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10 Best Scorers In Memphis Grizzlies History: Ja Morant Is Already No. 1 At 22 Years Old

Originally posted on Fadeaway World | By Eddie Bitar | Last updated 3/11/22

The city of Memphis is lucky to have a very talented team this season, for the first time since the Grit n’ Grind era led by Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Mike Conley. With superstar Ja Morant on the team, the Grizzlies are already competing for a deep playoff run with a young core. But throughout history, the Grizzlies have not had many dominant teams despite having some star players.

It is time to discover the 10 greatest scorers in Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies in NBA history. There are some very recognizable names in the top-10, and also some names that managed to sneak in despite not playing for the franchise for over a decade and more. Quite frankly, it will be surprising to see who is at number one, because the star has plenty left to achieve in his career.

10. Marc Gasol - 15.2 PPG

(11 Seasons, 2009-2019)

One of the best players to ever play for the Memphis Grizzlies and a key part of the Grit n’ Grind Grizzlies, Marc Gasol made 3 All-Star Teams and won a Defensive Player of the Year award with the franchise that first gave him a chance. Marc was mainly known as the man who was involved in the trade that sent his brother, Pau Gasol, to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Marc turned out to be a very valuable asset for the Grizzlies, especially on the defensive end. The big man was stronger than his brother and a much more valuable defensive player, but he was also a capable scorer. Gasol averaged 15.2 PPG in 11 seasons with the Grizzlies, shooting 48.4% from the field and 34.4% from three. His best scoring season came in 2017 when he put up 19.5 PPG.

9. O.J. Mayo - 15.2 PPG

(4 Seasons, 2009-2012)

It is sad that O.J. Mayo was unable to have a long successful career because he had the shooting and scoring ability to achieve that. Drafted No. 3 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Mayo was one of the most talented players coming into the league. The shooting guard made the All-Rookie Team with the Grizzlies, averaging 18.5 PPG on 38.5% 3-PT shooting.

Mayo had an innate ability to get hot from deep and let shots fly whether he started or came off the bench. After his rookie season, Mayo put up 17.5 PPG on 38.3% shooting, but his career tapered off in his third season when he only started 17 games. Character issues effectively ended Mayo’s stint with the Grizzlies after his 4th season.

8. Jaren Jackson Jr - 15.8 PPG

(4 Seasons, 2019-2022)

One of the contenders for Defensive Player of the Year this season, Jaren Jackson Jr has already arrived as one of the best scorers in Memphis Grizzlies history. The big man made All-Rookie in his first year, posting 13.8 PPG and followed that up with a very solid average of 17.4 PPG.

So far, in his 4th season, Jackson Jr is averaging 16.5 PPG on 41.6% shooting. The big man is mainly required to block shots, defend the rim, and alter shots; but he is a capable scorer around the rim and knows how to nail the three. The big man is shooting 35.3% from the three-point line so far in his career, good numbers for a 6’11” man with long limbs. Jackson Jr is only 22 years old so there is plenty more for the big man to achieve.

7. Jonas Valanciunas - 16.4 PPG

(3 Seasons, 2019-2021)

Taken No. 5 overall in the 2011 Draft by the Toronto Raptors, Valanciunas was expected to be a solid contributor as a long-term starter. He did well, putting up 11.8 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 7 seasons. But the big Lithuanian was traded into the 2019 season to the Grizzlies, putting up 19.9 PPG through 19 games that year with Memphis.

Valanciunas started all 70 of his appearances in 2020, averaging 14.9 PPG on 58.5% shooting from the field and 35.2% from the three-point line. A big man with a solid jump hook and a consistent outside jumper, defenders were wary of Valanciunas’ presence. In his final season in 2021 before getting traded to the Pelicans in the offseason, he put up 17.1 PPG.

6. Michael Dickerson - 16.7 PPG

(4 Seasons, 2000-2003)

A 6’5” shooting guard that was drafted No. 14 overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, Michael Dickerson played his first season in Houston and averaged 10.9 PPG while making the All-Rookie Team. He would spend the next four seasons of his career with the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies before injuries retired the guard prematurely.

In his second season, Dickerson put up 18.2 PPG on 40.9% 3-point shooting, following that up with an average of 16.3 PPG on 37.4% shooting from deep. Once the Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis, Dickerson only played a combined 10 games in his last two seasons. Dealing with severe groin and hamstring injuries, Dickerson retired early but still is one of the top-10 Grizzlies scorers ever.

5. Zach Randolph - 16.8 PPG

(8 Seasons, 2010-2017)

Another key figure during the Grizzlies’ Grit n’ Grind era, Zach Randolph became an All-Star big man with Memphis. Randolph was a great scorer with the Portland Trail Blazers with a career-high 23.6 PPG in the 2007 season, but his impact was certainly greater with the Grizzlies when he arrived in 2010.

Zach made his first All-Star Team in 2010, averaging 20.8 PPG and 11.7 RPG in 81 appearances. For the first time since 2004, Zach appeared in over 80 games which was a good sign for the franchise. Randolph put up 20.1 PPG the following season and made his second All-Star Team in 2013 by putting up 15.4 PPG. A dominant post scorer with elite strength and below-the-rim capabilities, Randolph was very hard to stop when he got into position in the paint.

4. Rudy Gay - 17.9 PPG

(7 Seasons, 2007-2013)

Rudy Gay was taken No. 8 in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, although he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Gay had a great rookie season, putting up 10.8 PPG in an All-Rookie Team campaign. The following season, Gay had his Grizzlies career-high with 20.1 PPG on 46.1% shooting from the field.

Rudy Gay averaged a minimum of 18 PPG for 4 straight seasons after that, combining shooting ability with tremendous size at 6’8” and 250 lbs. An athletic wing with leaping ability, Gay was clearly a strong offensive player but the Grizzlies felt that he did not impact winning due to his relatively low field goal percentage and was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2013.

3. Pau Gasol - 18.8 PPG

(7 Seasons, 2002-2008)

Quite possibly the most talented player in Grizzlies history, Pau Gasol was a force at the power forward spot through 7 seasons in Memphis. The Spaniard was a strong post scorer, mid-range shooter, and had the ability to nail his free throws. Gasol made an All-Star Team in 2006 by averaging 20.4 PPG and 8.9 RPG and had a strong resume as a scorer.

Gasol won Rookie of the Year and went on to average at least 17 PPG for 7 straight seasons and had 3 seasons of averaging at least 20 PPG. Of course, the best thing to happen in Pau’s career was getting traded to the Lakers, when he won 2 NBA championships alongside Kobe Bryant. But with the Grizzlies, Pau was one of their greatest scorers ever.

2. Shareef Abdur-Rahim - 20.8 PPG

(5 Seasons, 1997-2001)

A talented offensive power forward who was taken No. 3 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, Shareef Abdur-Rahim made an All-Rookie Team in 1997 with the Vancouver Grizzlies by posting 18.7 PPG. He followed that up with 4 straight seasons of averaging at least 20 PPG, including a career-high 23.0 PPG in his third season.

Abdur-Rahim was a solid mid-range jump shooter and could score around the rim, but also shot 41.2% from three in his second season. While the forward was not required to nail threes consistently, he hardly took enough of them and picked his spots. Overall, his start to his career with 4 seasons of at least 20 PPG helped him rank 2nd all-time in Grizzlies history.

1. Ja Morant - 21.1 PPG

(3 Seasons, 2020-2022)

Ja Morant is putting the league on notice at 22 years old and is already drawing comparisons to the likes of Derrick Rose who won MVP at 22 years old. Armed with elite explosiveness and a very high basketball IQ, Morant has a chance to become one of the greatest players in Grizzlies history.

So far this season, Ja is averaging 27.5 PPG on 49.5% shooting from the field and 34.6% from the three-point line. These numbers are extraordinary, but his improvements over the last 3 years have also been amazing. Morant averaged 17.8 PPG in his rookie season, 19.1 PPG in his second season, and is scoring over 27 PPG this season. As it stands, Morant is already the greatest scorer in Memphis history and he is only in his third season.