MEMPHIS – Hours of conversations, weeks of background checks and months of intensive study and evaluation all ended in a strong hunt.
But there were no promises yet.
The meticulous job coach Taylor Jenkins and Grizzlies head office staff invested in trading into the first round of the NBA draft last fall – then moving up in the second round to get two top-35 picks – appearing to their confidence in who they were targeting was clear.
But deep down, we knew those guys were going to be really good donors. It’s hard to predict, but with the whole survey we were done. . . not surprisingly, they are able to translate very early.
However, what the Grizzlies would get out of those expectations and as soon as they got it would hardly be a sure bet. But almost a dozen games into their NBA career, rookies Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman on a fast track to becoming full-impact rotation players.
With each game, high expectations for these rookies transform into higher expectations.
“Honestly, it’s hard to figure out when men will be coming into their rookie seasons,” Jenkins said of the comments Bane and Tillman brought a month into their NBA careers. “But deep down, we knew those people would make a huge difference. It’s hard to predict, but with the whole survey we were done. . . not surprisingly, they can translate very early. ”
A confident youth move continues as the Grizzlies (5-6) aim to extend their winning streak to four games when they take on the Timberwolves for the second time in three days. Memphis will try to sweep the set between the NBA’s youngest teams, with the Grizzlies (24.3) in second place just behind the Timberwolves (23.9) in the average age of players on the active roster.
While Minnesota boasts the No. 1 overall pick in swingman Anthony Edwards, who has 12.5 points per game in second place among spies in scoring, a team in the league may not be getting more influence from his rookie class right now than Memphis.
Bane, the No. 30 and final pick of the first round, entered the two-game series in Minnesota this week largely among spies in a three-point shootout. And Tillman, the overall pick at No. 35, was the fifth plus-minus winner among all newcomers.
Through the Grizzlies ’usual win streak, Bane and Tillman have come together for nearly 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals the last three games. In Monday’s 101-91 win in Cleveland, they both fired 8-for-10 from the field. And during Wednesday’s 118-107 win against the Timberwolves, Tillman and Bane helped blast a second unit that emitted 50 mountain points on the night The Grizzlies also added a license record with 80 points in the paint.
I just want to learn and improve in every way I can. Whatever comes with that, it comes with that. You can easily see areas where you need to improve. That is my tool for getting better.
The sample size is small, and is still early in the development process.
But progress is steady and trust is building.
The same stroke that allowed Bane to lead the Big 12 in a three-point shoot at TCU this season has translated well into the NBA, where the 6-foot-6 swingman plays firing 46.3 percent from depth. Bane also opened his career by making multiple three in six consecutive games, which was the second longest streak to start a career in NBA history.
As an offensive threat, playmaking donations and Bane scoring are desperately needed as the Grizzlies scramble to fill gaps created by the absence of catapult injuries Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant as well as veterans Justise Winslow. But the defensive measures Bane has taken within the team’s concepts are what keeps him in the primary all night.
“Coming into the season, I was just focused on learning and I didn’t want to set any goals as far as awards or numbers or anything like that,” Bane said. “I just want to learn and develop in every way I can. Whatever comes with that, it comes with that. You can easily see areas where you need to improve. That is my tool to get better. ”
Although Bane was a steady move from the start, Tillman suffered an early stop during a knee-jerk fight that sent him off after the first game of the preseason. Out of action for nearly three weeks, Tillman focused on improving his position and adopting a challenging NBA handling rule.
I was able to see what I could bring to the table that I felt we were missing. I knew, okay, we need boys who can open our guards. So bet, I can come in and do that.
As Big Ten Defensive player of the year and Sixth Man of the Year at Michigan State, Tillman impressed the Grizzlies with his flexibility on both ends of the court. His exploratory habits, high basketball IQ and communication on the court allowed Tillman to carve out a career as soon as his body was healthy enough to return to the mix.
Over the last three games, Tillman has moved ahead of fertile veterans Gorgui Dieng as the first big man off the bench. After celebrating his 22nd birthday this week, Tillman is more mature than his years both in preparation for the game and his impact on the court. In the past week, he has met the defense challenges DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond and Karl-Anthony Towns – all elite NBA rankings that are significantly larger than Tillman.
And when you study winning basketball, they just do the right plays. These guys have been contributing a lot. They watch a lot of movies, do a good job taking something they saw the day before and applying it to the next game. That is a good sign of improvement. They’ve gone out there on both ends and they’re doing awkward, team-based plays. And that’s why we’re really excited about them getting better.
“What helped me was that while I was out, I was locked in to what the team was doing insultingly and what our schemes seemed to be defensive. and where I could be inside, ”Tillman said. “I saw what I could bring to the table that I felt we were missing. I knew, okay, we need boys who can open our guards. So bet, I can come in and do that.
“We need boys who can communicate securely on ball screens and know what they are supposed to do,” Tillman continued. “Bet, I can do that too. Being a boy who paid attention and was executed when I got my chances. ”
At this stage of rookie production, these opportunities are likely to continue to come.
“By studying them in college, we knew they influenced winning,” Jenkins said of Bane and Tillman. “And when you study basketball, they do the right plays. These guys have been contributing a lot. They watch a lot of movies, do a good job taking something they saw the day before and applying it to the next game. That is a good sign of improvement. They’ve gone out there on both ends and they’re doing awkward, team-based plays. And that’s why we’re excited about them getting better. ”
So far, Bane and Tillman have three main ingredients of Grizzlies ’development recipe.
They arrived with the necessary grid.
They show the ability to grind games.
And we still have tremendous growth potential.
The content of this page has not been reviewed or approved by the Memphis Grizzlies. All comments expressed by Michael Wallace are his own and do not reflect the views of Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations employees, owners, parent companies, partners or supporters. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he does not have specific access to information other than the accessibility and benefits that come with being an NBA-certified member of the media.