Ben McLemore, no doubt, needed a change of scenery. Four seasons in Sacramento brought the former Kansas standout declining returns in terms of both his on-court production and his perceived value around the NBA.
Free agency offered McLemore a way out this summer, and now that he officially has signed with Memphis (reportedly for two years and $10.7 million), the 24-year-old shooting guard hopes he can start to live up to the potential that made him the 7th overall pick in the 2013 draft.
> “So far it’s been great,” McLemore
> said in an interview [for the
> Grizzlies’ website][1]. “Memphis is
> going to be a great fit for me. (Agent
> Rich Paul and I) came up with that
> decision and now I’m here, a Memphis
> Grizzly.”
For the 6-foot-5 shooting guard, who started a career-low 26 games in his final season with the Kings, his greatest asset on the floor remains his explosiveness, and that’s what he referenced first when asked about the best aspects of his game and how he fits in with Memphis.
> “My shooting ability, athleticism and
> the way that I run up and down the
> floor, and getting to the basket,”
> McLemore began. “And also playing both
> ends of the floor, being a two-way
> player for them, especially playing
> defense,” he added, saying he knows
> from facing the Grizzlies through the
> years they tend to be a “great”
> defensive team.
Memphis long has needed a wing capable of knocking down 3-pointers and playing a complementary role to its now primary pieces, point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol. McLemore’s shooting ability is trending in a positive direction. During his fourth year he shot a career-best .382 from 3-point range, knocking in 65 of 170, while playing a career-low 19.3 minutes a game.
His plan, though, involves much more than spotting up for 3-pointers, considering he has a chance to play with Conley and Gasol, both willing passers.
> “Me coming in, I definitely can adjust
> to that,” McLemore said, “running the
> floor for Mike and cutting to the
> basket for Marc.”
His first four seasons in the NBA haven’t gone nearly as well as the former college All-American would have hoped. But this might be McLemore’s chance to start anew and find ways to flourish.
> “Now I can focus on myself and grind
> it out and continue to have the great
> summer that I’m having and get ready
> and prepare myself for next season,”
> he said of moving on with his career.
https://twitter.com/Zer0McLemore0/status/883398289223106561
McLemore might be more likely to take on a sixth man role with Memphis, rather than become the team’s new starting shooting guard. The Grizzlies already have lost veterans Zach Randolph and Vince Carter through free agency during the past week and its possible fan favorite shooting guard Tony Allen could be the next to move on. But if Allen returns he could continue to start.
McLemore has more competition in the backcourt, including another Grizzlies free-agent addition, Tyreke Evans, as well as former KU guard Wayne Selden.
However it plays out, McLemore is embarking on a potentially career-defining season, and those who follow the Grizzlies are hopeful he finally will break through in 2017-18. [Chris Vernon][2], who covers the organization for its website and hosts The NBA Show for The Ringer, thinks the inconsistency of Sacramento’s organization might have kept him from reaching his ceiling as a player.
> “Sometimes people can roll their eyes
> at the idea of a player becoming
> something that they have not been
> yet,” Vernon said, referring to
> McLemore making a leap with the
> Grizzlies. “Clearly, you’re making an
> investment on Ben McLemore being
> better than what he has been in his
> first four years. It’s totally
> possible that Ben McLemore’s career so
> far has been affected in a very
> negative way by the situation he was
> in.”
Unfortunately for McLemore, Sacramento finally began to stabilize this offseason, just as he and the team that drafted him parted ways. Memphis might find it difficult to extend its streak of seven consecutive playoff appearances in the loaded Western Conference as it re-tools with a younger core. But it’s clear the young guard is excited about having a fresh start with an organization that hasn’t been the butt of jokes in NBA circles for years.
.@BenMcLemore is the newest member of the Grizz family! https://t.co/zjwMIzbfdQ pic.twitter.com/ZQLtCbyF2E
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) July 7, 2017
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWQSU0vBbvv/
[1]: http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/video/gcm-mclemore-1on1-wallace-170707
[2]: http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/video/gcm-3-things-wallace-vernon-170707
