The Marc Gasol trade officially ended the “Grit ‘n’ Grind” era for the Memphis Grizzlies. This was their leader for a decade, headlining teams that made the playoffs, shocked the San Antonio Spurs as the No. 8 seed and sustained years of success.
However, all good things must come to an end. Injuries and players leaving changed this team’s look, and grittiness did not stand well in the three-point NBA era.
Now, the Grizzlies can move on, but if they want another big man to pair with the rising Jaren Jackson Jr., Bruno Fernando is arguably the most interesting of anyone available at No. 6 overall.
Taking a significant jump from his freshman to sophomore season, Fernando averages 14.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for Maryland, at an efficient 66.1 percent shooting. That’s due to the absence of an outside game.
While Jackson can block shots, Fernando is a bigger 240-pound presence. He can handle the paint and protect the rim like few others in this draft class. That leaves the Grizzlies’ rookie to stretch the floor and open this offense.
Fernando is another big man for Memphis, but a more athletic player to anchor the defense. This would be intriguing for the New York Knicks, but they have Mitchell Robinson, thus making another center unnecessary.