Sam Young

Young was the biggest beneficiary of O.J. Mayo’s fall from grace and Rudy Gay’s season ending injury in 2010-11, as he started a surprising 46 games after starting just one game in his rookie year. However, the swing man’s scoring and rebounding stats slightly dipped despite the additional playing time. His starting minutes may diminish in 2011-12 with Gay fully recovered, but Young could still be an affordable source of steals.

Young was the Grizzlies’ most reliable reserve last year, averaging 16.5 minutes in 80 games, largely playing the three. The team thinks it has vastly improved the bench this offseason, which might result in Young losing playing time.

Young probably should have been a mid-to-late first rounder in the summer's draft, but he fell to the 36th overall pick. Most considered him a plus-defender coming out of college, but he is not a great ball handler and most of his offense comes from a mid-range jump shot. Young should see time in defensive situations, but he should not be counted on for a lot in his rookie season.