Did Memphis Grizzlies' David Roddy ever play quarterback? Taking a closer look at former Colorado State player's college career
NBA rookie David Roddy, a forward with the Memphis Grizzlies, used to play football as a quarterback in high school in addition to starring in basketball.
He was obviously a good player, as he was even offered a scholarship to play for schools like North Dakota State and Wyoming, to name a few. Eventually, though, David decided to pursue basketball at Colorado State.
It seems like David Roddy's decision worked out for him, as he's now playing in the NBA. During his three years at Colorado State, Roddy averaged 15.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. His college stats were impressive enough for him to be drafted in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft.
Taking a closer look at David Roddy's NBA career so far
David Roddy is an NBA rookie who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. Roddy entered the 2022 draft, where he was selected 23rd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a trade with the Grizzlies.
He isn't making much of an impact for Memphis this season. Nevertheless, the team is giving him many opportunities to play and prove his worth. Roddy is playing 16.8 minutes per game, which is plenty for a rookie.
So far, Roddy has played in most of the Grizzlies' games, playing in 50 of 62 matchups. The rookie is averaging 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. His shooting percentages are pretty mediocre, though, with an average of 42.3% shooting from the field and 28.6% from the 3-point land.
Roddy would typically play a lot of minutes when he gets his game rolling. For instance, on Dec. 15, he scored a career-high 15 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. In fact, he even flirted with a double-double when he added seven rebounds. Roddy was rewarded with significant playing time by being put on the court for 24 minutes.
However, recently, the rookie's playing time has been reduced by at least 10 minutes. That could be due to his lack of court presence and the value he brings to the squad. Nevertheless, Roddy better brace himself for the 2023 NBA playoffs, as Memphis is second in the conference and expected to make a deep postseason run.
Having that kind of pressure should push David Roddy to step up his game. The experience he will gain from the postseason could prove to be beneficial after gaining a lot of competitive experience in the regular season. The true competition begins in the NBA playoffs.