Another season has begun for the Memphis Grizzlies, who are now three years into a rebuilding phase that could be bringing them closer to playoff contention in the Western Conference.  With one of the youngest rosters in the NBA the team is sure to go through a painful learning process, but budding stars such as Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol represent the potential the organization has to be successful.  Through three games, occasional lapses in defense and rebounding have hurt the Grizz, who are allowing 87.3 points per game through the opening weekend.  That total actually isn't bad.  What makes it a problem is the team's sporadic offense.  Poor shot selection and untimely turnovers have prevented the team from putting opponents away when given the opportunity.  At Chicago on Saturday, the Grizz held an eight-point lead at the half, only to see the positives of the opening 24 minutes turn to negatives down the stretch in a 96-86 loss.  Against Orlando on Friday, Gay capped the team's first win of the year by beating the buzzer with a mid-range jumper for an 86-84 Memphis win. This Grizzlies team has a real shot to contend for the final playoff spot because its young roster should have the opportunity to mature and grow together as a team throughout the year.  If all goes well, by April, they could see up to 40 wins next to their name.  A total of 35-40 isn't farfetched, hopefully continuing with win No. 2 tonight against Golden State.

Continue reading "New Season for the Upstart Grizzlies"

The Memphis Grizzlies posted their first-ever 2-0 start at home by dominating the fourth quarter for a 90-79 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday at the FedEx Forum. Second-year player Rudy Gay and rookies Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo combined for 48 of the team's points.  Gay's production was one of the keys to the game coming in for the Grizz, who expected to need around 30 points from him in order to win.  The UCONN product nailed a couple of 3's early in the game but struggled in the second half.  However, just when it seemed that it might not be his night, Gay hit a driving layup and a pair of consecutive jumpers late in the third quarter to give the Grizz the lead for good.  The team closed the quarter on a 10-2 run to lead 73-67 entering the final frame. Gay finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Continue reading "Grizzlies 90, Warriors 79"

The Grizzlies begin a four-game swing through the West tonight as they face the Sacramento Kings with a chance to push their season record above .500.  Memphis enters the game boasting one of the league's top scoring defenses, allowing only 85.3 points per game through four contests. That is a great improvement over Grizzlies teams of the past, who routinely struggled to hold opponents under 100 points.  This year's average is down from 106.9 just a year ago.  Even after only a few games, it is easy to see that this team is devoted to playing aggressive defense.  While the turnover numbers won't show it, the Grizzlies have shown a knack for attacking the ball and creating difficult shots for their opponents.  The result has been an opponents' shooting percentage of 37.5.

Continue reading "Early Road Trip Will Test Grizzlies"

Make it 1-25 for the Memphis Grizzlies in Sacramento.

Kevin Martin went off for 33 points as the Kings (1-4) led nearly wire-to-wire in a 100-95 win on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies (2-3) were fortunate to find themselves with a chance to win this game over the final few minutes after falling behind by as many as 18 points in the second half.  A furious 18-3 rally over the game's final five minutes made the final score respectable, but it was no representation of the struggles Memphis had in the rest of the game.  They opened the fourth quarter with three straight turnovers, including two shot-clock violations.  They ended numerous possessions throughout the game with awkward-looking shots or ill-advised passes that resulted in transition opportunities for the Kings.  Along with a solid defensive effort from the Kings, it looked like the Grizzlies had lost their identity. After sparkling in the team's first few games, Marc Gasol disappeared against the Kings, in part because of the Kings' physical defense.  He managed only a buzzer-beater in the first half and was never really a factor, finishing the game with five points, six rebounds and four turnovers.

Continue reading "Kings 100, Grizzlies 95"

After showing signs of life late in Wednesday's game at Sacramento, the Memphis Grizzlies (2-3) will try to build on that strong finish and pick up their second win of the week against the Golden State Warriors (2-3) tonight in Oakland, a place where they have lost four straight.

One of the most promising signs from that game that the Grizzlies hope continues tonight is the long-range shooting that had eluded them in their previous games.  After struggling from 3-point range in the first few games of the season, they connected on 11 3's against the Kings, led by O.J. Mayo's six.  On the season the team is knocking down 31 percent of its attempts.

The Grizzlies need to shoot the ball better from inside the arc and put together strings of productive possessions to avoid damaging runs by the Warriors that could quickly take them out of the game.  Their field goal percentage should be at least three to four points higher than it was against the Kings.

Continue reading "Friday night preview"

It wasn't quite a complete, four-quarter effort, but the Memphis Grizzlies had their best showing away from FedEx Forum so far this season as they held off the Golden State Warriors on Friday, 109-104, to even their season record at 3-3.

Everyone pitched in for the Grizzlies, from the veterans to the rookies.  Even Darko Milicic looked impressive in the first half before getting ejected with two quick technical fouls late in the second quarter. Warriors coach Don Nelson was far more animated and followed an official onto the court in the fourth with no consequences.  The officiating left much to be desired as far as fair and balanced goes, but you can't expect the game to be called fairly for the visiting team anyway.  The Grizzlies attempted 30 free throws to the Warriors' 43.  The game was very physical, and in basketball a foul occurs on every play whether it's called or not, so there really isn't much of an argument for the Grizz there.

Continue reading "Grizzlies 109, Warriors 104"

The Memphis Grizzlies should feel pretty good about what they accomplished Friday night.  They went on the road, where they hadn't yet won this season, against a team they knew they could beat, and played hard for four quarters for a win to even their record at 3-3.  They earned every basket they made and made enough of them to outscore a high-powered offense in Golden State.  Now that they have had a day to enjoy that win, they must translate what they did well in that game into tonight's matchup with the 2-3 Denver Nuggets. Denver is coming off a 108-105 win over Dallas on Friday.

Looming large in this matchup is the newest Nugget, Chauncey Billups.  Billups, a former University of Colorado star and Denver native, replaces Allen Iverson and poses a threat to the Grizzlies as a potent offensive weapon.  The Nuggets are led in scoring by Carmelo Anthony's 23 ppg average. Other key scorers include Nene and Kenyon Martin.  Denver features a pretty big lineup and has some bulk inside, meaning Darko Milicic and Marc Gasol must contribute as much as possible in the post.

Continue reading "Mile High Grizzlies"

O.J. Mayo's uncanny first-half performance wasn't enough to save the Memphis Grizzlies from themselves as they dropped a 100-90 decision at Denver on Sunday.  It was their eighth loss in their last nine meetings with the Nuggets.

Mayo lit up the nets for 26 first-half points to help the Grizzlies take an early lead in a back-and-forth game.  The two teams shot over 50 percent in the first half, and each team posted a run.  The Grizzlies (3-4) closed the first quarter with a 10-1 burst, but the Nuggets erased their advantage with an 11-0 run late in the half.  In a game where neither team could afford to turn the ball over and feed the other's transition game, the game had a physical feel to it and both teams protected the ball well. The Grizzlies seemed to have everything going for them to pick up a crucial road win before their fundamentals escaped them in the second half.

Continue reading "Nuggets 100, Grizzlies 90"

Tonight's game at Phoenix brings an end to the brutal four-game road trip the Grizzlies have endured over the past week.  While the games have been difficult and the two losses hard to swallow, a win tonight would earn the Grizzlies a very respectable split.

They have shown flashes of brilliance in each game on this trip, but have encountered their share of problems.  While the second quarter has been the scapegoat in the past, the Grizzlies have failed to close out games well on this trip.  They don't seem to have much trouble getting off to a good start, which is probably the most important factor in winning on the road.  It's the second half that has befuddled them.  They have looked like an entirely different team in the third quarter of games this year.  While they are young and can't be expected to win them all, they should be making progress each night toward becoming a consistent team on the road.

Continue reading "End of the Road (Trip)"

The Grizzlies looked finished as the third quarter ended and the fourth quarter began on Monday night in Phoenix.  However, O.J. Mayo hadn't yet made his statement.

Mayo exploded for 19 points in the fourth, finishing the game with 33, to give Memphis (3-5) a chance to win the game before a final Phoenix push finished them off 107-100.

From the start, the Grizzlies shut down the Suns' fast break and matched them shot for shot.  They banged around inside enough to get by and benefited from a lackluster shooting start for the Suns. Despite an 0-for-6 start themselves, the Grizzlies came out even through one quarter and then one half.  An 18-footer by Rudy Gay in the final minute of the second quarter gave them a brief one-point lead before the teams entered the locker rooms tied at 44.

Continue reading "Suns 107, Grizzlies 100"

After taking Veterans' Day to recover from a challenging road trip that saw them drop 3-of-4 on the West Coast, the Memphis Grizzlies return home tonight when they face the New York Knicks at FedEx Forum.

The Grizzlies (3-5) are coming off one of their strongest performances of the season, although they came up short in the end. O.J. Mayo, who scored 33 points in Monday's game, became one of only five NBA rookies ever to score 30+ points in consecutive games this early in a season. He has proven himself to be one of the leaders, if not the main leader, of this young team.  In an ESPN.com ranking of the top 50  NBA rookies, Mayo ranks fourth, while teammates Marc Gasol and Darrell Arthur rank fifth and tenth, respectively.

The Knicks (4-3) are undergoing a transformation under first-year head coach Mike D'Antoni.  D'Antoni is attempting to bring his high-octane style of offense that brought him success with Phoenix to the Big Apple.  That means the Grizzlies will need to bring the same defensive intensity to tonight's game that they used against the Suns.  However, the Knicks have a very young squad and aren't quite as effective with that style of offense yet.  They don't have a superstar like Amare Stoudemire, although they feature several players who are averaging double figures.

Continue reading "Home Again"

If the Memphis Grizzlies thought coming home to face the usually-hapless New York Knicks was going to be a reprieve from a frustrating road trip, they were in for a rude awakening Wednesday night.

These are not your older brother's New York Knicks, or even your own from last season.  The group that took the floor for coach Mike D'Antoni at FedEx Forum stunned the Grizzlies by torching them from 3-point range in a 132-103 rout.

The Knicks (5-3) shredded one of the NBA's top defenses in scoring 52 more points than they had just one night earlier in San Antonio.  The Grizzlies looked slow and apathetic on defense and allowed a Knicks franchise record 19 3-pointers as New York shot 59 percent from the floor. Every Knicks starter hit at least one 3-pointer and nearly every reserve did as well.

Continue reading "Knicks 132, Grizzlies 103"

If there is a positive the Grizzlies can take from their 132-103 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday, it's that they probably won't run into a team having that kind of hot streak again this season.

Even with that thought, the Knicks' uncanny 3-point performance was a joint operation.  Sure, every player wearing a blue uniform was scorching the nets, but few of those shots were legitimately contested. One of the Grizzlies' few weaknesses on defense that didn't get dangerously exposed until their last game was their inability to follow the ball and rotate around the perimeter to find the shooter.  It's been a problem at times in every game so far this season, but when a team is as hot as the Knicks were on Wednesday, if you can't get to the shooters before they release the ball, you are in for a long night.

Continue reading "Grizz will bounce back"

Second-chance points have hurt the Memphis Grizzlies all season and Friday night wasn't any different as they fell to Milwaukee 101-96 in overtime.

The Bucks (5-5) dominated the boards by a 62-36 margin, grabbing 23 offensive rebounds, and outscored the Grizzlies 28-12 in second-chance points.  The Grizzlies failed to contain the Bucks' front line as Richard Jefferson, Luc Mbah a Moute and Andrew Bogut combined for 57 points and 42 rebounds. Only Hakim Warrick could manage double figure rebounds for the Grizzlies with 10.

Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies (3-7) with 24 points and helped spark an 11-0 Grizzlies run for an 87-84 lead.  The Grizzlies had a chance to shut the door on the Bucks earlier holding a 62-51 lead in the third quarter, but their theme of poor third quarters contined as they allowed a 15-2 Bucks run to surrender the lead.

Continue reading "Bucks 101, Grizzlies 96 (OT)"

After having a few days to reflect on their recent losses and what they have done well and struggled to do well, the Memphis Grizzlies will finally get back out on the court tonight when they host the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. at the FedEx Forum.

The Grizzlies (3-7) have lost four straight games, and have given up an average of 107.3 points in dropping five of their last six contests.  That is a far cry from the stingy defense they played in their first four games, when they got off to a 2-2 start by allowing closer to 85 ppg.

The Grizzlies are struggling defensively because they are allowing opponents to dictate the tempo of the game and get easy transition opportunities as a result of rebounding.  In their loss to Milwaukee on Friday, the Grizzlies were outrebounded 62-36 by the Bucks, a figure that included 23 offensive rebounds for the Bucks.  They will have to do a better job of tracking down rebounds and putting a body on opposing players.  It's not enough to try to beat them down the floor to set up a transition defense or get into offensive position.  You have to worry about the ball first.

Continue reading "Back to Work"

The Memphis Grizzlies could do no wrong on Tuesday night as they whipped the Sacramento Kings 109-94 to halt a four-game losing skid.  The Grizzlies led wire-to-wire and held advantages as large as 23 points en route to their fourth win of the season.

Playing for the first time since Friday's stunning loss to Milwaukee, the Grizzlies faced a major test : Would the layoff help or hurt them?  Coach Marc Iavaroni told his players to take it easy during the break, but he also said they had some of their best practices of the season in that time.  As it turned out there was no rust whatsoever, and the Grizzlies might instead wish they could take a few days off after every game if it would lead to a shooting performance like they had on Tuesday.

Everyone contributed to the shooting clinic for the Grizzlies, who made 54 percent of their shots in what was easily their best overall performance of the season, possibly the best they've ever played. Rudy Gay led the team with 22 points, while Hakim Warrick came off the bench to contribute 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Grizzlies (4-7) connected on 10-of-16 3-pointers and dominated the boards 46-33. Darko Milicic played his best game with nine rebounds in 20 minutes.

Continue reading "Grizzlies 109, Kings 94"

Like their pair of playoff seasons a few years ago, Memphis Grizzlies fans have to wonder if Tuesday's impressive showing against Sacramento was a glimpse of the positive potential of the organization or a stroke of youthful luck.

The roster contains names of guys who can and will be stars in the league a few years from now.  The question on many fans' minds is, How long will it take this team to get back to where it seemed to be headed only three years ago?  Is this collection of players ready to take the next step this year?

There have been plenty of rookie moments and, honestly, entire games, when we are reminded how young these guys are.  The transition from college basketball to the NBA isn't easy.  With most players beginning that transition at age 19 or 20 instead of 22, it means they have more to learn on the job, which guarantees some lean seasons if a team is rebuilding through the draft.  That is where the Grizzlies find themselves now.

Continue reading "Turning the Corner?"

The Memphis Grizzlies enter tonight's game at Dallas with a rare opportunity to leapfrog the Mavericks in the Southwest Division standings.  The Mavericks, who have been one of the better teams in the West over the last few years, have started slowly under new head coach Rick Carlisle.  The two teams play similar styles built around tough defense, and the Mavs are in the midst of a stretch in which they have held opponents to 40 percent shooting in five straight games, the last three of which have been wins.  If the Grizzlies are on top of their defensive game tonight, neither team may reach 90 points.  I think whoever does get to that mark will win the game.

Once again, the theme of the Grizzlies' season seems to be their third quarter performance.  That period has been the difference in the team's last 11 games.  The Grizzlies are 4-1 when they win the third quarter and 0-6 when they don't.  So, they need to buckle down after halftime and get their focus back on beating the Mavericks.  In Tuesday's game, they matched Sacramento pretty much shot for shot in the third.  If the game is within reach or if they are ahead, as they were in that game, holding steady in the third isn't bad.  They just need to avoid a major letdown.

Continue reading "Game at Dallas offers road opportunity"

The Grizzlies got the defensive battle they expected against Dallas on Friday, but failed to get their offense going in a 91-76 loss.

The Grizzlies (4-8) shot only 37 percent from the floor and finished with their lowest point total since scoring 67 points in a loss last December.  The usual suspects contributed for the Grizzlies as O.J. Mayo led the way with 19 points and Mike Conley and Rudy Gay each chipped in 14.  Conley's output was his best of the season.

But the Grizzlies hurt themselves by not rebounding and by taking bad shots.  Shot selection seems to be a consistent problem for this team.  On many possessions, the ball gets passed around for 20 seconds before someone is forced to throw up an awkward, often contested shot.  The Grizzlies just don't manage the shot clock responsibly and don't seem to have an established plan.  I know Coach Iavaroni must call some plays in the course of all the timeouts he takes. Why can't the players run them effectively?

Continue reading "Mavericks 91, Grizzlies 76"

Good defense was the difference in Saturday's game as the Memphis Grizzlies ran into a determined Utah Jazz squad that hounded them into mistake after mistake in a 103-94 loss.  The Jazz seemed to be a step quicker than the Grizzlies, who buckled under intense defensive pressure after opening the game with a 9-2 run.

Once they fell behind, their youth and inexperience kept the Grizzlies from climbing out of their hole.  Like many young teams they seem to panic when a team gets hot.  The Grizzlies fell behind by double digits early in the third quarter as they went cold from the floor.

A few Grizzlies have had good stats over the past couple of nights that would seem to suggest success for the team.  I don't think this team has much trouble scoring when it can hold onto the ball and run a consistent offense.  The problem is that they get flustered and turn the ball over a lot more than they should.

Continue reading "Jazz 103, Grizzlies 94"

While the Memphis Grizzlies got the season off to a decent start, splitting their first six games, they now find themselves in the midst of a slump that can mostly be attributed to their youth.  As the youngest team in the NBA, the Grizzlies are making their share of mistakes, but more importantly, they are learning from them.  At least, that is what should come out of the disappointing outcomes of the last few games.

Tonight, they have another chance to practice new knowledge as they host the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs have long been near the top of the Western Conference, but are currently without their star guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.  The Grizzlies will still have to deal with Tim Duncan in the post, but even he has looked human this season, seemingly a step slower than in the past and clearly not the dominant center he has been over the last five-plus seasons.

Continue reading "Grizzlies Face Critical Test Against Spurs"

O.J. Mayo took over down the stretch for the Memphis Grizzlies late in Monday's game against San Antonio, but it wasn't enough to lead the Grizzlies to victory as they fell 94-81.

Mayo scored 23 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, including his own 7-0 run in the fourth quarter, but the Grizzlies' deficit was too great to overcome.

The Grizzlies (4-10) played their best third quarter of the season for the first four minutes of the period but could never take the lead, although they remained within five points of the Spurs.  Inconsistent shooting and a good San Antonio defense kept them from putting together a good run, although they had plenty of chances.  They got to within a point of the Spurs on a jumper by Mayo with 9:15 remaining in the quarter, but they couldn't find the go-ahead basket.

Continue reading "Spurs 94, Grizzlies 81"

It seems that GM Chris Wallace is actively looking to add some offensive firepower to the Grizzlies' roster.  It's no secret that shooting woes have been mostly to blame for the team's dismal 4-10 record.  With one of the best scoring defenses in the league, the Grizzlies could easily have a winning record at this point if it weren't for shooting slumps that usually seem to strike in the third quarter.  While coach Marc Iavaroni has also said part of the problem with the offense is that the players often abandon the scripted play for one-on-one opportunities, the Grizzlies' perimeter shooting takes them out of games entirely once they fall behind.

As far as the players choosing not to run plays, I definitely had the suspicion on Monday that either they ignored Iavaroni on occasion or he didn't know what he was doing.  I trust him more than I trust the players simply because he is in a position of authority.  Although it has gotten better in the last couple of years, the NBA game is still a one-on-one contest. The Grizzlies don't have anyone who can get away with playing like that because they are just too inexperienced.  So, they are going to have to stick to the playbook.  It's hard to mold young players to think like that, especially if they were stars on the collegiate level, but that is why Iavaroni gets the big bucks.

Continue reading "Grizzlies making a move?"

The Grizzlies had to be looking forward to a Thanksgiving break after running into a hot Utah team on Wednesday.  The Jazz, who had the services of guard Deron Williams for only the third time this season, put up their highest point total of the season in dispatching the Grizzlies 117-100.

Williams had 11 points and dished out 15 assists for the Jazz (10-6), while Paul Millsap filled in nicely for Carlos Boozer with 24 points and 16 rebounds.  The Grizzlies (4-11) were in a hole from the start, and with the Jazz shooting at a 60 percent clip in the first half, they never had a chance to get in the game.  The Grizzlies had one of their better offensive nights, shooting 53 percent while the Jazz finished at 54 percent.  It's just a shame they ran into the Jazz on this night.  For the most part the Grizzlies played good defense, too.  Some of the shots that fell for the Jazz probably only go in once every ten tries.

Continue reading "Jazz 117, Grizzlies 100"

As if one game against Tim Duncan and his supporting cast isn't enough, the Memphis Grizzlies will face off against Duncan's San Antonio Spurs tonight for the second time in five days. The teams squared off Monday, with the Spurs using their bench to handle the Grizzlies 94-81.  After tonight, the Grizzlies won't have to deal with the Spurs until the end of December.  As the schedule worked out this season the teams will meet in San Antonio on Dec. 27 and in Memphis on Jan. 2 to close out the season series.  If the Grizzlies can make it through tonight's game, they have Oklahoma City (1-14) coming to town tomorrow.

It was the Spurs' reserves who hurt the Grizzlies on Monday, which makes their defensive plan more complicated.  They obviously need to stick with their assignments on guarding Duncan in the post, but they also have to account for rookie George Hill, who had a breakout game on Monday, as well as a healthy Manu Ginobili, whose availability was questionable entering the last meeting but who proved to be close to his old form.

Continue reading "Grizzlies Face Familiar Foe"

If the Memphis Grizzlies could put four quarters together they might finally end their losing streak.  They went a long way toward doing that Friday at San Antonio, but faded in the fourth quarter of a 109-98 loss.

The Grizzlies (4-12) began the third quarter strong and while they allowed a run by the Spurs in that period, an 8-0 spurt that stretched their lead to double figures, the Grizzlies recovered for a 10-0 run of their own.  They played well out of halftime before running into trouble about four minutes into the third, just as they had against Utah.  The Spurs (9-6) led by as many as 14 in the third before the Grizzlies began their charge, primarily due to the play of Roger Mason, Jr., who scored 14 in the period.

Still, these Grizzlies don't know how to quit when they are facing a deficit.  O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay each hit big baskets in the fourth after the Spurs looked like they would put the game away again.  Unlike the other night when they could never get the deficit under five points, the Grizzlies made some progress.  They got to within three points this time.

Continue reading "Spurs 109, Grizzlies 98"

The Grizzlies had their best chance to snap a five-game losing streak on Saturday with the relatively harmless Oklahoma City Thunder, losers of 14 straight, in town.  Unfortunately, the Grizzlies choked away a double-digit lead in the second half and suffered a humiliating 111-103 defeat instead.

The Grizzlies seemed to be in control of the game in the first half, although their 10 turnovers kept some rays of hope alive for the visiting Thunder.  Then, in the third quarter, it all came unraveled.  This team is obviously not going to be a third-quarter team.  By now I am resigning myself to the fact that they are just too young to learn from their mistakes.  They can't come out of the break with any intensity.  But in a game where you are expected to handle your opponent easily, you have to lay down the hammer.  You can't come out and let them dictate the flow of the game.  You can't sleepwalk.  The Grizzlies haven't been in any situations this season where they have been in position to put a team away decisively, but that shouldn't be an excuse.

Continue reading "Thunder 111, Grizzlies 103"