The Memphis Grizzlies Futures Odds (BetDSI Sportsbook)
Memphis Grizzlies to win the Southwest Division: +2500
Memphis Grizzlies to win the Western Conference: +12500
Memphis Grizzlies to win the NBA Championship: +30000
Memphis Grizzlies Season Total Win Prediction: Total 39.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
The Memphis Grizzlies recorded 43 wins last season and finished in the 7th place in the Western Conference, but failed to beat the San Antonio Spurs, who defeated them in the opening round of playoffs in six games. However, this time around, the Grizzlies will face a lot of problems to reach the postseason after they are apparently looking weaker than in 2016/17.
Memphis lost a few veteran key players as they are looking to rejuvenate their team, and it will be tough for them in the first year of transition, so making the playoffs now seems like their primary goal in 2017/18. Still, they are playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NBA, and it’s going to be a real test for them to reach the postseason as Houston, San Antonio, and New Orleans are going to be hard teams to beat.
The Grizzlies failed to add a star to their squad this offseason, and the most exciting reinforcement is Tyreke Evans, who is an incredibly talented player, but quite injury prone. If he manages to stay healthy, Evans will represent a solid addition. As it was the case in a previous couple of years, Memphis will rely on Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, while Chandler Parsons must bounce back after a horrific 2016/17 season.
Read on to find out more about the Memphis Grizzlies offseason moves and the 2017/2018 futures and props brought to you by the BetDSI Sportsbook. Also, don’t forget to visit our Get More Sports website for more NBA teams season previews.
The 2017/2018 Memphis Grizzlies Roster
Arrivals: Tyreke Evans, Ben McLemore, Dillon Brooks, Jeremy Morgan, Ivan Rabb, Kobi Simmons, RadeZagorac.
Departures: Tony Allen, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter.
The Memphis Grizzlies were without a pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but they added a few rookies to their roster. Dillon Brooks joined from the Houston Rockets as the Texas outfit selected him with the 45th pick in this year’s draft, and the Canadian signed a three-year contract with the Grizzlies. The small forward had a wonderful couple of years with the Oregon Ducks, and in 2016/17, he averaged 16.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.1 spg in 25.3 mpg. Brooks was the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2017 and was selected to the Consensus second-team All-American. He is listed as the No. 3 option at SF position, behind Chandler Parsons and James Ennis III, but ahead of RadeZagorac.
Zagorac penned a deal with the Grizzlies this July, and he came from the Serbian team Mega Leks. The 22-year-old won the U-18 World Championships and U-20 European Championship with his national side, while with Mega Leks, Zagorac clinched the Serbian Cup in 2016. Ivan Rabb was originally selected by the Orlando Magic as the 35th pick overall in the 2017 NBD Draft, but they traded his rights to Memphis. The former California Golden Bear power forward won numerous honors while at the college including First-team All-Pac-12, McDonald’s All-American, and California Mr. Basketball. Kobi Simmons is going to be remembered as the first player who signed a two-way contract with the NBA G-League affiliate after he penned a deal with the Grizzlies and the Memphis Hustle. The 20-year-old point guard spent the 2016/17 season with the Arizona Wildcats and is a good option for the future, but for the time being, he is not the part of David Fizdale’s plans.
Ben McLemore left the Sacramento Kings after four years and rather unimpressive last season when he averaged only 8.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg in 19.3 mpg. However, Ben is still relatively young (24) and can improve and reach his full potential and the Grizzlies seem to be the right team for him to do so. Although he is listed as the No. 4 option at shooting guard position behind Wayne Selden, Tyreke Evans, and Troy Daniels, I believe McLemore will get around 20 minutes per game in 2017/18.
The only high profile addition for the Grizzlies this summer is Tyreke Evans, and the former Sacramento King signed a one-year contract worth of $3.3M. It’s not an expensive signing for Memphis, but they can get a lot from the 27-year-old who can play equally well at PG, SG, and even SF positions, thanks to his versatility. Evans didn’t have luck with injuries in eight years in the NBA, and he was forced to miss 42 matches last year for the Pelicans and Kings. However, he still managed to average 10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, and 3.1 apg in 20.0 mpg, and if he remains healthy in 2017/18, Evans could turn out to be a major signing for the Grizzlies. He will likely start the campaign as the sixth man, but as the season progresses, I think he will become an integral part of this squad.
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Mike Conley | Wayne Selden | Chandler Parsons | Brandan Wright | Marc Gasol |
| Andrew Harrison | Tyreke Evans | James Ennis III | Jarell Martin | Deyonta Davis |
| Wade Baldwin IV | Troy Daniels | Dillon Brooks | ||
| Mario Chalmers | Ben McLemore | Rade Zagorac |
The Grizzlies lost Tony Allen to free agency, and they will surely miss the player of his qualities. Allen is one of the best defenders in the league for years now and was a big part of the Grizzlies since 2010/11. Last year, Allen averaged 9.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 1.6 spg in 27.0 mpg, and although he wasn’t a significant factor in the offense, the Grizzlies D, which was pretty much a trade mark of this franchise lately, will never be the same without Tony.
Vince Carter left Memphis to join the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal, and the eight-time All-Star proved that he could be an important squad player at the age of 40. He averaged 8.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, and 1.8 apg in 24.7 mpg. Carter had some spectacular dunks during the last season as he turned back the clock to remind us what we’re going to miss when he retires. He is not as quick as before but can contribute from beyond the arc and score some crucial threes, and will add experience to the young Sacramento team.
One of the Grizzlies’ longest servants, Zach Randolph, left Memphis after eight seasons and that’s the end of an era for both the player and franchise. Randolph followed Carter’s steps and joined him in Sacramento, where he penned a two-year contract. Z-Bo averaged 14.1 ppg and 8.2 rpg in 24.5 mpg for the Grizzlies in 2016/17, and he still can perform at a high level for the next couple of years. I believe Memphis lost more with Randolph’s departure than with Carter’s because now they are quite thin at power forward position with only Brandan Wright and Jarell Martin left.
Memphis extended deals for Wayne Selden, Mario Chalmers, while JaMychal Green gets a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies, and will likely sign a new contract with the club. Wayne Selden appeared in 11 games for the Grizzlies in 2016/17, averaging 5.0 ppg in 17.2 mpg, but with Tony Allen’s departure, he will become the No. 1 option at shooting guard position, but most probably will split playing time with Tyreke Evans. Mario Chalmers got the new deal after missing the entire previous campaign with ruptured right Achilles tendon. Chalmers suffered that injury while playing for Memphis in 2015/16 when he averaged 10.8 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.6 rpg, and 1.5 spg in 22.8 mpg, and the 31-year-old point guard can be a solid backup for the starter Mike Conley.
Conley and Marc Gasol will run the floor for the Grizzlies in 2017/18, but unless Chandler Parsons improves after a disastrous last year, Memphis will be in lots of trouble. Tyreke Evans and Mario Chalmers will support them off the bench, but it’s going to be a long and hard campaign for the Grizzlies as they don’t possess enough quality to compete for the playoffs.
The Bottom Line and Total Win Prediction
This Grizzlies’ team doesn’t look very good at the moment, and it seems that they will struggle to enter the postseason, so I think they cannot finish at top ten in the West. The Southwest Division is very tough, and with Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans, and Dallas, the Grizzlies should be happy if they finish in the third place, but that is going to be extremely hard to do. The BetDSI Sportsbook set the number of season wins at 39.5, and I don’t believe they are capable of recording 40 victories, so I would suggest you go with under on this one.
Season total wins: Under 39.5 wins (-115)
