Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells saw his flaws in summer league. Now he gets to fix them

It’s safe to say Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells has accepted his role with the team.

He knows his areas of weakness and his strengths. That was part of why Wells was the only player who finished in the top three in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting this past season to suit up for summer league.

He went in with goals. He wanted to operate more with the ball in his hands and become a bigger offensive contributor as a shot creator. He operated mostly as a three-and-D wing in Year 1. That’s why in summer league, he took on a bigger offensive role that would make him an even better complement to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

“A lot of it is just getting reps,” Wells said. “A lot of it is trial and error. I think throughout this summer league, I failed a lot of times.”

A new attacking mentality

Wells entered the NBA known for his 3-point shooting. He quickly became one of the Grizzlies who thrived in using the “slow step” move that became a popular addition to the team last season.

In summer league, however, he essentially went away from his usual slow step move when attacking the basket. The shift has less to do about the coaching change from Taylor Jenkins to Tuomas Iisalo and more about his emphasis to attack the basket with force.

“I feel like I try to go around the defender too much instead of going through them,” Wells said. “I’m just trying to work on being more physical.”

Enhancing the defense

Wells arrived as a big-time NBA defender last season, but he believes there is much more meat on the bone. The 6-foot-7 wing spent most of his time guarding the top perimeter offensive players on the opposing team. A larger sample size revealed a correctable weakness.

Wells believed he fared better against smaller, agile guards than the bulkier wings. As a rookie, he spent most of the season at about 210 pounds. Now he’s up to about 225.

“I gained some weight, so just learning how to use that weight and knowing when to use it,” Wells said.

Smooth mentality

Memphis shut down Wells for the remainder of summer league action after three games. His performance was up and down on the offensive end. But like last season, you could hardly tell how Wells was playing based on his posture throughout the game.

Wells’ second summer league game in Las Vegas, against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 12, perfectly summed up his approach. He struggled mightily in the first half. But by the end of the game, he finished with 23 points and led a dominant fourth quarter.

The performance had Iisalo smiling. He wants to see the second-year forward progress by adding elements to his game, but that calm demeanor is what helped Wells be one of the NBA’s top rookies.

“He never gets too high, never gets too low,” Iisalo said. “He just keeps chugging along and keeps making winning plays. That’s why he was already a valuable player in his rookie season, and I look to see more of that in his second season.”

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.