Three-point shooting — okay, and back-up point guard — is to this successful iteration of the Grizzlies what a true “big man” was to Jerry West’s version: That elusive target, constantly pursued, never obtained. The back-up point guard job seems to have been shored up this summer, while personnel moves related to outside shooting seem, on the surface, to be lateral at best. What are the chances the Grizzlies could actually improve their three-point shooting this season? Let’s sort it out.
The Way They Were
Last season, the Grizzlies were among the NBA’s least prolific and effective three-point shooting teams, finishing 25th in three-point field-goal percentage (.326) and 28th in attempts (12.9 per game). And these lackluster shooting numbers weren’t outliers. This has been the norm in the three seasons since the Grizzlies, abetted by the Zach Randolph-Marc Gasol post tandem and Lionel Hollins on the sidelines, have clawed back to NBA relevance. In the team’s 46-win 2010-2011 campaign, the Grizzlies were 27th in percentage (.333) and last in attempts (11.3). The prior season, in which they broke out of the basement on the way to 40 wins, they were 26th in percentage (.337) and last in attempts (12.4).
Though Hollins does not emphasize three-point shooting, these struggles have been much more a matter of personnel than strategy, the result of rosters heavy on post scorers and slashers but without anyone you would consider a significant three-point specialist, and more significantly, without multiple good shooting options with which to spread the floor.
Last season, the Grizzlies built their lackluster team three-point performance from this, with negligible contributions from Gilbert Arenas, Jeremy Pargo, Josh Selby, Sam Young, and Josh Davis:
O.J. Mayo — 36% on 4.2 attempts per game
Rudy Gay — 31% on 2.7
Mike Conley — 38% on 2.6
Quincy Pondexter — 30% on 1.1
Tony Allen — 31% on 0.4
