Author: Aimee Stiegemeyer

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Real Talk: About the Grizzlies and the Playoffs

As the Grizzlies continue to improve in the standings and other Western Conference teams fall short, there has begun to be some buzz about Memphis making a playoff push. This would be a terrible idea, as I will explain further.

For reference, currently the Grizzlies are 9th in the WC standings, one game back from the 8th seed.

The Grizzlies are going through a real, honest-to-God rebuild. With new front office decision makers and a new head coach, this team is finally in a position to execute a successful rebuild.
There is a young, dynamic core of exciting players to build around, and in many ways the future is looking brighter for this franchise than it ever has. Which is all the more reason why this process shouldn’t be rushed.

The 2019-2020 Memphis Grizzlies are a very young team, green behind the ears and still learning how to play together. They are still building chemistry and learning how to put together four complete quarters of basketball in the same game. It isn’t always pretty to watch, but this is a very good thing. It is exactly what they are supposed to be doing at this point in the rebuilding process.

But What About the Boston Pick?
Well … what about it? The first-round pick that we still owe to Boston is top-6 protected this year and while it would not be wise to lose deliberately, chances are the Grizzlies will organically end up a lottery team again this summer. Which allows the possibility of ending up with another very good draft pick this summer.

Yes, said pick is unprotected after this year, but the likelihood that the Grizzlies will end up as even the 8th seed is much greater next year. If that is the case, Memphis could potentially convey a pick that is outside the top-10 in 2021.

The Bottom Line
The playoffs should not be a goal for this Grizzlies team until they have developed enough to sustain a deep run. End of discussion.
As it stands right now, even if they did end up in the 8th seed, it is very unlikely they would make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Which makes the risk of injury too great, with the potential for a reward (or even a second-round series) much too small.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

5 Resolutions the Grizzlies Should Make in 2020

It’s a new year, a new decade, and a new era in Memphis Grizzlies basketball.

Gone are the days of Grit and Grind. Now is the time of #GRZNXTGEN


In honor of the new year, here are some tips to help this fledgling team learn, grow, and be their best selves in 2020.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Turnovers?
It is a key question that the players and coaching staff alike need to be asking themselves. To make matters more complicated, this is an issue with many facets that will require more than one solution.

Memphis ranks fifth in the league in turnovers per game (15.9) and opposing teams typically do much better at converting those turnovers into points on the other end of the floor. The Grizzlies need to reduce the number of turnovers they commit, they need to work harder to reduce the number of points their opponents score off those turnovers, and do a better job of capitalizing on their opponent’s turnovers.



Defend Without Fouling

This is directed at the whole team, however, two specific players come to mind here: 

Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the league in fouls committed per game, and his getting into trouble early with careless fouls has come back to bite the team in more than one game. When one of your team’s best players is unable to play in crunch time because he committed a bunch of early fouls, that is a problem. 
Dillon Brooks is not far behind Jackson, ranking fifth in fouls committed per game. His propensity to commit fouls when he is frustrated is something else that needs to be addressed.

And for the love of all that is good and holy in this world please STOP FOULING THREE-POINT SHOOTERS.

YGTMYFT (You’ve got to make your free throws)

Here is some food for thought about the free-throw situation.

As of January 1st, the Grizzlies have:  

The second-fewest average free throw attempts per game (19.9)

The fourth-lowest average in personal fouls drawn per game (19.5)  

A middle-of-the-pack free throw percentage per game average (77.5)  

 

Memphis averages third in points in the paint per game (50.2), just below the Los Angeles Lakers (51.6) and the Milwaukee Bucks (54.6), yet those two teams consistently average more free throw attempts than the Grizzlies. While the number of free throw attempts isn’t something that can be directly influenced, how many of those shots the Grizzlies make is within their control. 



Stay Helpful 

I saved this one for last so that I could end this on a positive note. Currently, the Grizzlies are ranked second in the league in assists per game (27.2), a sign of unselfish basketball.  Great job! Keep that up.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Boxing Day Beatdown: Grizzlies Thrash Thunder 110–97

CREDIT: Sharon Brown

Sharon Brown

Jonas Valanciunas

Revenge can be sweet, as demonstrated by the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was the second meeting of these two teams in just over a week, and the outcomes could not have been more dissimilar.

During their December 18th matchup, the Thunder overcame a 24-point deficit to defeat the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies returned the favor and then some when the team returned to Oklahoma City the day after Christmas.


The young Memphis team finished the night with five players scoring in double-digits. Jonas Valanciunas scored a team-high 21 points, with 4 rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. followed closely, finishing the night with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Boxing Day Beatdown: Grizzlies Thrash Thunder 110–97 (2)

Ja Morant had a quiet offensive night, scoring just 10 points, but the rookie point guard also contributed 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Jae Crowder continued to struggle offensively, finishing the night with 5 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. 

Battle of the Benches

Boxing Day Beatdown: Grizzlies Thrash Thunder 110–97

The Grizzlies continue to get meaningful production from their bench players, who outscored the Thunder bench 46-28. Tyus Jones and Brandon Clarke led the second unit in scoring with 15 points and 13 points respectively.  

 

A Good Showing, but Still a Work in Progress

The good: Memphis won the rebounding battle 50-34

The bad: Memphis also “won” the turnover battle 16-9, with the Thunder scoring 22 points off Grizzlies turnovers. Moving forward, reducing the number of turnovers needs to be a priority, as well as closing out quarters properly. 

 

Who Got Next? The Grizzlies continue their road trip, and will face off against the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday, December 28th.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Amid Second Half Woes, Grizzlies Fall to Thunder 126-122

The Grizzlies’ loss to Oklahoma City Wednesday night was easily the most frustrating loss of the season, and unfortunately, it overshadowed the best game of Brandon Clarke’s young NBA career.

Props to OKC because they clearly just wanted this win more, coming back from a 24-point deficit and wearing the Grizzlies down, to take a 126-122 win in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder also had an unexpected X factor — Dennis Schroder, who led all scorers with 31 points, 22 of which came in the second half.


By the numbers:

    *      Brandon Clarke finished the night with a career-high 27 points, 7 rebounds.

  • Jonas Valanciunas had another monster game offensively, with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. 
  • Ja Morant scored 22 points, along with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. 
  • Dillon Brooks finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. 


What went wrong?

While the Grizzlies have notably struggled during 3rd quarters this season, it was in the 4th quarter where the proverbial wheels fell completely off Wednesday night. Things started going downhill towards the end of the 3rd quarter, when the Thunder went on a 19-5 run, capped off with a buzzer-beater by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder followed that up by outscoring the Grizzlies by 11 points in the 4th quarter.

A few more of the factors that contributed to this dumpster fire of a loss:

  • Turnovers, foul trouble, and free throws.
  • Eight Grizzlies turnovers in the 4th quarter led to 10 points for the Thunder.
    Meanwhile, the Grizzlies only managed to score two points off of four OKC turnovers.
  • Memphis getting into the penalty with five minutes left in the game.
  • OKC shot and made ten free throws in the 4th; Memphis made 2-of-4 free throws.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. In foul trouble and benched two minutes into the 4th quarter.
  • Ja Morant missing two critical free throws with 1:19 remaining in the game.
  • Poor coaching decisions through the final 10 minutes of the game.

The foul call against Jaren Jackson Jr. at the 10:12 mark should have been contested by Coach Taylor Jenkins. Jackson was called for his 5th personal foul against Thunder center Steven Adams, even though the replay video appeared to show Adams tripping over his own foot.

This is exactly the sort of play where the coach’s challenge should have been utilized. If not on that one, certainly on another bad call on ball possession at the 9:02 mark, which allowed OKC an extra possession which led to a field goal.

Understandably, Jackson was subbed out for Jonas Valanciunas after that 5th personal foul, but it made absolutely zero sense for him to sit the entire rest of the game. There is no universe in which Solomon Hill should be on the floor in a close game situation while Jackson still has one foul remaining.

Let’s hope this was a learning experience for Jenkins as well as the team.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies are headed to Cleveland to face off against the Cavaliers Friday, December 20th, at 6 p.m. CST.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Quarter Season Progress Report, Part Two: Hope on Board

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Larry Kuzniewski

Jae Crowder

This is part two of a three-part series of player progress reports from the first quarter of the season. You can read part one here.

Dillon Brooks – So far Brooks appears to have bounced back well after missing most of last season due to injury. He’s had some tremendous shooting games, and the Grizzlies are undefeated this season when Brooks scores 20 or more points. These are all good things and should be celebrated as such. However, inconsistency in scoring is still an issue with Brooks, as is the number of fouls he’s amassing. None of this is so dire as to make him a liability, at least not yet. His potential far outweighs his shortcomings. B  

 

Jae Crowder – Crowder has been the face of veteran leadership for the Grizzlies, in addition to playing the largest number of minutes of any player on the roster. He does a lot of things well, better than perhaps was expected. Even on the nights that he’s not producing a ton of points, he’s obviously putting in a lot of effort in other ways. His game-winning bucket against the Brooklyn Nets brought the Grizzlies their first victory of the season, and it was just his second made shot of the game. Crowder also has the second-highest number of rebounds for the Grizzlies this season and the third-highest number of assists. Bossman, indeed. A

 

Solomon Hill – Any evaluation of Hill must also come with the knowledge that his arrival in the Bluff City facilitated the departure of Chandler Parsons and his albatross of a contract. For that alone, I’m willing to give him a key to the city. On a team as young and green as the Grizzlies are currently, there is value in having experienced players on the roster. As it stands, Hill has outperformed expectations and offered real contributions on the court. All in all, the Grizzlies are getting more from Hill than just salary cap relief. Given the context in which he was acquired, any actual basketball accomplishments are a bonus. B 

Jonas Valanciunas – The Lithuanian big man is the sole remaining player acquired from the trade that sent Marc Gasol to Toronto last year. Valanciunas has been the picture of doing more with less for the Grizzlies this season. His minutes per game are lower than they were last year after he joined the Grizzlies, but his shooting percentages are higher. As the team’s primary rebounder, I would like to see Valanciunas having more double-digit rebound games. But for a team in the earliest stages of a rebuild, with a new coach and multiple inexperienced players, the Grizzlies are getting their money’s worth out of him so far this season. A

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak

CREDIT: via Memphis Grizzlies twitter

via Memphis Grizzlies twitter

Brandon Clarke posterizes Ian Mahinmi


Coming on the heels of a disappointing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Grizzlies roared back with a 128-111 victory against the Washington Wizards Saturday night. The win also snapped a 7-game losing streak on their home court.

#GrzNxtGen: The Future is Bright

Saturday night’s game against the Wizards was a glimpse into the future of the franchise, and a young core who are still a long way from their respective ceilings. Even beloved former Grizzlies legend Tony Allen, aka the Grindfather, has taken notice:

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (3)


Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies in scoring with a team-high 29 points, but arguably the most outstanding performance of the night came from rookie forward Brandon Clarke.

Clarke scored a career-high 25 points, shooting 11-of-14 from the floor, while also providing some absolute gems for a highlight reel, including this play in the 2nd quarter where Clarke put Wizards center Ian Mahinmi on a poster.

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (7)

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (2)

Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out the night with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Ja Morant finished with 18 points and 5 assists, on 5-of-11 shooting. 

 

Jae Crowder was benched for the night with a sore left ankle, so Kyle Anderson took on the role of starting small forward in his stead. Scoring just two points, Anderson’s personal offensive contribution was minimal, but he still made his presence felt with five rebounds and five assists. One such assist led to this amazing dunk from Brandon Clarke.

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (5)

 

Bench Mob:

The Grizzlies second unit tallied 59 points on the night while shooting 23-35 from the floor and 6-of-12 from three. The 59 points put up by the bench marks a new season-high.

Solomon Hill continued to provide help off the bench, finishing the night with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. 

De’Anthony Melton closed out with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, and backup guard Tyus Jones ended the night with 9 points and a game-high 9 assists.  

 

History Made:

Saturday marked the first time in NBA history that two Japanese-born players (Memphis’ Yuta Watanabe and Washington’s Rui Hachimura) faced off in an NBA regular-season game. Watanabe and Hachimura are the second and third Japanese natives, respectively, to play in the NBA. 

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will face off against the Miami Heat on Monday night, closing out this three-game homestand.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Quarter Season Progress Report Part One – The Kids Are Alright

Ja Morant

Disclaimer: The Memphis Grizzlies are in the early stages of a full rebuild, and it is with that knowledge that one should apply criticism or judgment. The scope of possible outcomes for this season is markedly different than if this were a team contending for a playoff spot. 


Which is not to say that there should be no accountability or expectations at all placed on this team for this season, but context is key. The metrics that I have chosen to use for this evaluation were with that context in mind. There is importance in managing expectations in line with where the team has started and for the phase of rebuilding they are in currently.

Read on to see how the Grizzlies have fared in the first quarter of the season, what progress they have made, and what areas could use improvement. 

In the interest of readability, this is going to be broken up into 2-3 parts, starting with the youngest Grizzlies.

Jaren Jackson Jr. – has been shooting the ball well, but his rebounding numbers are an area that could use some improvement. Ideally, Jackson Jr. should be doubling his rebound numbers over the course of the season. Staying out of foul trouble is another area that needs improvement. Grade: B+

Ja Morant – a bit turnover prone, although that isn’t unusual for a rookie. Morant has great assist numbers and is shooting well. He is a dynamic player who is lots of fun to watch, which is good, as he is the future of the point guard position in Memphis. Grade: A

Brandon Clarke – is good at just about everything. Shoots well, rebounds proficiently, doesn’t turn the ball much. Once he is off the injured report, Clarke should see his usage rate go up, hopefully. Also, he is (still) currently rated as the top rookie in the league for Wins produced. Grade: A+

Grayson Allen – so far Allen has been a pleasant surprise. Is he now or will he be a superstar in this league? Probably not. But he is showing that he can be a proficient role player and has statistically improved since his rookie season with the Jazz. Allen has so far improved his shooting percentage, rebound percentage, and free throw percentage. Allen is ranked 11th among sophomores in free throw shooting. Grade: B-

Tyus Jones – his Grizzlies tenure has been a bit underwhelming thus far. His assist numbers are decent, but his scoring has been nothing much to write home about. Even factoring in the increased minutes Jones has been playing with Morant unavailable, he’s still struggling offensively. On a positive note, he does typically stay out of foul trouble. Grade: C

 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Shooting Struggles Plague Grizzlies in Loss to Pacers

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Larry Kuzniewski

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Monday night the Grizzlies were defeated by the Indiana Pacers 104-117, on the second night of back-to-back games. It was the team’s 6th consecutive home loss. Coach Jenkins trotted out some eccentric lineups as he worked to compensate for the absences of Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kyle Anderson, all sitting with injuries.

Due to the unavailability of so many key players, veteran forward Solomon Hill found himself in the starting lineup for the first time this season. Hill scored a season-high 22 points, going 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Not saying these are related, but I’m also not *not* saying it either.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a career-high 31 points, and per NBA.com was the league leader in points scored Monday night. Good offense is always welcome, but Jackson’s low rebounding numbers remain a concern. Jae Crowder and Tyus Jones both struggled offensively, combining for just 5 points between them. Overall, the Grizzlies finished the game with 42.7% FG shooting, and just 26.3% from deep.

Perhaps even more concerning than their shooting woes are the Grizzlies turnover struggles. The Pacers scored 27 points off the Grizzlies 12 turnovers, meanwhile the Grizzlies were only able to score 9 points off Indiana’s 15 turnovers. Turnovers have been a huge thorn in their side this season. This is one area where the young Grizzlies need to put in a more concerted effort. Both in turning the ball over less frequently, and taking
advantage of opposing teams’ turnovers.

Memphis dominated in the paint with 54 points compared to Indiana’s 32. However the Pacers won the rebounding game 44 to 38, and finished the night with 31 assists to the Grizzlies 23.

By the Numbers:
Jaren Jackson Jr. – 31 points, 4 rebounds
Solomon Hill – 22 points, 6 rebounds
Dillon Brooks – 19 points, 7 rebounds
De’Anthony Melton – 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

Next up, the Grizzlies head to the Windy City on Wednesday to face off against the Chicago Bulls.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall to Clippers at Home in 5th Straight Loss

The Grizzlies dropped another excruciatingly close game to a Western Conference contender. Wednesday’s 121-119 loss to the Clippers extends the team’s current losing streak to a season-high five games and marks the 4th consecutive loss on their home court. There were some clear stand-out performances from individual players, but once again the Grizzlies blew a double-digit lead with sloppy play, and ultimately, the game in the final moments.

Death, Taxes, and the Grizzlies Unable to Closeout a Game
This seems to be one of the themes of the season: an inability to put together four consistent quarters of basketball. A team in the early stages of the sort of scorched-earth rebuilding process that Memphis is currently undergoing should almost be expected not to be very good. However, there is still room for both criticism and praise regarding the outcomes along the way. What makes these losses so frustrating is the carelessness that leads to them.

Jonas Valanciunas was the clear player of the game for the Grizzlies, with a season-high 30 points and a season-best 16 rebounds. Ja Morant also stood out with his second consecutive double-double, scoring 20 points and racking up 11 assists, and 14 of those 20 points in the 4th quarter.

Per Grizzlies PR: “The Grizzlies entered the game with the league’s best three-point field goal percentage over the last three weeks (.408 since Nov. 6). The team continued its hot streak from long range, shooting 39.3 percent (11-of-28) from beyond the arc.” Jonas Valanciunas

What They Said – Coach Taylor Jenkins


On tonight’s game:

“Heck of an effort by our guys, proud of them especially after how we played in Indiana. Defense wasn’t there in the first quarter, giving up 35 points, but then holding them under 30 … which was a trend of ours, giving up a lot of 30-point quarters in recent games. Our guys stuck with it; I was proud of them on how they came out being down at four at half time. Take, I think on a 7-0 run, take a three-point lead.

These are those moments where we are getting better, withstand some runs against a heck of a team and score 119 points against currently the best defense in the league. It’s those pivotal moments throughout the game, a couple of missed cues here and there on offense and one of our Achilles heels is just getting rebounds.

Same thing happened in the Lakers game. Anthony Davis gets a rebound uncontested, we have a chance, we give up two offensive rebounds on the last possession, and you are snake bit by it. We have to get better. I thought our urgency was great to start for most of the game, coming into the game it was a heck of a game. Credit the Clippers for coming up with some big plays, some big threes and rebounding down the stretch. We have to get better from it and we have to know that this stuff is important for us to move forward and get better from it.”

On the last play, when the Grizzlies had the ball with 2.3 seconds left, and a chance to tie:

“So, we were hoping to get a defender to fall asleep with his [Jaren Jackson Jr.’s] cut to the rim and then kind of snap him out into a corner three, and if that wasn’t open Solo [Solomon Hill] was going to be open at the top of the key. I thought we set a good screen, they did a great job getting through, kind of put him off balance, which put him in a tough spot. That is a play we have worked on. Credit to the Clippers on taking that away.” 

 

What They Said – Jaren Jackson Jr.

On finding the balance of shooting threes and playing down low:
“I just want to take the right shot at the right time and take what the defense gives me. Team-to-team, they are going to play me differently. They’re going to close out on certain shooters more so I’m just taking what they are giving me.” 

On having the big plays called for him at the end of the game:
“I have to do better with it. Two straight times I didn’t get it done. Once I get it done, I’ll probably have a better reaction to it. I’m happy they go to me, but I’ve got to finish the job for them.” 

On what happened during the last sequence of the game, when the Grizzlies had the ball ant a chance to tie with 2.3 seconds left. “When I came off, I caught it and he kind of took up the space when I gave him time as I was turning around. I probably turned around too slowly. I should have gotten a better look at it. That’s on me. I need to be a little smarter with turning and reading them (the defense). If they were switching, I could have come off in a different way or quicker. Whatever it is, I didn’t do it.”  The Grizzlies return to FedExForum on Friday, November 29th to once again face off against Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz.


/

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Brandon Clarke: Dark Horse Rookie of the Year Candidate?

CREDIT: NBA.com

There has been a lot of much-deserved hype around Ja Morant, whom the Grizzlies drafted with their #2 overall pick. Morant is an excellent player in his own right, and nothing I am about to say is meant to detract from that. 
NBA.com

Brandon Clarke

However, there is a genuine case to be made for Brandon Clarke as a dark horse rookie of the year candidate. Clarke’s impact on the court has been somewhat understated until now.

Using Wins Produced as the measure, Brandon Clarke leads the league among rookies. Wins in basketball are about gaining possession of the ball (without the other team scoring), keeping possession, and converting possessions into points. So what matters in basketball is rebounds, turnovers, and shooting efficiency.

Therefore, the most productive players are players like Clarke. He shoots efficiently and he rebounds. The most productive players may not be the top scorers as scoring depends on both shooting efficiency and shot attempts. A player can boost their scoring average by increasing the number of shots they take. But efficiency matters, and is often overlooked in favor of scoring averages.

Per NBA.com, among rookies, Brandon Clarke leads the league in efficiency per game (17.1), and in efficiency per 48 minutes (37.1). In efficiency per 48 minutes Clarke doesn’t just lead among rookies, he dominates. In fact, the next closest rookie player in efficiency per 48 minutes (25.9) is Ja Morant.

Larry Kuzniewski

Brandon Clarke

Disclaimer: Obviously, this is a rather small sample size, and there are many more games to be played.

Is it still way too early in the season to cast ballots for Rookie of the Year? Of course. But as the narrative for ROY gets shaped, Brandon Clarke should definitely be in the conversation.

*Stats from boxscoregeeks.com and NBA.com*