Salaries released! New reinforcements in place! How should the youth army go?

Looking back at the Memphis Grizzlies last season, it was a roller coaster ride.

The regular season started at a high level, and the record ranking was firmly at the forefront of the division. Unfortunately, injuries and turmoil disrupted the team's rhythm. Although they finally made it into the playoffs, they were ruthlessly swept by the Thunder in the first round. After

was eliminated, the management also needed to start facing reality. The team's salary pressure was huge and the lineup structure was unbalanced. It was also time for them to take a step back and look for opportunities again.

So, the Grizzlies boldly pressed the reset button during this offseason.

The biggest move in the offseason was to send away Bain.

This player who has grown into the core of the Grizzlies in recent years. Stable outside firepower and ball-handling ability were originally the team's key strengths. However, as the salary became increasingly heavy, the Grizzlies chose to trade him for Pope and Cole Anthony, adding four first-rounders and a first-round swap.

Looking at the moment, Bain's departure is a direct loss of the team's combat effectiveness. But in the long run, the Grizzlies have stocked up on chips for the future and have stably maintained a flexible situation of "advancing, attacking, retreating, and defending." Especially Pope, although last season's three-point shooting percentage dropped to 34.2%, the lowest in the past five years, his defensive toughness and championship experience are exactly what the young Grizzlies lack most.

Whether he can become a transitional bridge between the new generation and veterans is also largely related to the future of the team.

As for Cole Anthony, due to the overcrowding in the Grizzlies backcourt, the team finally chose to lay off him and join the Bucks with a minimum salary.

Look at the current rotation list:

Point guard: Morant, Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer

Shooting guard: Pope, Jerome, Konchar

Small forward: Jaylen Wells, Cowherd, Vince Williams

Power forwards: Jaren Jackson Jr., Aldama, GG Jackson

Centers: Zach Eddy, Brandon Clark, Jack Landell

From a rotation perspective, Morant and Jaren Jr. are still the starting twin stars. Pope is the choice to fill in for Bane, and the small forward will most likely be handed over to Jaylen Wells. Compared to last season when he was forced to switch to three guards due to injuries, the health of the front line and the thickness of the rotation have improved. The addition of newcomer Cowherd has also given the Grizzlies more opportunities to try out wing swingmen.

Compared with other positions, the team's problem still lies in the center.

At present, newcomer Zach Eddy is the only inside option with the ability to protect the frame and screen, and the Grizzlies have to pin their hopes on him. Landell and Clark are more part of the rotation puzzle, and the hope of supporting the team's future is obviously not enough.

Referring to team data, the Grizzlies' offensive and defensive efficiency in the regular season last season ranked sixth and 11th in the league respectively, which is still considered a strong team. But if the data is divided after the All-Stars, the team's data immediately drops to the middle and lower reaches of the league. The reason behind

is not difficult to understand. After the coaching change, the Grizzlies seemed unable to come up with any effective strategies when facing strong teams. Morant and Bain struggled in the new system. The ball-holding pick-and-roll tactics that they originally relied on were forced to be reduced and forced to play more full-body movements, which directly led to the weakening of Morant's advantage.

As a ball-handler, Morant needs more running and shooting support without the ball, but this is not what he is best at. On the other hand, the cover value of newcomer Eddie has also been greatly wasted.

So, when the intensity of the game increases, the Grizzlies always seem to lack a high-level star who can really stand up and take over the game. They can all score when the wind is down, but no one can control the situation when the wind is against them. When the Thunder were swept out of the playoffs, it was naturally not difficult to understand.

As for the new season, the most worthy of attention in the team are still a few core players:

Morant is still the unshakable first core. The question is whether he can get rid of injuries and off-court troubles. This is the key to the Grizzlies' future. A healthy Morant is the most destructive point guard in the league, but an unhealthy Morant is the team's biggest hidden danger.

Then there is Jaren Jackson Jr., who has already shown a certain ability to pass in isolation, but under the Thunder's defensive encirclement in the playoffs, he is still a little immature. With the departure of Bane, the big man will take over the role of the second leader. If he can reduce mistakes and improve his game reading ability, the twin star combination of him and Morant can truly establish a rotation position.

No matter how good the core lineup is, it still needs to be used rationally by the management. Since the Morant era, the Grizzlies have had no problems with their drafting and trading direction, and the team has maintained its playoff potential almost every year. However, when it comes to handling details, the management seems to be too conservative. The team's salary space is underutilized, resulting in many transaction exceptions and small asset chips being wasted, causing the team to always stay in the embarrassing situation of "more than enough than above".

But the good news is that this time the Grizzlies finally seem to have a clear direction. Replacing Bane to make room and adding Pope, Jerome, Landell and other rotation puzzles is a pragmatic step. But it is obviously not enough to make a qualitative change. As for whether they want to hit higher goals in the future, or whether they want to stay in the lower reaches of the playoffs, more depends on their performance in this year's regular season.

Based on the paper strength of the Western Conference, although the chances of winning the championship are slim, the Grizzlies are still a competitive team. At present, the Western Conference is full of powerful players, including the Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves, and Rockets at the top, the Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers in the middle, and the Spurs and Trail Blazers at the bottom. It is extremely difficult for the Grizzlies to break into the top six.

The reality is that there is a high probability that they will still hover around 7-8 in the division and continue the play-off route. If the lineup stays healthy and Morant and Jaren Jr. break out steadily, they may have a chance to break into the top six. But if one thing goes wrong, it is more likely to remain on the fringes of the playoffs..

Perhaps the real answer will have to wait until the trade deadline of the new season. At that time, the Grizzlies management will use actual actions to tell the outside world:

Whether they are preparing to impact their results, or whether they are temporarily choosing to make a transition.