The 2nd seed in the West did not make a lot of major moves over the offseason. We continue with our slow and steady approach and a believe that we have what it takes and our key is to continue to grow organically rather than force it.
Having said that we did something new this season that we have not done in a while - sign players to long-term deals. Over the last few seasons, we focused on draft and developing young players while signing 1 year deals with veterans to support. Now, our cap space will be taking a permanent hit with Bruno signed and Culver/Varnado FAs next year followed then by Doom. Key for us right now is to add manageable medium-term deals (such as Gbinje, Silva) or longer deals that are relatively cheap (Carter) while at the same time maintaining that flexibility to offer max deals to our stars.
Lets have a look at the roster then:
PG
Jarrett Culver - the unquestioned mega-star of this team, Culver will continue to lead our offense. His ability to hit it efficiently inside and on the perimeter is exceptional and he developed into a decent defensive player over the last few seasons.
Jevon Carter - dude has been with us for the last 5 seasons backing up Culver for the last 3. We are excited to have some continuity there with Carter re-joining us on a 5 year deal that solidifies the backup PG position. Carter can't shoot and is generally not a scorer but lays tough defense and is one of the best facilitators in the league.
Jalen Adams - has been our third PG for the last 2 seasons. Adams is not as good defensively as Carter but compensates for that with strong Handles and impressive three-point shot. He is taking his third year leap so we expect him only to improve.
SG
Jordon Varnado - the King of Mid-Range is back and, along with Culver, forms one of the most efficient backcourt in the league. We shall see how he meshes on the court with Doom and we may bring him off the bench for that extra efficient scoring punch.
Dante Exum - signed a 1 year deal to bring tough defense and phenomenal ability to get to the line. We believe Exum will work well as a primary scorer off the bench.
SF
Sekou Doumbouya - All-Star Doom played well on both ends last year though there are some concerns about his efficiency which especially manifested in the playoffs where the level of competition goes up. Doom is taking his 3rd year leap after the camp so lets see how his offense improves. He is already one of the top wing defenders in the league but we need his offense to follow suit to take him to that mega-star level.
Michael Gbinije - the first medium-term outside free agent in a while, Gbinje signed a 3 year deal (including a team option) and is expected to provide solid backup to Doom. Gbinje plays equally tough defense and has underrated offensive abilities. We had him on a 1 year Max deal a couple of seasons ago and he played well.
Desmond Bane - has not played much since joining us 2 seasons ago, Bane got some garbage time minutes and we see some steady development in his outside shot. He is now in his third year and we are looking forward to seeing if he can step up for us and become a solid option at backup wing.
PF
Noah Vonleh - We love his versatility there at PF. He has ability to hit it from anywhere on the floor and also plays decent defense, blocks shots and rebounds. We love how he can spread the floor and allow Bruno to operate inside. Vonleh is now 31 and still gives us a few seasons of solid play and time to find a replacement.
Chris Silva - one of the top shot-blockers in all of CSL is back to Memphis. We really liked how he played last year as a backup PF/C and thought he fits our system really well. Silva scores well inside, rebounds and blocks a lot of shots.
C
Bruno Fernando - the heart and soul of this team, Bruno is finally signed to a long-term contract. We feel his toughness and defensive presence is a strong representation of what our team is all about.
Tim Kempton - the veteran Kempton we our 2nd round pick all the way in 2022 and has been with this team ever since. He scores it well inside and brings in elite rebounding.
Rookies
David Roddy - needs quite a few instructions to get there but we believe Roddy can become a solid PF/C in this league. Though only 6'6 he has strong ability to rebound and finish inside. He also projects to get to the line quite well at CSL level. He will start the season behind Silva and Kempton and we have faith he will be going up the depth chart in time.
Josh Primo - may be a second round pick but we feel has the potential to become a gem. His ability to hit the three is outstanding and he will develop into a strong ball thief. Time will tell but we have a good feeling about Josh.
Deividas Sirvydis - our late 2nd round pick has the potential to develop into a strong defensive presence including solid steals, blocks and man-to-man. His offensive game is unlikely to ever catchup although there is some potential there to at least not be a liability.
Overall, we are hoping to have another strong season and may legitimately aim for that second seed again in the West. Key is to improve on our playoff performance though and carry that strong momentum from regular season. With this group, we have played three series so far. We were the home team in all and all went 7 games.
2020, 2023, 2027, 2035
