MEMPHIS – The Grizzlies are closing in on the Thursday's NBA Draft with their options as wide open and diverse as the talent among projected top players on the board.
As pre-draft workouts wrap up and potential trade scenarios are discussed regarding what the Grizzlies will do with the No. 4 overall pick, we're examining the cases of eight potential franchise-altering players in the draft who are – or should be – under strong consideration for that selection.
Player: Trae Young
Height/Weight: 6-2, 177
Team: Oklahoma
2017-18 Stats: 27.4 ppg., 8.7 apg., 3.9 rpg., 1.7 spg., 36.0 3FG%
Projected Draft Range: Picks 6-10
Opening Statement
“I think I’m the best overall player in this draft. (But) my main focus isn’t to be the best player in this draft; my goal is to be the best player in the NBA, and that’s what I’m focusing on each and every day. My main focus is on going to the right team. It’s not about being (drafted) one, two, three or 30. I’ll always have that chip on my shoulder, no matter how long I play this game. That won’t change.” – Trae Young on being the best overall player in the draft and having an immediate NBA impact.
The Case For Young
Twelve years ago, the Grizzlies moved to solidify their point guard position when they used a first-round pick in 2006 to draft Kyle Lowry as Damon Stoudamire entered the backend of his prime years. One season and a coaching change later, the Grizzlies used the No. 4 pick in the 2007 draft to select the most dynamic, one-and-done point guard on the board in Mike Conley. The rest, as they say, is history.
Conley turns 31 next season and is coming off season-ending Achilles heel surgery and a three-season stretch in which he’s missed a combined total of 109 games. There may not be a more ideal opportunity than now to invest in the franchise’s next point guard of the future. There are as many as four playmaking facilitators in this year’s lottery, and Young is the most prolific in a group that includes Real Madrid point forward Luka Doncic, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Kentucky’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For starters, Young became the first player in Division I history to lead the nation in both scoring (27.4) and assists (8.7) last season. The threat of his scoring and extensive three-point range (118 made threes in 32 games) would be a lethal boost to a Memphis offense sputtering near the bottom of the league.
“I bring a lot to a team,” said Young, who tied an NCAA Division I record with 22 assists in a game last season. “I bring immediate impact. As far as my skillset, I can attack defenders in multiple ways and get my teammates involved. I can pretty much do it all for a team.”
It’s far from outlandish to imagine a Conley-Young pairing excelling in the NBA’s small-ball era, although they might not exactly form the starting backcourt. There certainly are concerns defensively, with both being under 6-2 and slight of frame. But there’s no question that whatever they lack defensively in tandem they more than cover for offensively in creating headaches for opposing teams.
Young’s flair, flash and video game-like numbers have impressed those at the top of the NBA pecking order at his position. He’s been compared to MVPs from Steve Nash to Steph Curry because of his shooting, ball-handling and playmaking wizardry. Young says he’s also been mentored on a daily basis by former NBA point guard Rod Strickland, who has also groomed Kyrie Irving in his transition to the NBA.
“Just the confidence that he plays with – I call it flair – but he always seems composed and knows what he’s trying to do every time he has the ball in his hands,” Curry said of Young during the season. “He shoots a lot of deep threes and has a creativity to his game that’s just so fluid to watch.”
Young is tempting for essentially every team in the lottery outside of Phoenix and Sacramento atop the draft board. He worked out this week for Atlanta (No. 3) and Chicago (No. 7), and could very well be gone by Orlando’s (No. 6) pick. Young’s superstar potential is as steep as his unlimited 3-point range.
The Case Against Young
Can Young’s slender frame handle the rigors of an 82-game NBA grind? Will he embrace a team-first concept that’s not built completely around his offensive talents? Could he be a respectable defender at his position, where even the likes of Curry are often isolated and exposed for shortcomings? Would Young welcome the challenge to initially come in as a backup, to Conley for instance, and blossom?
All are fair questions, and even Young admits he’s heard them throughout this pre-draft process.
“The fact that I don’t like to play defense,” Young shot back when asked what misconception about his game he’d like to clear up at the next level. “The defensive side of things is something that I’m looking forward to showing people. I’m super excited to show that from Day 1.”
Beyond that, Young surprised many at last month’s NBA Combine when he appeared taller than Sexton in street clothes, having also bulked up 10 pounds since the end of Oklahoma’s season. Still, Young weighed in at less than 180 pounds and had a modest 6-3 wingspan when measured. Although he logged 35 minutes a night and played in all 32 college games, his NBA durability is a legit question.
Young was clearly the catalyst, but the Sooners didn’t win at an elite level with him leading the way. They finished 18-14 and dropped nine of their last 11 games, including a first-round NCAA Tournament exit. The perception was that Young didn’t have much – if any – help at Oklahoma. But skeptics also wonder whether Young did enough beyond shooting to make his teammates better and improve overall results.
“If you look back a year ago now, nobody thought I’d be in this situation,” Young said. “As far as being a one-and-done (prospect), a lot of people had me as the fourth or fifth best point guard in my class, so I felt like I had something to prove coming into this year. I felt I did a pretty good job with that. But I still have a lot of hard work and a lot of stuff to get better at.”
Because the top of the lottery is filled with prospects at the forward/center and point guard positions, the Grizzlies faced a challenge in securing workouts with top lottery prospects who, theoretically, would come in as backups to Conley and center Marc Gasol. Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace has acknowledged that drawback in the process, but said it wouldn’t hinder the team from drafting the best player available.
The Verdict
NBA executives have had as much success trying to bracket Young as college defenders. He’s simply tough to get a handle on when it comes to projecting his NBA impact. It’s unfair to compare Young to Curry, because Steph took a few years and injury rehabs to become this version of the Steph we see today. And it’s also unjustified to fear Young could be the next coming of Jimmer Fredette, who caught fire from three-point range at prolific rates in college but never could catch on in the NBA.
Young’s development is going to be plenty of fun to watch in the NBA. Many also thought the previous Oklahoma sharpshooter would arrive and take the league by storm, but Buddy Hield is now on his second team in as many seasons and still trying to find his footing as a scoring guard in the league.
Beyond that, Young would be a huge luxury at a position that’s not the most pressing priority for the Grizzlies right now. For as much of a thrill as it would be to see Conley and Young on the court together, there are far greater team needs. Young would be a joyride. But landing a productive big or scoring combo forward is ideal.
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.