Regret around Memphis as Historic NBA shooter Leaves Grizzlies
When NBA free agency started, the Memphis Grizzlies were among the teams who were most active. The trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. decided to split up for the first time in years.
Under the radar, the Grizzlies released a crucial player just as they were getting ready to welcome emerging stars Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and others into what appears to be future success.
For the past three seasons, the Grizzlies have had one of the greatest three-point shooters in the NBA with Luke Kennard. In three seasons with the team, he averaged 46.2% shooting from deep on five attempts per game.
In July, Kennard officially signed with the Atlanta Hawks, as the team announced that they signed the third-highest percentage three-point shooter in NBA history.
“We’re excited to add Luke to our group,” said Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh in July. “Luke is a great connector.
He’s an elite shooter and proven playmaker with a high basketball IQ and team-first mentality. He fills multiple needs for us, and we believe he’s going to make our team better.”
What the Memphis Grizzlies are Missing Without Kennard
Surprisingly, just a year ago, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman considered Kennard a great fit for the team.
“We still feel very strongly about Luke as someone who’s a great fit as part of this group,” Kleiman said in 2024. “Nothing else I can really say on the matter at the time. More focused on the draft for tonight.”
Without both Kennard and Bane, the Grizzlies will be missing major key players in floor spacing. Last season with Memphis, Kennard shot 43.3% from deep on four attempts a game.
Unfortunately, the biggest issue with Kennard has seemingly been that he doesn’t shoot enough three-pointers with how good a shooter he actually is – a problem he also had with the LA Clippers.
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