But the Grizzlies are doing much better, so Haddadi has the chance to help the team in the playoffs, now going on. The Grizzlies ended the regular season ranked fourth in the 15-team Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Haddadi got to play in more than half of the team’s games this year. In the past three seasons, he has only seen time in a little more than a third of the games.
But he averaged a mere 5.9 minutes in those games in which he did appear, just about the same as the 5.4, 6.7 and 6.3 minutes he saw in those games in which he appeared the previous three season.
His limited playing time has meant limiting scoring opportunities. He average 2.0 points per game played this year, compared to 2.4, 1.7 and 2.5 in the previous three seasons.
The limited playing time has always irked Haddadi. He says he enjoys the team and his playing mates and coaches, but is frustrated by the limited time on the court after four years with the Grizzlies.