The Memphis Grizzlies have already got the final two Defensive Participant of the 12 months winners of their ranks — Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marcus Good.
May you think about them including Draymond Inexperienced, one other former DPOY, to the combo? Memphis apparently pursued Inexperienced this previous summer time when the Warriors star entered free company.
Nonetheless, Inexperienced ended up re-upping with Golden State on a four-year, $100 million deal after receiving his eighth All-Defensive honor earlier within the 12 months.
Inexperienced revealed Memphis’ curiosity in signing him whereas addressing the loud boos he was greeted with — on the FedEx Discussion board on Monday — when the Warriors visited their convention rival. The sport additionally marked Inexperienced’s return to basketball after he served a month-long suspension for clocking Jusuf Nurkic.
“It additionally felt good to boo the group again as a result of they had been booing me like at all times in Memphis,” Inexperienced mentioned on “The Draymond Inexperienced Present” podcast. “Which is kind of loopy that the Memphis followers hate me a lot, being that they wished me in free company. It will have been actually humorous if I ended up in Memphis. I simply surprise what the reception would have been [laughs] if I really ended up in Memphis. However, yeah, they actually hate me there.”
The thought of Jackson Jr., Good and Inexperienced placing the clamps on groups is a scary proposition for the league — particularly with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane offering high-octane offense.
A beginning lineup comprising the three defensive aces might have ushered in the period of Grindhouse 2.0. and rekindled the years when gamers akin to Marc Gasol and Tony Allen terrorized groups with their model of protection.
Alas, it wasn’t to be.
With Inexperienced remaining within the Bay Space, the Warriors versus Grizzlies rivalry is prone to proceed for years. Nonetheless, with each groups at present outdoors the play-in image, the prospect of them dealing with on this 12 months’s postseason seems bleak.
Additionally, with Morant out for the season with an harm, there have been rumblings of Memphis coming into the proverbial “tank mode” to attempt to purchase a excessive lottery choose this summer time.
