How Kenneth Lofton Jr. could force Memphis Grizzlies' hand, and everyone won't be happy
Another encouraging Summer League performance from Memphis Grizzlies big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. has the team in a position to make a tough choice.
It's a choice that won't make everyone happy, no matter what the Grizzlies choose.
Blame Lofton. But then again, be happy for him.
The undrafted big man out of Louisiana Tech is forcing the Grizzlies' hand for the second consecutive season. Last year, Lofton was signed to a two-way deal after he went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, then went on to win G League Rookie of the Year. As a result, the Grizzlies parted ways with Kennedy Chandler to clear a roster spot for Lofton to sign a standard contract and be eligible to play in the postseason.
This season is different. Lofton is on the roster, but now he's trying to play himself into the rotation.
The rotation at power forward and center is filled with players who were impactful last season, but Lofton isn't playing like a guy who is trying to make a second-year jump in the G League.
At 20.7 points per game, Lofton leads the Grizzlies in scoring this summer. The Grizzlies said they wanted to see Lofton improve on defense, and even though he hasn't been Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Lofton has made strides to improve as a defender.
Lofton led the Grizzlies with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 83-74 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The big man turned the ball over seven times as the Clippers sent frequent double teams his way, but he added another two steals because of his lightning quick hands on defense.
Jackson and Steven Adams are almost guaranteed as starters when healthy, and the Grizzlies are planning on that to be the case. Based on last season, Santi Aldama and Xavier Tillman Sr. would be the next two in line.
Aldama is a former first-round pick who showed promise as a floor-spacing big man, and Tillman was arguably right behind Jackson as the most versatile defender in the stable of forwards and centers.
Memphis won't play more than four bigs if history is an indicator, so Lofton would need to overlap a proven performer.
Lofton's ability to score with his back to the basket has stood out since he was drafted, but his offensive versatility may be the best among the reserve frontcourt options. In the game against the Clippers, Lofton made multiple passes out of double teams when teammates made themselves easy to spot. On one instance in the first quarter, the 275-pound center grabbed a rebound and dribbled coast to coast before finishing through contact at the rim.
Only a handful of starting centers in the NBA can do that, let alone someone expected to come off the bench.
The Grizzlies struggled to get consistent scoring off the bench from the frontcourt last season, especially after Brandon Clarke was injured in March. If anything, Lofton can be instant offense.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT: The Memphis Grizzlies are zeroing in on one area of improvement for Kenneth Lofton Jr.
In the past, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has valued defense over offense. Lofton is unlikely to ever be the defender Tillman is, but he could surpass Aldama in that department. The problem with that decision is the Grizzlies have put an emphasis on improving shooting around their stars, and Aldama shot a respectable 35.3% on 3-pointers last season.
Lofton has been productive on both ends of the floor. Next, he'll have to do it in the preseason, but he's creating a tough decision that likely won't come until right before the regular season.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How Kenneth Lofton Jr. could force Memphis Grizzlies' hand in frontcourt
