The Grizzlies are now more than halfway through Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension. At 3-10 and in a three-way tie for last in the West, there’s an awful lot of work to do. But progress has been made. 

Through the first six games of the season, the Grizzlies were 0-6 with a -9.8 point differential, a 19th-ranked defense and a dead-last 30th-ranked offense. 

Since then, they’ve gone 3-4 with a -1.9 point-differential, a 13th-ranked defense and a 20th-ranked offense. 

Grizzlies come up one shot short in barnburner against Boston

A losing record is still a losing record. Negative is still negative. But play has improved even as the Basketball Gods have continued to dispense their wrath, with new injuries to Marcus Smart, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luke Kennard joining the ongoing absences of Morant, Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.

But what’s been different?

The inflection point between these two portions of the early season has been the rotation addition of two players: center Bismack Biyombo, a free agent signing, and forward Santi Aldama, who missed the first six games with a sprained ankle.

The very much causal relationship between Biyombo’s arrival and improved team play was more noticed initially, but it’s been Aldama’s return that’s been an even bigger factor. 

The Grizzlies have been nearly 13 points better per 100 possessions with Aldama on the floor versus when he’s off the floor, per stats site Cleaning the Glass. Among players to log at least 100 minutes, that’s by far the best mark on the team to this point. 

Grizzlies Insider: Santi Aldama is key piece for Spanish national team this summer

On Sunday night, in a two-point loss to Boston, Aldama had a bit of a breakout. In his first start of the season, he set new career highs in points (28), assists (6), field-goal attempts (27) and minutes played (39).

He did so while starting at small forward.

The 7-foot Aldama’s ability to play as a super-sized small forward is something fans have wondered about since the now 22-year-old Spaniard’s sophomore-season emergence a year ago. He’s a nominal power forward, but seemed to have the handle and shooting ability to shift over, especially if paired with Jaren Jackson Jr., who can add more spacing from one of the “big man” positions.

The Grizzlies experimented with Aldama on the wing, alongside frontcourt starters Jackson and Biyombo, during a bad loss to the Lakers last week. They pivoted to it as a primary lineup to begin the second half against San Antonio on Saturday, which was ultimately a comeback win. And it became the starting lineup against Boston on Sunday. It’s a configuration that now seems likely to get a longer look.

“I think it was a little out of necessity the last two games,” coach Taylor Jenkins said before rolling out Aldama to be his small forward starter on Sunday. “With some of the size issues and the depth that we’re working with right now, it just seemed like an opportunity to change things up.” 

Smart’s foot injury spurred another starting lineup change over the weekend, and it ended up being a double-swap over the two games, with the overall effect of the 7-foot Aldama replacing the 6-3 Smart on the wing and the 6-5 John Konchar replacing the 5-8 Jacob Gilyard in the backcourt. 

That’s an extra 18 inches of height across the starting lineup. It’s probably the best rebounding group the Grizzlies can put on the floor right now, and the extra size may help the team contest 3-point shots better and enable more defensive versatility. 

Grizzlies Insider: If Santi Aldama is ‘Luigi,’ he’s a dang good sidekick

“We got the ability to do a bunch of different things on the floor and switch up coverages, just because everybody has size,” said Desmond Bane on Sunday night.

“Having (Biyombo) out there gives us a lot of size but also having me and (Jackson) opens the floor and us being so tall, is just really hard to guard,” said Aldama. “I liked joining the starting group. … We just have to get used to having these three almost 7-footers on the floor. In the long run, especially if we’re able to switch one through five, I think it’s going be good for us.”

Time will tell. Beyond the potential pluses or minuses of starting Aldama at small forward, there’s the question of whether a lineup with two relative non-scorers in Konchar and Biyombo can get by offensively. 

This configuration, like every other on a team that’s had six starting lineups in 13 games, is temporary, with Morant’s return and Smart’s return looming. 

But while playing shorthanded, the Grizzlies need to lean more on their best players to survive, and that, more than questions of position, is probably what’s most valuable about elevating Aldama. 

Adams and Aldama: A wacky friendship fueled by Spanish lessons and Bad Bunny

Aldama’s superior impact stats don’t suggest he’s been better than Jackson or certainly Bane. They suggest he’s been a kind of tipping-point player: the desperately needed consistent third option that Kennard and Smart, even when available, haven’t quite been. 

Aldama’s averaged 15 points since rejoining the team, shooting 46% from the floor and 38% from 3. His overall usage has jumped from just under 50th percentile at his position to 75th percentile. His assist percentage has more than doubled, and his defensive rebounding has improved significantly. This is in 26 minutes a game. Aldama’s playing time has jumped to 33 minutes since adding small forward to his portfolio. Let’s keep it there.

Maybe Aldama’s future is at small forward. Playing a 7-footer at the three is not without precedent in a league thought (perhaps incorrectly) to be trending smaller. Utah’s been doing it with Lauri Markkanen, who made the All-Star team last season before winning the Most Improved Player award. Cleveland used Markkanen in the same way before Utah did.

Seven games into Aldama’s age 23 season (he’ll turn 23 in January), he compares pretty well to Markkanen at the same stage. 

Markkanen made a leap two seasons later. Aldama has more pure skill as a ball handler and passer. He plays above the rim more effortlessly. But can he add strength as effectively as Markkanen has? Can he approach Markkanen’s status as an elite shooter rather than merely a good one? 

Even if Aldama’s future isn’t at small forward, proving that playing there is a viable option increases his utility and gives the Grizzlies more tools. It increases the amount of time Aldama can see the floor even as the team gets healthier, both this season and, perhaps more notably, beyond.

Herrington: Start Kennard? ‘Frantic’ Grizzlies running out of answers

But maybe Aldama’s future is at his seemingly more natural power forward spot. The Grizzlies have been good this season with Aldama at the three alongside Jackson and Biyombo. They’ve been even better with Aldama at the four alongside Jackson. 

Playing Aldama heavier minutes, across both positions, will help stabilize the team now and build the sample for the important decisions to come. 

Right now is about right now. The present is too desperate to dwell on the future. But Aldama will be eligible for an early contract extension next summer. While trying to win now, the Grizzlies also need to gain a better feel for how big a role Aldama could play beyond this season and where. 

On this subject, thankfully, there’s no tension between present and future. “More Aldama” is the mutual answer. 

Highlight of the week: When they go high, we go low

Victor Wembanyama had eight blocks against the Grizzlies on Saturday night in San Antonio, but even at 7-4, he can’t block a shot if he’s sitting on the floor (we think).

One thing to watch: Can the Grizzlies score on Gobert?

The 7-4 Wembanyama’s eight blocks were followed by six from the 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis on Sunday.

This coming Sunday, at FedExForum, the Grizzlies will face the 7-1 Rudy Gobert for the first time this season. 

Grizzlies Insider: Jenkins challenges Memphis to ‘live in the moment’

Gobert, having a resurgent second season in Minnesota, is fourth in the NBA in blocks per game. (Wemby is third, Porzingis 8th; Jaren Jackson Jr., the league-leader last season, is down to 13th.)

And the Grizzlies have been food for shot-blockers this season. The team is getting its shots swatted 7.2 times a game, tied with Utah for most in the league. The team’s 59% shooting inside 5 feet is second worst in the league, ahead of only New York.

For all the deserved consternation over the team’s long-range defense this season, perhaps the team’s lack of close-range offense has gone under-noticed. 

Overall, Gobert and the Wolves will bring the league’s third-ranked defense to face the Grizzlies’ 28th-ranked offense. 

Elements of Style: The jersey-ripping lineage lives on

When Aldama’s bid for a game-winner drew back iron on Sunday, he reacted in what’s been ceremonial fashion for Euro-born Grizzlies big men over the years. He ripped his jersey:

When Marc Gasol did this in the past, he joked that it was a tribute to former teammate Darko Milicic, who beat him to it. I’m not sure if Aldama knew he was following a franchise tradition. Perhaps it just came naturally.

One thing to read: Sports Illustrated’s Dillon Brooks story

The Grizzlies will travel to Houston to face the Rockets on Wednesday, marking their first game against Brooks since he left via free agency this summer. Brooks has been circling this game on the calendar, whether the Grizzlies have or not. 

For Grizzlies fans, Brooks’ first appearance back in Memphis, on Dec. 15th, will likely be more of an event. 

Grizzlies execute sign-and-trade to send Dillon Brooks to Houston Rockets

Brooks is off to a great start in Houston, shooting better than 50% overall and from 3-point range to go along with his usual excellent defense. He talked to Sports Illustrated last week about his departure from Memphis. 

Brooks claims the Grizzlies made him a “scapegoat” for their struggles in the playoffs, and I’d say the truth is a good deal more complicated than that. This profile continues the ongoing misinformation at the heart of the story, putting “under any circumstances” in quotes, which suggests to readers that Grizzlies sources are the ones being quoted, when it’s instead another reporter. 

The more pertinent quote from Brooks is this one: “I feel like we did better when I was a focal point in that organization. They chose a different route.”

That’s the crux of the matter. Brooks wanted to be more of a focal point. The Grizzlies wanted him a little further down the pecking order than that. C’est la vie. 

I wrote about the hows and whys of Brooks’ then-impending departure back in July, though I suppose we’ll be revisiting all of that again when he returns to Memphis. 

Herrington: What Dillon Brooks meant to Memphis, and why he’s gone

Arena action: Tombstone that turkey!

I’ve tended to think the Grizzlies have leaned a little too much into pro wrestling content in recent years, but I’ll make an exception for this.