Celtics 'Keeping Tabs' on Grizzlies Sharpshooter

The Boston Celtics could capitalize on the Memphis Grizzlies (4-13) quickly falling behind in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

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In mid-November, one day after the Boston Celtics bested the New York Knicks 114-98, head coach Joe Mazzulla sensed his second unit was starting to develop an identity.

"Their ball movement; they're taking pride in defense, and they're doing some different things," said Boston's bench boss. "Our press looks a little different when our second unit's in. We showed a couple (of) possessions of (playing) zone. And then, we were able to change up the matchups.

"So, our second unit is really developing an identity of a free-flow offense and then being creative on the defensive end and doing some different stuff."

Even when that group struggled to find their rhythm offensively, they defended at a high level. They're allowing the second-fewest points per game of any team's bench, per NBA.com.

And with Sam Hauser catching fire, drilling 42.6 percent of his 6.4 three-point attempts per contest, and Al Horford and Payton Pritchard shooting the ball better of late, the Celtics are getting the two-way impact needed from their second unit.

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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 14, 2023

And while they want to be patient in evaluating what they have internally, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and Boston's front office must continue carrying out its due diligence, maintaining a dialogue with the rest of the league and monitoring who could prove a worthwhile addition in their pursuit of Banner 18.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, that includes "keeping tabs" on Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar (46) drives to the basket vs. the Boston Celtics.

While it's early in the 2023-24 campaign, the four-year veteran's seen his minutes decline from 20.8 last season to 18.7 to start this one. The six-foot-five wing's best attribute is his shooting, knocking down 37.1 of his 1.8 career attempts from beyond the arc.

The 27-year-old has seen his three-point percentage plummet to 32 percent on 1.9 tries this season. That comes on the heels of making 33.9 percent of the 2.5 threes hoisted in 2022-23.

But in 2021-22, Konchar buried 41.3 percent of the 1.8 shots he took from behind the arc. That came as an encore to converting on 37.5 percent of his 1.3 attempts the season prior.

Those shot totals accurately reflect that the Purdue-Fort Wayne product doesn't require many touches. There's clear value in adding a low-cost option who could accept a role where he's not a rotation fixture but is someone the C's could trust to stay in rhythm while providing more shooting off the bench.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar (46) attempts a three against the Chicago Bulls.

The Grizzlies, 4-13, have the fourth-worst record in the NBA. With Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension and a laundry list of players, including Marcus Smart, missing time due to injury, they've fallen behind in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

That's what could motivate them to become sellers between now and the Feb. 8 trade deadline. And while the return for Konchar likely won't be much, if he's already out of head coach Taylor Jenkins' rotation, perhaps it's more advantageous to acquire a second-round pick and or a young player with upside.

Konchar is under contract for $2.4 million this season. After that, his three-year, $18.5 million extension, with an average annual value of $6.2 million, kicks in. So, his deal fits into the $6.2 million traded player exception (TPE) the Celtics created in the sign-and-trade that sent Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks. 

Plus, that TPE expires on Jul. 12, per Spotrac, and unlike with a traded player exception, Boston could aggregate Konchar's salary to help complete a future transaction.

Further Reading

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Celtics' Focus on Winning Habits Keys Blowout vs. Bulls, Helping Them Advance in In-Season Tournament

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Celtics' Loss to Magic Highlights Their Most Concerning Traits

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Jrue Holiday Shares His Perspective on First Matchup vs. Bucks Since They Traded Him

Celtics Discuss Significance of Rivalry Win vs. 76ers for No. 1 Seed in East

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present