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Jaylen Wells Is Emerging as Essential Piece Next to Cameron Boozer
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- Jaylen Wells Is Emerging as Essential Piece Next to Cameron Boozer
(Dennis Lee-Imagn Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies have an impressive collection of young wings. After rookie Cameron Boozer , Jaylen Wells might be the most important of them all.
Caveat: Cedric Coward is not included in that group. He's wing-ish, but he's spent 93% of his minutes at the 2 this year, so we're calling him a guard.
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Otherwise, Boozer is the Grizzlies' franchise player. For any other player to matter to this organization, they have to be a good fit next to Boozer.
And that's what makes Wells so essential.
Jaylen Wells Is an Elite 3-and-D Fit
What traits should a player have to complement Boozer?
Ideally, they'll be a 3-and-D player. A primary playmaker like Boozer needs floor spacing around him. He's a fine defender, but anyone who can lighten his load and let him focus on offense will be useful.
Wells checks both boxes.
Firstly, he's shooting a scorching 53.8% from deep through the Grizzlies' first three games. It's highly unlikely that Wells will sustain that level of shooting through the season, but he's got plenty of room to drop and remain above league average.
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That percentage is coming on 4.3 attempts per game. That's not huge volume, but give Wells credit for being selective. He knows when he's got a good look.
Another attempt or two per game could be beneficial, but he's still having an outstanding shooting season.
Here's a quirk: 100% of his 3-pointers thus far have been assisted.
That's another benefit to pairing Wells with Boozer. He doesn't need the ball to be effective. Wells has the DNA of an elite role player.
His defense is a huge part of that DNA. Wells is aggressive. He can guard any wing, and even some guards or bigs if necessary. He's 6-foot-7, strong, and excellent at navigating screens.
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The Grizzlies can't let someone like that go at any cost.
Wells Is a Perfect Role Player for This Team
Boozer shouldn't be expected to carry the whole offense. That's generally a recipe for NBA failure. It's more effective to have several players who can make plays with the ball.
But you also need guys who are happy to play without it.
Wells is one of those guys.
The Grizzlies will hope that Cedric Coward can be a second option. Zach Edey is a strong interior scorer.
Boozer himself has already talked about playing more on the perimeter , which only makes complementary shooting and defense around him more valuable.
With so much young talent, having a 23-year-old consummate glue guy like Wells is indispensable for the Grizzlies.
He might be the second-most important player on the team.
