Memphis Grizzlies

The Future Star of the Grizzlies Frontcourt is Here and Ready to Break Out

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:29 p.m. ET

Fansided, Blake Meyer/FanSided via Beale Street Bears

Be prepared, Grizzlies fans, Jarell Martin is poised for a bright future in the Grizzlies frontcourt

With the 25th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the Memphis Grizzlies took a chance on Jarell Martin. Martin was a big, 6’10” Power Forward out of LSU. Coming off of a year where he averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds per game while being named 1st team All SEC, Martin was a bit of a curious pick for the Grizzlies. With veteran big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph on the roster already and a lack of outside shooting, some wondered what the front office saw in Martin when they selected him.

A Man On A Mission

After battling through injuries for a portion of his rookie season, Martin came in to his second season looking poised to make an impact. It didn’t take long for that to happen, as Martin posted his first career double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds on November 28th.

Now, although it may seem like this is just another article telling you things you may already know about Jarell, I am actually writing this for a different reason. That reason is simple:

Jarell Martin is the future of the Memphis Grizzlies.

For much of last season and at some points this year, the heir to Z-Bo’s throne seemed to be JaMychal Green. Green plays great defense which meshes well with the Grizzlies Grit N’ Grind style of play, but his shortcomings on the offensive end are hard to overlook. Although he has shown that he can score in bunches, those moments seem to be happening less and less.

At this point, what we have seen from Green is what we are going to get. Though he works hard and puts in solid minutes, we have already seen what his upside looks like and he has now plateaued at this point. Players of his skill level make exceptional sixth men, working hard for around 25 minutes a night. Green is kind of like an old Chevy truck. Dependable, hard working and always there when you need it. Martin, on the other hand, is like a Monster Truck. Big, Strong and a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

In With The New

One thing that Martin brings to the table is his offense. At 6’10” 238 lbs, Martin is not only able to post people up, he also has the ability to step out and hit a 3. With minimal attempts due to limited minutes, he has still been able to hit 36% of his shots from beyond the arc. Not bad for someone his size. That touch, along with his exceptional free throw shooting (78%) make Martin a great candidate to breakout sooner rather than later.

Through 38 games this year, Martin is averaging 4 points and 4 rebounds per game while playing 14 minutes per game on average. If you expand that out to his Per 36 minute stats, he would be averaging a double double at 10 points and 10 rebounds per game while also averaging 1 steal and .5 blocks. If you’ve had the chance to watch Jarell play, though, you would see that those stats are just the tip of the iceberg.

In the second game of the year, Jarell dropped 13 points in just 13 minutes on 5-9 shooting (2-2 from three) in a loss to the Knicks. Even more encouraging was the 13 points & 7 rebounds he put up on December 10th in a blowout win over the Golden State Warriors. Both playoff caliber teams.

Martin reminds me a lot of Z-Bo with a serviceable outside shot. He may not be the rebounder that Randolph is, but with a little more time spent learning from him, Jarell can use his athletic ability to become an above average rebounder and wreak havoc down low.

What This Means Going Forward

Although nobody really knows what the future holds, Martin seems to be on the fast track to a successful NBA career. As of January 4th he was named the team’s starting Power Forward and will get a nice bump in minutes .

Realistically, I see Martin as a guy that can put up 16 points 8 boards per night. Having that kind of production combined with Gasol, Parsons, Allen & Conley would make the Grizzlies not only a great defensive team, but also a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end.

Every team needs that X-factor to take them from playoff contender to championship contender. Many people thought that X-Factor may have been Chandler Parsons, but I think Martin is going to be the one turning heads here sooner rather than later.