The Grizzlies' struggles to begin the regular season coincided with the struggles of their second-year starting small forward. Following a rookie year that saw Jaylen Wells finish third in Rookie of the Year voting, the 6'7" surprise starter was expected to make a jump this season after the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane this offseason.
The combination of him, Cedric Coward, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was supposed to provide better defensive versatility and consistent shooting than their wing groups in the past. Coward had as good a start as you could to a rookie season, but Wells and Caldwell-Pope couldn't buy a bucket before the Grizzlies' recent stretch.