwards Jake LaRavia and David Roddy, in June’s draft.

Fulfilling his role as a young veteran, Bane hosted the rookies at his Memphis home when they arrived in town after the draft to prepare for NBA summer league action. He’s also taken on more of a mentoring and workout role with forward Ziaire Williams, last year’s lottery pick.

As far as boosting his own game, Bane knows he’ll need to come back even better and stronger to deal with the increased attention he’s certain to attract from opposing teams this time around.

Bane set a franchise record with 271 made 3-pointers, doubled his scoring from his rookie season to 18.2 points a game last season and shot 43.6-percent from beyond the arc. He was also third among all players in 3-pointers made per game during the playoffs.

Playing alongside Morant, Bane is confident the Grizzlies will again boast one of the most productive backcourts in the league. But the ultimate goal is team success and returning to the playoffs for a third straight season to make a deeper run.

“That was some of the most fun basketball I’ve had since I was a kid,” Bane insisted of last year’s playoff performance. “The regular season was extremely important for us, but we’re trying to make some more noise in the playoffs. You look at the best teams, Golden State and the top teams across the league that have been able to build something over a long period of time – that’s part of our journey. We’ve got to the playoffs the last two years, and we’re surrounding that core with the right pieces. The sky is the limit.”

While reaching for the sky with his team, Bane is eager to stay grounded in community work.

“There’s a lot of blue-collar people here trying to make something of themselves,” Bane insists.

Considering his work ethic on and off the court, count Bane among them.

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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MikeCheck: On the court and in community, Bane embraces next big steps with Grizzlies

MEMPHIS – If recent history is any indication, the Grizzlies are essentially a lock to make a smart, productive and impactful addition to their roster coming out of Thursday’s NBA Draft.

“Memphis is a bit of a gold standard as far as being able to draft and turn players into starters or rotation players,” former NBA executive and ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks insists. “They’re going to get two really good players where they’re picking, or maybe those picks get packaged and they move up. And that’s the recipe for roster sustainability here.”

Count Marks among those around the league who believe the Grizzlies are one of the best-positioned franchises entering both the draft on Thursday and the July 1 start of free agency.

Memphis enters the draft with two first-round picks (Nos. 22 and 29) in addition to the No. 47 overall pick in the second round. Beyond that, executive vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman and the front office could have at least $20 million in salary cap space for free agency. There’s also tremendous flexibility to make further moves with a collection of attractive expiring contracts as well as potential sign-and-trade options to facilitate larger deals.

At a minimum, the Grizzlies could simply use their draft picks to add more depth to one of the NBA’s brightest young cores alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Ziaire Williams. Those players were all first-round picks at various stages of the last four NBA drafts.

And that group fueled a historic run in which the Grizzlies matched a franchise record with 56 victories and pushed the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors to six games in the Western Conference semifinals. Memphis posted the league’s second-best record with the second-youngest playing rotation among the NBA’s 30 teams last season.

Kleiman and coach Taylor Jenkins, who signed a multiyear contract extension last week, intend to remain aggressive and opportunistic this offseason as the team builds on what they believe is a championship foundation. The next step in that process leads Memphis into the draft, where the Kleiman-led front office has traded up from its initial position each of the last three years.

“Our approach is we’re going to take whatever we have available to us and work to make this team better,” Kleiman said entering the offseason. “We have a lot of draft assets. Are there opportunities that we have to make ourselves better within a window of contention? I’m excited to see what opportunities there are. We’re not going to lose sight of what got us here. We’re going to put ourselves in position to keep capitalizing on it.”

Speaking on a national conference call to promote ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Draft, Marks praised the Grizzlies for establishing a great culture and building their foundation through the draft. He also emphasized the success of Jenkins’ development system in Memphis after the front office brought in quality players through the draft.

Morant (2019) and Jackson (2018), who arrived as the second and fourth overall lottery picks, made All-NBA teams this past season. Their success was highly anticipated if not outright expected entering the league. But the Grizzlies have also seen Dillon Brooks arrive as the No. 45 overall pick in the second round and become one of the league’s most productive two-way wing players. They’ve witnessed Desmond Bane, who arrived as the No. 30 and final pick of the first round two years ago, become one of the league’s top-five three-point shooters this past season.

And regardless of the Grizzlies’ draft night outcome this time, more of the same is expected.

“Certainly, Ja is the headliner, but just look at what they’ve been able to do in the draft when you look at Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman, Jaren, Brandon Clarke, the list goes on and on,” Marks explained. “They’ve been able to identify and develop, and the goal is now to retain. They’ve kind of hit the market on building their roster organically.”

The Grizzlies should find ample value in the 20s with this year’s draft class if they stand pat as currently positioned, according to highly regarded ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony.

“The Grizzlies, with those two picks, have a lot of options in front of them,” Givony said on the eve of the draft. “This is an interesting draft because very few players who were projected first-round picks or even top-40 picks decided not to enter their names in the draft. You have incredible depth of all these young players who, a lot of them in my opinion, should have probably stayed another year in college to really enter the NBA on the (lottery) red carpet.”

Most offseason projections – in the draft and free agency – list the Grizzlies biggest potential needs at backup point guard and depth at the wing-forward position.

Among some notable prospects Givony believes could be available in the Grizzlies’ draft range late in the first round at point guard are Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler and Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard. And wing prospects who fall in that early-20s range for the Grizzlies on recent mock drafts are Duke’s Wendell Moore, Arizona’s Dalen Terry and Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley.

The Grizzlies have previously shown a willingness to leverage draft assets to trade up on the board. They’ve also gone the other way and packaged picks with a current player in deals to acquire a proven veteran with playoff experience.

But there are similar characteristics they seek in just about any player they target.

“When you step into Memphis, you’re going to embrace giving everything of yourself for the team,” Jenkins said. “There’s a care factor that goes into winning. We just love guys who come in and want to compete, want to win in every little thing. It’s the shooting games, the drills, the card games, the free-throw championship belt, the halfcourt shots, it’s everything. If you compete, you’re unselfish and ultimately care at the end of the day, those are great building blocks. We’ll take it from there. We’re going to develop as much as we can the great talent we bring into the organization.”

Another draft brings another chance to maintain that Grizzlies gold standard.

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MikeCheck: Grizzlies building ‘gold standard’ track record for NBA draft, development success

The NBA schedule is out, and it can only mean one thing: the countdown to the first look of the 2021-22 season at the Nxt Gen Grizzlies is officially underway.

Another productive offseason of dealing and development has delivered the Grizzlies to the doorstep of growth as one of the league’s most exciting and compelling young teams.

Anchored by franchise catalysts Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and augmented by retooled roster depth, the Grizzlies aim to build on a breakthrough season. With a 38-34 finish last season, Memphis made the playoffs for the first time in four years and became the youngest team in a decade to reach the postseason.

With a restored 82-game regular season scheduling format back in place, NBA teams are optimistic about returning to form after two seasons of disruptions by a global pandemic. For the Grizzlies, encouraging growth continues as coach Taylor Jenkins enters his third season.

“Experience is everything – it’s the most valuable thing you can gain year in and year out,” said Jenkins, whose team opens training camp late next month. “All the work we put in (last) season to get to the playoffs, it just makes you hungry. We said after our first year and after my second year, we’ve got more work to do, because these guys are ultimate competitors who want to get to the highest level. And it takes work. That’s what’s motivated everything this offseason.”

With the Grizzlies’ 2021-22 schedule set, here are my ‘Five Can’t Miss Games’ at FedExForum:

Expect plenty of energy and pulsating anticipation entering the Grizzlies’ season and home opener against the Cavaliers. With Morant ready to take the next leap in his game, and with Jackson eager to restore his standout production after returning to full health, the Grizzlies have a great chance to make an opening statement at home on Opening Night. On top of that, this is a matchup of two of the NBA’s explosive young point guards in Morant and Collin Sexton.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers have assembled plenty of aging superstars to make another run at a title. And it shapes up as the ultimate boom-or-bust season for the four future Hall of Famers, who make the first of two December visits to Memphis on this night. In fact, the Grizzlies face the Lakers four times in their first 42 games this season – with the series wrapping up by the second week of January.

The Grizzlies host these Bulls on the most important home date of the regular season in the annual MLK Celebration Game. A weekend of inspirational community events culminates once again in a compelling game. Outside of the Lakers, no team in the league revamped their roster more this season by taking huge, risky swings than the Bulls. By trading for Lonzo Ball and adding DeMar DeRozan in free agency, Chicago is going all in to restore itself among the East’s elite.

The Grizzlies play nearly a dozen nationally televised games on TNT, ESPN or NBA TV. Among that group is this tilt with a developing division rival in the Pelicans. Morant and Zion Williamson are the marquee names as the top two picks from the 2019 draft solidify All-Star status. But this game also marks the return of beloved big man Jonas Valanciunas to FedExForum to face his former team after being traded this summer following a career season.

The Grizzlies get their lone visit from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending NBA champs as Jenkins also faces his mentor in Mike Budenholzer. The last time Giannis came to FedExForum, he celebrated teammate Jrue Holiday’s game-winning shot by praising those Memphis lemon-pepper wings in the locker room. The Grizzlies have held their own against the Bucks recently, as the only team with an undefeated record (2-0) in Milwaukee’s new arena.

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MikeCheck: My ‘5 Can’t Miss Games’ at FedExForum as Grizzlies embark on 2021-22 season

Scrambling to grasp the Grizzlies concepts after arriving in a trade from Milwaukee, Sam Merrill barely had a practice session with his new team before being tossed into action during a recent summer league game in Las Vegas.

Thankfully, one of Merrill’s new teammates helped pave the way.

“My first game was that Wednesday, and Ja came in and gave me a couple of tips during halftime,” Merrill reflected.

Franchise catalyst Ja Morant wasn’t on the Grizzlies summer league roster. For that matter, nor were Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton, Brandon Clarke or any of the other higher-profile, more experienced veterans from Memphis’ main team.

But Morant’s interaction with Merrill was just one of many examples of the leadership, chemistry and camaraderie that defined the Grizzlies connection on and off the court this month.

In recent weeks, there have been two squads of Grizzlies on display – those young players developing in games through two summer league stints, and those veterans determined to support them from the sidelines every step of the way.

The Grizzlies wrapped up play in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League on Monday to finish 3-2 in Las Vegas after going 2-1 in the Salt Lake City Summer League. They finished this phase of development the same way the team started: with key veterans in attendance, eager to help their younger teammates transition to the league.

It isn’t uncommon to see a marquee player or two from each of the 30 NBA teams show up in Vegas to watch from the sidelines. However, few teams showed up night after night essentially en masse like the Grizzlies. With Morant most visible, a core of returning Memphis players were not only fixtures at summer league games, but also contributed to the development process.

“It’s big-time for sure, because they help me and the whole team,” Grizzlies rookie and No. 10 overall lottery pick Ziaire Williams said of having roster vets close by. “You can tell they care about everyone on the whole team, so the hospitality is there, man. They’re a fun, young group of guys and they’re always laughing. So we were just trying to translate that energy.”

The goal is to translate that energy to the next step in the process.

With NBA training camps for the 2021-22 season opening late next month, the Grizzlies are operating this summer like a team that wants to maintain chemistry and momentum. That focus keeps the team maneuvering on multiple fronts this offseason.

While much of their core featuring Morant, Jackson and Brooks remained intact, the Grizzlies made two significant trades that over the past month impacted their depth. Jonas Valanciunas, last season’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, was dealt to New Orleans for the lottery pick that allowed the Grizzlies to draft Williams. That deal also landed the Grizzlies center Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe.

Adams, a playoff-tested veteran during Oklahoma City’s perennial playoff runs with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, is expected to fill much of the interior rebounding and toughness role Valanciunas held. Bledsoe was subsequently dealt again this week to the Clippers in a move that brought guards Pat Beverley, Rajon Rondo and forward Daniel Oturu to Memphis.

NBA rules allow teams to carry up to 20 contract players on a roster during the offseason. But that number must be trimmed to a maximum of 15, plus two “two-way” developmental players, for the regular season. The Grizzlies are in the process of finalizing another deal this week to send Beverely to Minnesota to acquire guard Jarrett Culver and Timberwolves big man Juancho Hernangomez. In essence, the Grizzlies appear to have additional roster moves to make, possibly heading into camp but certainly by the start of the regular season.

For now, there’s enthusiasm with the additions the front office has made through the draft and initial trades to solidify the foundation taking shape. With 22-year-old Morant leading the way, the Grizzlies became the youngest team in a decade to advance to the playoffs last season.

While watching the summer league Grizzlies compete in Las Vegas, coach Taylor Jenkins spoke on the value that a player with Adams’ success and experience can add to the mix in Memphis.

“He’s an ultimate competitor, a winner on a lot of different levels and sets a tone on and off the floor, because he’s such a great leader,” Jenkins said of Adams, who also spent time in Vegas with his new team recently. “He’s going to help our entire group. He’s going to be able to do so many things for us on the offensive end, with our pick-and-roll game, his finishing game. He’s got a great ability to elevate our defense, too. He’s going to add a lot to us, a toughness.”

While the Grizzlies front office worked to shore up the roster for the coming season, the coaching staff prioritized putting the team’s promising young players in position to improve.

Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman built on strong rookie campaigns last season by taking the next step to round out their respective games in both summer leagues. Both played two games apiece in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, with Bane shifting from his natural shooting guard spot to the point to improve his overall playmaking.

Last season’s leader among all NBA rookies in three-point shooting, Bane averaged 24 points on 69-percent shooting from three-point range in his final two games in Las Vegas. He also averaged four assists, with three turnovers as he sorted through growing pains at point guard.

But that’s basically what summer schooling is all about in the Grizzlies’ development program.

Tillman was arguably one of the most versatile and productive players in the Vegas league, averaging 14.5 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and 1.5 blocks in two games. Both players were in Jenkins’ rotation last season, and should again provide productive depth.

“They’re playing with bigger roles and they’re trying to get the ball more in their hands to gain experience in those situations,” Grizzlies summer league coach Darko Rajakovic said of Bane and Tillman. “In summer league, you’re going to have good decisions and bad decisions, but this opportunity allows them to continue to grow. It means so much to those guys. They’re very vocal and they own it. This is the opportunity to make the next jump in their careers.”

The Grizzlies also got promising contributions from their incoming rookie class. Williams showed flashes of the athleticism, slashing and an ability to be disruptive defensively that led to Memphis moving up in the lottery to target the 6-foot-8 swingman who turns 20 next month.

The Grizzlies will be patient with progress, but Williams know what’s expected from Day One.

“Really just to play hard, be a threat offensively and defensively, and cause havoc,” said Williams, who scored double figures in three of his four Vegas games. “I know how coach Jenkins is really big on defense, and I know my defense is going to take me where I want to be as the games go on. I’ll get more confident, get more of a feel for it and get more on pace.”

After some initial stumbles, No. 30 overall pick Santi Aldama also found his summer stride.

Aldama struggled with his shot early in Vegas after traveling directly from his native Spain the previous week. But the 6-11 forward delivered his best game in his final outing on Sunday, when he finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 26 minutes.

“It’s a learning experience just to play games here and get used to the NBA world,” Aldama said. “I have to take it step by step. The staff has been good with me, just helping me out. We have to have patience and get ready for what is coming.”

What’s coming is a brief respite before the complete roster gathers in Memphis in a few weeks to start workouts ahead of camp. Even as the roster transitions, there won’t be many strangers when it’s time to show up for work again.

That’s also what summer league support is all about in the Grizzlies’ development program.

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MikeCheck: On heels of successful summer, Grizzlies set to carry strong chemistry into camp

When he arrived as a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Xavier Tillman brought with him a reputation as one of the nation’s most rugged and effective defenders.

A year later, the former Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year is emerging as one of the more clutch offensive performers and playmakers among the Grizzlies’ young core.

So what’s been the source of Tillman’s encouraging transformation?

“Definitely development,” the Grizzlies’ rising second-year big man insists. “Just working day in and day out, and then having the coaching staff and the video guys always in my ear. They’re saying, ‘Take those shots. We want you to shoot those shots. We see you working day in and day out, so just be confident in it.’”

Tillman’s comfort level and confidence continues to grow as he rounds out his game with each opportunity he steps onto the court for the Grizzlies. Building on an encouraging rookie season during which he blossomed into a steady rotation role, Tillman is currently branching out as one of the leaders on the Grizzlies’ summer league team.

The burly, 6-foot-8 Tillman is no longer simply the big man setting vicious screens, snatching rebounds and banging in the post at the power forward and center positions. His voice as a vocal leader has always resonated, even during his rookie season when he played in 59 games, earned 12 starts and averaged 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and shot 55.9 percent from the field.

Tillman is using this summer league stint to showcase other aspects of his game as one of the team’s featured players. In his debut two weeks ago in Salt Lake City Summer League, Tillman had 11 points and 13 rebounds. He opened this week in Las Vegas at the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League with a team-high seven assists while initiating offense in a ‘point-center’ role.

And the offense continued to shine on Wednesday with another seven assists to go with three steals. Tillman has also knocked down timely shots, including three-pointers, during key stretches of the games Memphis has played in Salt Lake City and Vegas so far.

The playmaking responsibilities have been needed on a summer league team that lacks a traditional point guard. The Grizzlies have been using rising second-year shooting guard Desmond Bane at the point this summer, and have also used versatile wing player John Konchar on the ball. Grizzlies summer league coach Darko Rajakovic is seeing a mix of progress and growing pains as players adjust to different assignments in the spirit of development.

“It’s a challenge for them and it’s a challenge for me and my coaching staff,” Rajakovic said. “But at the same time, it’s fun to see those guys develop a little bit outside of their comfort level and go through some growing pains. It’s positive, and they’re expanding their boxes. And that’s what this is all about; it’s about player development and continuing their growth.”

More growth opportunities are in store this weekend as the Grizzlies face the Kings on Friday night and the Bulls on Sunday in Vegas. Memphis is coming off a 97-94 double-overtime loss to the Heat on Wednesday, but the outcome is hardly what these games are about in the summer.

For the Grizzlies, growth is measured by incremental progress within their development system. During summer league, sometimes a practice session behind closed doors can produce more breakthrough moments than the actual games on national television.

Those non-game days have been essential for the Grizzlies, who are working to expand the games of their returning roster players while also aggressively on-boarding their incoming rookie class. That latter group includes first-round picks Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama, who have pushed through two practices and two games in a span of five days already this week.

“It’s a whole new world,” Aldama said of his first taste of NBA summer league action. “Ziaire, he’s a great kid and he’s trying to help me out, and I’m trying to help him out. We’re both rookies, so everyone has been helping us. Summer league is really fast and different from what I’m used to. It’s a learning experience just to play games here and get used to the NBA world.”

For newcomers such as Aldama, the final first-round pick of last month’s draft, or young vets like Tillman, the NBA world this time of year is all about adjustments and adapting.

“When I’m in games, I’m just playing and doing what I do – I try not to think too much about it,” Tillman said. “And if I see something on film, I go out and try to correct it the next day.”

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MikeCheck: Grizzlies big men Tillman, Aldama using NBA summer stage to expand do-it-all ‘toolbox’

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins had two specific demands of Ziaire Williams in the rookie lottery pick’s initial days adjusting to the NBA at the MGM Resorts Summer League.

“He’s only been with us for a minute or two, but I’ve said, ‘I only want to see two things out of you right now,’" Jenkins relayed of this week’s conversation with Williams. “I want to see you have fun, and I want to see you compete. That’s all I care about. Don’t worry about missing shots (or) messing up an assignment. Just learn, and grow.”

That’s the extent of the summer league syllabus as Williams, the 10th overall pick in last month’s draft, prepares for his second outing with the Grizzlies in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old athletic swingman out of Stanford is eager to learn, grow and build on Monday’s summer league debut when he contributed to nearly every statistical category in 23 minutes.

Williams smiled as he reflected on his first ‘welcome to the NBA’ moment. It came when he stole a pass near the top of the key and raced off in transition as his slender, 6-foot-8 frame glided toward the basket for a breakaway dunk. It was one of a growing number of summer highlights for the Grizzlies, who beat the Nets 91-84 in their Vegas opener.

Memphis returns to action Wednesday to face the Heat in the second of four games over a stretch of seven days in Vegas. In the long-term plan, the Grizzlies traded up and targeted Williams in the draft to ultimately plug between franchise catalysts in point guard Ja Morant and power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. – all picked in the top 10 of the past four drafts.

Williams’ combination of length, athleticism, intelligence and potential as an elite wing scorer and defender only add to an encouraging young core the franchise has assembled. Four of the previous six players the Grizzlies selected in the draft made the NBA All-Rookie team.

The short-term expectations are reasonably tempered for Williams, whose 185-pound frame will need time to develop into an NBA body. It was just a little more than a year ago when Williams was teammates with Bronny James and Zaire Wade – the sons of icons LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Now, Williams is transitioning to playing against NBA fathers.

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for Williams, who still receives encouraging text messages from “uncle Dwyane” and “uncle ‘Bron” as he takes the initial steps into the demands of the NBA. He’s certainly putting in the relentless work it takes to prepare his mind and body.

Williams said he got ready for the draft by pushing himself with private trainers through twice-daily workouts over a span of six hours. To gain weight, he also converted to a 5,000-calories-a-day diet. Because the Grizzlies acquired the rights to draft him in a trade with New Orleans that involved swapping picks and veteran players, Williams and fellow first-round pick Santi Aldama could not participate in last week’s Salt Lake City Summer League until all logistics were finalized. Williams and Aldama didn’t go through their first practice with the Grizzlies until Sunday, the eve before Monday’s debut in the Vegas summer league.

In other words, NBA life has been coming at Williams fast. But he’s so cool, calm and mentally prepared for this opportunity, one could hardly detect any nervousness.

“Getting that first dunk was a good feeling for sure,” Williams said on scoring his first basket early in the first quarter of Monday’s game. “I just read the play really well and it was good to hear the crowd cheering, because I haven’t had fans since high school. I was just trying to go out there and play hard and help the team come out with a win.”

Williams finished that game with seven points, two offensive rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. He struggled to find the range on his three-point shot, which will be a development priority throughout the summer and into his rookie season. But, as Jenkins pointed out, the mission right now is to simply grow acclimated to the team’s systems, have fun and compete.

The growth opportunities continue for Williams and the Grizzlies, who are accustomed to success as they develop their young prospects this time of the year. Memphis was the last team to win the MGM Resorts Summer League title when it was played two years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s summer league play.

But the Grizzlies are back with one of the league’s newest and top students of the game.

“As far as coach Taylor just telling me to have fun and compete, it’s been helpful a lot,” Williams said of his mindset this week. “I don’t pay attention to any outside noise, it just allows me to play my game and compete. And it definitely allows me to play freely with confidence.”

Teammates have already seen that competitive confidence on the defensive end.

“He’s a really big wing and he’s got a good feel for the game already,” Grizzlies second-year guard Desmond Bane said of Williams. “You can tell he’s got a knack for scoring. I like the way he hustles and competes on defense. One of the (opposing) guys got it going and (Ziaire) wanted to check him and stay on him, so that’s special for a young guy.”

Those intangibles and that lofty potential make Williams a unique fit for Memphis.

“He’s super-excited being with us,” Jenkins said. “He’s got great teammates around him in this summer league, and coaches are going to push him. The sky is the limit for this kid, he’s got so much talent. He’s got a lot of work to do for sure, but this is just the starting point for him.”

Much like on the way to his first summer highlight, Williams is taking everything in those long, explosive strides.

“My flow, my rhythm, I’m just letting it come to me,” Williams said. “As the games go on, I’ll get more comfortable. Finding ways, whether it’s cutting or coming off screens, I just find my way. But my teammates are making it super smooth. It’ll come, though. I just have to get my reps.”

Plus, compete and have fun along the way.

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MikeCheck: For Grizzlies rookie Ziaire Williams, coach’s orders are simple – compete and have fun

MEMPHIS – Among the highlight moments from the Grizzlies stint at this week’s Salt Lake City Summer League has been a special anniversary for one of the staff’s top assistants.

Darko Rajakovic wouldn’t want to commemorate his 25th year in coaching any other way.

As lead coach of the Grizzlies’ summer league team, Rajakovic takes pride in grinding this group of players through the team’s summer development program. After all, helping prospects build foundations to pursue professional basketball careers is a mission and passion Rajakovic has embraced since his taking his first coaching job at age 16.

Over the past 25 years, the teams, leagues, players and countries have changed for the native of Serbia. But the standard of developmental success remains the same for Rajakovic, who leads the Grizzlies into Friday’s final game in Salt Lake City before the team transitions to Las Vegas for next week’s start of the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League.

“There’s so many areas to improve with a team that’s only been together a couple of days,” Rajakovic said of the task he was assigned when head coach Taylor Jenkins pegged him to run the summer league team. “There is a mutual trust. We have a great relationship and are consulting on everything. We’re helping each other in so many ways.”

After splitting their first two games against a split roster of the host Utah Jazz, the Grizzlies could close out the Salt Lake City leg of summer league play with a win Friday against the Spurs. Memphis won Tuesday’s opener by 39 points in a balanced performance sparked largely by returning roster players who participate in a combined 206 NBA games last season.

The Grizzlies sat their more experienced young players in Wednesday’s loss, but are likely to have their returning core of Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman and John Konchar available Friday.

Rajakovic wants to see the Grizzlies close out the week with the same energy, relentless defensive effort and execution they showed to start the week. On Tuesday, Memphis produced balanced scoring, 12 blocked shots, forced 21 turnovers and scored 104 points on 26 assists.

“We’ve got to stick with our identity, what we do,” Rajakovic insisted. “That’s ball-movement and playing hard on the defensive end. The moments we did that, we played well. We just didn’t do it enough (Wednesday). We’ll need to do more scripting and playing well together.”

Rajakovic and Jenkins are certainly working well together as the Grizzlies continue to build on a team that last season was the youngest to make the NBA playoffs in a decade.

Jenkins added Rajakovic to the Grizzlies staff last year after he spent parts of the previous nine seasons with the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder organizations. Rajakovic, 42, also coached in the G League as well as internationally in Spain and his native Serbia.

“He has shown a passion, drive, high basketball IQ and love for teaching the game at a high level, both internationally and in the NBA,” Jenkins said of adding Rajakovic to the staff. “He will continue to help enhance the development of our players, staff and team for the future.”

From coaching his first national youth teams in Serbia as a teenager to leading the Grizzlies summer league entries this month, Rajakovic has traveled a unique global basketball journey.

“I’m grateful for coaching summer league this year,” Rajakovic said. “We’re trying some new things, some different things and are just trying to learn from this experience together.”

From sweet 16 to Salt Lake City, the growth and grind define Rajakovic’s path.

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MikeCheck: As Grizzlies summer guide, Rajakovic extends coaching journey that began at age 16

Improving on a 39-point victory in their Salt Lake City summer league debut won’t be an easy task for the Grizzlies, but their comfort level and continuity will certainly give them a shot.

The Grizzlies return to action Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz’s White team coming off a 104-65 dismantling of the Jazz’s Blue squad in Tuesday’s opening game of summer league play at Vivint Arena. If the Grizzlies looked like a team that’s been there before, there’s good reason.

It was only three months ago when Memphis carried the NBA’s youngest playing rotation into a first-round playoff series against the Jazz. The Grizzlies won the series opener in Salt Lake City against the league’s top-seeded team before losing in five games to close out their first playoff appearance in four years.

The Grizzlies are back in Utah with a summer league team that started five players who combined to play in 206 NBA regular season games last season. Anchoring that group are rising second-year veterans Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman, who combined for 25 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and three steals in a game the Grizzlies dominated from start to finish.

Bane and Tillman were on the floor for the Grizzlies during that playoff series in May, and intend to set the summer league tone by leading with a level of postseason intensity.

“I don’t think you can put a price on experience, and I think we got real quality experience throughout the whole entire season last year, but in the playoffs especially,” Bane said. “It’s a really good start to the summer for sure. Leading by example is first and foremost.”

The Grizzlies coaching staff tasked Bane with taking on more playmaking responsibilities this summer to expand on his game after leading the team in three-point shooting last season. The 6-6 shooting guard will spend the bulk of his time at the point this week as the Grizzlies play three games in four days before moving on to the Las Vegas Summer League next week.

Tillman, a 6-8 forward/center, wants to build on his 11-point, 13-rebound double-double from Tuesday night. But development this summer isn’t as much about stats as it is about the statements he’s making as a frontline leader with an eye on expanding his voice next season.

“I’m more than willing to do it, especially going into next season with that second unit,” Tillman said of being the focal point on defense. “I’m comfortable being vocal when I see stuff and being able to keep my teammates accountable and allowing them to keep me accountable for sure.”

Rookie first-round picks Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama aren’t expected to be available to join the summer league team until they clear NBA draft night trade guidelines later this week. But the Grizzlies got huge contributions from another set of rookies they picked up after the draft on free agency development contracts.

Former DePaul swingman Romeo Weems and University of Tennessee standout Yves Pons delivered impressive debuts with relentless energy and effort plays on Tuesday. Weems led the Grizzlies with 17 points and added six rebounds, three steals and a block in 19 minutes. He made both of his three-point attempts and was perfect on five free throws.

Pons, a 6-6 dynamic athlete around the rim, showed some versatility in his game by also knocking down a pair of threes and blocking two shots. His 12 points off the bench included three highlight-reel dunks, punctuated by flushes on two lobs in transition. Pons, the SEC’s 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, signed a Two-Way contract on Monday, and is positioned to spend time with both the Grizzlies and G League’s Memphis Hustle this coming season.

Grizzlies summer league coach Darko Rajakovic had high grades for Weems and Pons, who both went undrafted last week but have quickly stood out in their initial days with Memphis.

“Energy, relentless, ability to defend one through five,” Rajakovic said of Pons’ explosive ability on both ends of the floor. “He still has a ways to go in coverages but his physical ability covers a lot. He was just free and cutting. When he had open shots, he shot without second thoughts.”

For Weems, who just turned 20 this summer after two college seasons, the intangibles matter.

“Since he walked in our gym, he showed a big desire to work our way,” Rajakovic said of the 6-7 guard/forward. “He’s going to be a really good player. He’s got long arms and defensively he’s very confident. He’s really trying to play the right way and was successful with it.”

The Grizzlies face Jazz White at 8 p.m. before wrapping up the Salt Lake City summer league with Friday’s game against the Spurs. Tuesday’s game featured a familiar face, with former Grizzlies first-round pick Jarell Martin playing for the Jazz Blue team as he looks to regain an NBA roster spot. Martin spent three seasons in Memphis before he was traded to Orlando in 2018, and then spent last season playing in Australia.

Rajakovic wants to see the Grizzlies maintain their 20-20 vision on both ends of the court in Wednesday’s matchup. Memphis forced 21 turnovers and dished 26 assists on Tuesday, which are benchmarks for success in coach Taylor Jenkins’ system.

“That’s something we’ve preached since training camp,” Rajakovic said.

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MikeCheck: Two takeaways from Grizzlies’ dominant summer debut, and a look-ahead to Wednesday’s game

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