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Realistic Expectations for Memphis Grizzlies Rookie Wade Baldwin IV in 2016-17
- Updated: August 1, 2016
The Memphis Grizzlies set themselves up this offseason for the present and future at the point guard position by re-signing Mike Conley, drafting Wade Baldwin IV in the first round and signing former Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison to a three-year contract.
The Grizz are banking on Baldwin and Harrison backing up Conley by committee or one of the two emerging as a viable NBA point guard this season.
“All I know is that I’m going to let those guys play with a lot of freedom. I’m going to try to put them in situations to be successful,” new head coach David Fizdale told Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. “We’re going to trust them. There’s a chance for both of those guys to play for me during the year.”
Baldwin has the higher upside of the two. He is 6’4″ with a 6’11 ¼” wingspan, shot 42.2 percent from deep in two seasons at Vanderbilt and has athleticism that has drawn comparisons to Russell Westbrook.
“One of my assistant coaches said he seems to follow Russell Westbrook’s game,” Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall told NBA.com’s Chris Dortch. “You see guys follow or emulate certain NBA players. And he’s got some of that. And so obviously he’s ultra-talented, long, can get to the rim, can shoot it deep, has a nice stroke.”
(Let’s pause, momentarily, to note that those comparisons are far-fetched. Baldwin shows off some explosion, but he’s not close to the level of Westbrook.)
The rookie guard flashed some of that potential in the NBA Summer League with several highlight finishes, but he also displayed the inconsistency that limited his team’s success and kept him from being a real star at Vanderbilt.
Team Fit
Baldwin’s turnover numbers and poor shooting during the summer league will give Fizdale pause before penciling him into the rotation. But the Grizzlies were unleashing Harrison and Baldwin over the summer to see what they had in both.
Baldwin would benefit from less freedom and a simpler role during the season, and there are reasons to give …
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