Point guard Selby hopes to find role with Memphis Grizzlies
Josh Selby cracked a small grin when asked if he considered himself a 3-point marksman heading into his second NBA season.
The Memphis Grizzlies point guard has developed an increasingly humble persona since his rocky one-and-done college stint at Kansas.
"I’m just trying to fill whatever role they need me to fill," Selby said. "If it’s a 3-point specialist, I’m going to work on that. If it’s just play and score, I’m going to work on that."
Selby’s fill-it-up performances in the NBA Summer League suggest he has been putting in plenty of work on his perimeter shot.
Selby poured in 32 points on 9-for-14 shooting to lead Memphis to a 97-79 rout of the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center. He shot 7-for-11 on 3-pointers and made all seven of his free throws.
In three summer league games for the Grizzlies (2-1), Selby is 19-for-26 on 3-pointers (73.1 percent) and averaging 29 points.
"We’re just excited to see his vast gifts unfold over the next couple years," said Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace, who watched Selby light up the Bobcats from a courtside seat.
Wallace is hopeful Selby can develop into a steal from the 2011 draft, when he was selected in the second round (No. 49 overall).
After attending three high schools, the 6-foot-2-inch Selby was ranked a consensus top-five recruit in the 2010 class. He signed with Kansas to end a circus-like recruitment that included a previous commitment to Tennessee.
In November 2010, the NCAA hit Selby with a nine-game suspension after concluding he received improper financial benefits from Robert Frazier, the business manager of NBA star Carmelo Anthony.
Selby wound up starting only 11 of the 26 games he played in his lone season with the Jayhawks, averaging 7.9 points.
"(Selby) is in many ways just getting started," Wallace said. "His freshman year at Kansas never really got off the ground, he had an NCAA suspension, he was hurt, (and) they had two senior guards. He just never really got in a groove.
"Last year was kind of an abrupt start after the lockout. He came in, played some, mainly at point guard, was in and out of the rotation. We’re very encouraged with what we’ve seen so far."
Selby has been a revelation in the summer league, breaking down opponents with his crossover dribble, drawing contact on drives to the basket and igniting the Grizzlies’ transition game.
There were flashes of that talent last season, when Selby appeared in 28 regular-season games for the Grizzlies. His season highlight was a nine-point, seven-assist outing in a 113-93 victory over Houston.
But Selby also spent time in the NBA Development League with the Reno Bighorns, which has left the 21-year-old from Baltimore hungry to lock down a roster spot with the Grizzlies.
Mike Conley is established as Memphis’ starting point guard, but with combo guard O.J. Mayo off to the Dallas Mavericks, there might be some minutes up for grabs in the Grizzlies’ backcourt.
Selby appears to have matured on and off the court.
Asked what he needs to work on to reach his full potential, Selby said: "Everything, everything. Defense, ball handling, seeing the floor, getting better at shooting, just everything. There’s more room to improve everywhere."
Contact reporter Tristan Aird at taird@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @tristanaird.
