Acuff, Ament and Philon: Will Memphis Grizzlies have interest in top SEC talent?
Darius Acuff (left); Nate Ament (center) and Labaron Philon are among the SEC’s top players. (Associated Press)
Drew Hill
Drew Hill covers the Memphis Grizzlies and is a top-10 APSE winner. He has worked throughout the South writing about college athletics before landing in Memphis.
Since general manager Zach Kleiman officially took the reins in 2019, the Grizzlies have had a fascinating draft history.
The picks have mostly been used in a split, with 75% of players acquired through the draft being high-efficiency and high-production college players — think Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Xavier Tillman – while the other 25% of picks were spent on young players with big-swing upside and not-so-great college numbers — think Ziaire Williams, Santi Aldama, GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells.
If you back up one year to Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 2018 draft class — when Kleiman was heavily involved but technically not the GM — Memphis has selected (and kept) a player in the top 25 eight times.
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