Tag: Jonas Valanciunas

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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.


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Beyond the Arc Sports

Cold Night for the Grizzlies: Denver 131-Memphis 114.

CREDIT: Sharon Brown

Sharon Brown

The Shirelles’ top-ten hit, told us, “Mama said there’d be days like this,” and it was true for the young Grizzlies on Sunday night before the home crowd.

The Denver Nuggets ended Memphis’ three-game win streak in a decisive fashion, 131-114. Before the blowout loss, the Grizzlies had won four of their last six outings.

After three exciting wins — ruining Tony Parker’s retirement ceremony by downing the Spurs; last-minute heroics by Ja Morant in Charlotte; wrecking Mike Conley’s homecoming by defeating the Utah Jazz — the Grizzlies just went cold. 

Cold Night for the Grizzlies: Denver 131-Memphis 114.

And that about sums it up for the home team. Jamal Murray put on a show and the Grizzlies paid for it dearly. Murray had a bad game against the Brooklyn Nets on November 14th. In that game, he only scored four points, going 1-of-11 from the field.

It was different story Sunday night, as Murray got the first nine points for Denver. Murray ended with 39 points (season-high), four rebounds, and eight assists in 31 minutes of play with zero turnovers. Murray had the “it factor” and the Grizzlies had no answer for him.
The only person who stopped Murray was Denver Coach Mike Malone, who set him down for the entire fourth quarter. 

Notes

The Nuggets went on a 34–6 run (including a 24–2 run) to turn an eight-point deficit (36–28) early in the second quarter into a 20-point lead (62–42) with 2:48 left before halftime.
Denver outscored the Grizzlies in the second quarter 44-17. The game got out of hand in the third period, when Denver got up by as many as 33 points.  

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 22 points and five rebounds, setting a career-high by going 5-of-7 from three-point range.

Brandon Clarke had a perfect night from the field, going 8-of-8, ending up with 19 points. Prior to the Nuggets game, Clarke ranked first among all NBA rookies at 61.5 percent shooting on the year.

Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points (including 12 in the first quarter) and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes for his eighth double-double of the season and 12th straight game in double-figure scoring. 

Paul Millsap put together a season-high-tying 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting (.727) and registered a season-high in steals, with five.

What They Said
Head coach Taylor Jenkins

On the game:

“Tough one for us today. We didn’t start the way that we needed to. Down 7–0, we got a bucket but our energy to start wasn’t quite there. But, credit to our guys. We kind of flipped the script after that first timeout and we ended up taking an 11-point lead. But, tons of credit to the Nuggets. They raised their level to an elite level, and our guys just couldn’t really catch that second gear. It just wasn’t our day today. So, a lot of credit to the Nuggets, especially in that second quarter. We tried to claw back here and there, but that second quarter kind of got away from us. And as we’ve experienced throughout the year so far when these moments happen, how can we just kind of face some of that adversity. But, credit the Nuggets. That’s a heck of a team and a great learning opportunity for our young team.”

On De’Anthony Melton:

“Tons of credit goes to De’Anthony. We’ve talked about him constantly staying prepared with his individual work, his G League assignments. I’m super happy with where he’s at. He made an impact immediately, kind of coming in defensively and getting his hands on a couple of balls, shooting with confidence, making plays for his teammates, had a great pass to Brandon Clarke for a roll dunk. So, I’m really impressed with him and he’s definitely going to be someone who will make an impact for our team at some point.”


On whether he thinks Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are where they need to be defensively:

“Not just them, but everyone, we’ve got a long way to go. I mean, the nights where we’re giving up 130 points, that’s not the scenario that we want to set. We talked all along how they can be impactful on both ends of the floor. I think Ja has been taking some big strides the last week or so, but tonight was a tough match. Jamal Murray is a heck of a player. But, trying to unleash their activity, (Jaren) blocking shots and rebounding, he’s starting to find his comfort and all that stuff. Tonight was not indicative of what they can be defensively, but I think all of us as a team have big steps that we have to take on that end.”

The Infie 500

Cold Night for the Grizzlies: Denver 131-Memphis 114. (2)

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Tip-off at 7 pm CST.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Valanciunas Catches Grizz Fans On The Rebound

There is a newly acquired seven-foot, board bangin’, paint stompin’, reboundin’ machine named Jonas Valanciunas who has quickly captured the hearts of Grizzlies fans. Is it true love, or is the fanbase just on the rebound during the team’s rebuild?

Jonas Valanciunas

When Pau Gasol was traded from the Grizzlies to the Lakers back in 2008, many lambasted the trade. The Grizzlies were criticized for, in essence, trading away their franchise player, who was still in his prime, for what amounted to expiring contracts and future assets, including Pau’s younger brother, Marc. Although Pau was criticized for being too passive to be the best player on a good team, like the Grizzlies needed him to be, the overwhelming consensus was that he was one of the most skilled big men in the entire NBA and would help the Lakers tremendously — as he did.

Except for General Manager Chris Wallace, who insisted that the younger Gasol was a hidden gem, not many anticipated Marc Gasol panning out like he did. When he finally made his debut with the team, after coming over to the United States from playing professionally in Spain, he instantly became a fan favorite. He was big, burly, and wild; he fought in the paint and backed down from no one. He was the Anti-Pau, and the antidote that the team and fanbase needed to get over their traded star. For every memory of Pau being balled up on the floor after getting overpowered in the paint or checking for blood, the fans were gifted with Marc roaring with energy as he finished in the paint through contact.

He was a rebound for the broken hearted — a symbol of hope for a franchise in transition. He was the bigger, stronger, tougher, Memphis-molded version of his older brother, and just what the city needed at the time.

Similarly, Valanciunas has been just what Grizzlies fans have needed after Marc Gasol’s departure. During a period where wins and losses feel the about the same as far as draft positioning is concerned, watching JV thrive on the court has been a thrill. He’s averaged 18.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the seven games he’s played for the team, and has reminded many of the younger more paint-oriented version of what Marc was. The idea of him playing next to now-injured Jaren Jackson Jr. has left many fantasizing that Valanciunas’ physical style will be the perfect complement to Jackson’s youth and diverse talents, and cover his weaknesses — a yin to Jackson’s yang, an alternate reality Z-Bo to Marc, or the other way around — whatever makes sense to you.

Still, it’s not a great idea for fans to get too attached to their new-found love, since Valanciunas has a player-option on the $17 million owed to him for next season. He might opt in for the final year with Grizzlies, making him a free agent in 2020, or sign an extension with the Grizzlies, or opt out of his final year and become a free agent in 2019. No one knows, at this point.

There is also the possibility that he opts in and is then traded to another team.

That said, Valanciunas has been a pleasant surprise, especially to those who didn’t know that the team was acquiring one of the league’s top young centers. He’s not Marc Gasol and might not even be here long enough to build a legacy, but he’s been perfect in the moment.

It’s perfectly fine to be excited about the potential that fans see in Valanciunas on the court and even in the locker room. But, be careful Grizz fans. It’s okay to fall in love with a rebound, just don’t get too enamored by someone who may break your heart.