The Memphis Grizzlies have been looking for shooters to surround their two big men inside for years now. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph command so much attention inside that they need guys on the outside who can consistently knock down perimeter shots. One guy who is expected to be helpful in that area for the Grizzlies is Jordan Adams but he reportedly just underwent knee surgery, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
The report doesn't give a timetable or much detail about the surgery other than the fact that it was minor so it is possible that it could have just been arthroscopic surgery. If it was just arthroscopic surgery it would keep Adams out for about four-to-six weeks and likely get him back for training camp which starts at the end of September.
Adams spent time with Memphis last season, playing in 30 games and he also played in 11 D-League games. When he did get a chance with the Grizzlies Adams hit 40 percent of his threes but head coach Dave Joerger still didn't give him much time as he has yet to develop that trust from the coach. Adams also was able to make 38 percent of his threes in his time in the D-League so he could potentially be helpful for the Grizzlies going forward.
Adams was the Grizzlies first round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of UCLA where he was a very good scorer. In two years at UCLA Adams averaged 16.4 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the field. As a freshman Adams made 31 percent of his threes but got that up to 36 percent as a sophomore and now is a legitimate threat from beyond the arc.
If the surgery does require just a month long recovery Adams will have a chance to show up to training camp and prove he deserves more playing time this season. Adams is coming off a very weak performance in the summer league but that could be attributed to this knee injury. As of right now Adams is behind Courtney Lee and Vince Carter on the depth chart at shooting guard but if he can consistently make perimeter shots he will force his way into the rotation and much bigger minutes as that is exactly what the Grizzlies need.