West Notes: Grizzlies, Ja Morant, Blazers, Jazz

Grizzlies

As many suspect, the Grizzlies’ potential return to prominence largely depends on the return of point guard Ja Morant from shoulder surgery.

For the record, Morant has been medically cleared to resume basketball activities. And while Memphis hasn’t exactly made a splash this offseason, there are still reasons to believe, according to veteran NBA insider David Aldridge of The Athletic.

“I don’t hate the Grizzlies. I don’t hate the Grizzlies. But this exercise measures how much better a team is after its offseason moves than it was before,” Aldridge wrote in his breakdown of teams’ offseasons. “And Memphis just didn’t do very much this summer. That doesn’t mean I think the Grizz did nothing.

“I’m fine, for example, with them going for Zach Edey at No. 9; he moved fast up draft boards after impressing in Chicago at the pre-draft combine, and he’s a four-year player coming out of college with back-to-back consensus National Player of the Year awards. And he’s 7-foot-4, 290 pounds, and should help immediately.

“But Memphis’ biggest offseason question is whether Morant is back up to speed and again dominant by the start of camp.”

Trail Blazers

The Blazers haven’t had a notable offseason but there is still time, per Aldridge.

“This could change on a dime,” Aldridge wrote. “The Blazers have multiple vets under contract through 2026 who could be enticing elsewhere (Deandre Ayton/Jerami Grant/Robert Williams) and younger players like Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara who also intrigue.

“Assuming Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Donovan Clingan and the 23-year-old Deni Avdija make up Portland’s core going forward, Portland could quickly become a prime seller and load up on future picks and young players.

“For now, though, the Blazers are at the bottom looking up in the Western Conference, and there’s no particular reason to believe they’ll be able to move up. And this is coming from someone who loves Clingan and thinks he can be a big-time player in the league.”

Jazz

If you’re looking for an X-factor on the Jazz, look no further than power forward Taylor Hendricks, according to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report.

“Hendricks didn’t deliver on the promise that got him drafted ninth last summer, but it would have been more shocking if he had,” Hughes wrote. “The 6-foot-10 forward joined the Utah Jazz with unicorn billing. If everything broke right, he could become the rare three-and-D combo forward who could also protect the rim as a shot-blocker. … Ahead of his second year, Hendricks can build on the elite shot-blocking and solid rebounding he flashed upon getting into Utah’s rotation after the All-Star break.”

• Added Jared Koch of SI.com: “Expect Hendricks to enter the fold this next season as a focal point of the Jazz rebuild, with the length and versatility to make plays as a two-way forward, possessing ample room and time to evolve past just a three-and-D threat.”