The Memphis Grizzlies don't have a lot of market advantages, but they do have a secret weapon
The NBA is a ruthlessly competitive market. Every team is looking for an edge. A small-market team like the Memphis Grizzlies sometimes has to get creative.
Take the Miami Heat or the Los Angeles Lakers, by contrast. Life has historically been easy for those organizations. If they don't have an elite player, one will eventually come to them.
That hasn't been the case for Memphis. They've had to dig deep and search hard for solid rotation players. Luckily, that's something they've historically done extremely well.
Grizzlies Have a Knack for Finding Talent
Look at the history. In 2017, the Grizzlies selected Dillon Brooks with the 45th overall pick in the NBA draft — the same spot where they drafted GG Jackson in 2023. Their success isn't limited to the second round, either. Desmond Bane was the 30th overall pick in 2020.
The following year, Memphis grabbed Santi Aldama at the same spot. Memphis doesn't even need a draft pick to find a valuable player. The organization brought in John Konchar, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Jay Huff as undrafted players.
If there's underrated talent to find, the Grizzlies have as good a chance at finding it as anyone. It's a trend that's continuing for them.
Grizzlies Still Finding Underrated Gems
Jahmai Mashack. Tyler Burton. Dejon Jarreau. Adama Bal. If you're not a Grizzlies fan, you'd be forgiven for not recognizing any of those names. They all suited up in Memphis' last contest. Results varied. Burton was the star of that game against the Suns, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.
Yet most of these guys have shown potential at some point. So has second-rounder Cam Spencer — he wasn't included in the first list for a reason. You should know his name by now.
There are no assurances that any of these players will be with the franchise long-term. Brooks is a Sun, and he was a Rocket before that. Bane is a Magic. Huff is a Pacer. That's not the point. Memphis
Moving forward, expect that to help them be competitive sooner rather than later.