Tag: Tyus Jones

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Grizzlies Offseason Updates: Trades and the NBA Draft

The Grizzlies have traded guard #21 Tyus Jones in a three-team deal to the Washington Wizards. (Credit: NBAE via Getty Images)

It’s been a relatively eventful past 48 hours for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Grizzlies trade Tyus Jones for Marcus Smart:

Late on the eve of the NBA Draft, the Grizzlies entered the trade market with a splash. Shortly after the news emerged that talks between the Boston Celtics, the Washington Wizards, and the Los Angeles Clippers regarding a possible trade involving Kristaps Porzingis had broken down, the Grizzlies entered the picture behind the scenes. It was important for Boston to finalize this move as an opt-in and trade with Porzingis before midnight or risk him declining his $36 million player option and hitting the free agency market where it would cost the Celtics more to acquire him.

When the dust had settled, Porzingis was headed to the Celtics, Tyus Jones was headed to the Wizards, and longtime Celtic Marcus Smart was now to be a Memphis Grizzly.

“Now it is official: The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired guard Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade that also involves the Washington Wizards. As part of the deal, the Grizzlies traded guard Tyus Jones to the Wizards and traded the draft rights to guard Marcus Sasser and a future first-round draft pick to the Celtics. Smart, a nine-year NBA veteran, was the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times. The trade also saw Washington receive forward Danilo Gallinari, center Mike Muscala, and the draft rights to forward Julian Phillips.”

Boston drafted Smart with the sixth overall pick in 2014 and, until the trade, he was their longest-tenured player. Smart has averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 581 regular-season games and 12.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 108 games in the playoffs.

And if it is any indication of the sort of player that Memphis is getting, Boston fans are devastated to see him go, as much for his presence off the court as on it. Smart is active in the community with his YounGameChanger Foundation, which seeks to provide opportunities for inner-city athletes through mentoring and education, as well as providing support to pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Memphis parted with two late first-round picks and a player who did not fit into their long-term vision of the future in Jones, and in return gained a veteran presence with proven playoff experience who can serve as a replacement for Dillon Brooks and help carry the load during Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension to start the 2023-24 season.

The move puts the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr., together with the previous Defensive Player of the Year, Smart. It marks the first time in NBA history that the two most recent winners of the award will play for the same team.  Factor in the return of Steven Adams and I predict it will be scary for teams against this Grizzlies’ defense in the upcoming season.

Smart is who Dillon Brooks believed he was, and this is a good pickup for Memphis. It shows the front office’s commitment to building a perennial championship contending team around the core of Morant, Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane.

In Draft News:

In the second round of the 2023 draft, the Grizzlies picked up two players: South Carolina forward Gregory “GG” Jackson II with the number 45 pick, and Fenerbahçe wing Tarik Biberovic with the number 56 pick. Jackson was named to the 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team, averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 32 games last season, while Biberovic has played professionally for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League for the past five years, averaging 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 24 games.

It is expected that both Jackson and Biberovic will join rising sophomores David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, Kenneth Lofton Jr, and Vince Williams Jr. and suit up for the Grizzlies’ summer league squad — playing in both the Salt Lake City Summer League, which will run from July 3-6 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Las Vegas Summer League which will run from July 7-17 in Las Vegas.

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Morant, Bane Lift Grizzlies to Sixth-Straight Win

Ja Morant goes up for a layup against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Credit: Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

After coming off the bench in the first two games after serving an eight-game ban, Ja Morant was reinstated in the starting lineup against Atlanta Sunday night for the Grizzlies. He took advantage of the opportunity.

Morant put up 27 points, six assists, and three rebounds as Memphis defeated the Hawks 123-119, and clinched a top-4 seed and home court advantage in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Grizzlies previously clinched a playoff berth on Friday night with a win against the Houston Rockets.

Morant said he’s not quite himself just yet. “I’m getting there,” he said after the win. “I’m getting a lot more comfortable. Getting my legs under me a little bit. My staff is preparing me the right way, having me ready for games each and every night. I believe in them 100 percent in how they’re managing me and ramping me back up.”

Morant said he studied film while he was away from the team. He said, “Obviously I watched pretty much all the games – how they were moving the ball and playing no-point-five basketball, sharing the ball, being very unselfish and that’s one of the reasons I decided to come off the bench early on to get that feel of that playing style. 

Morant went on to say, “I feel like we [have] to keep continuing to play like that. We have a lot more guys that can contribute and be in rhythm playing with confidence and we’re tough to guard.” 

The 23-year-old said it was nice to hear the young fans cheer for him. However, he knows he has a responsibility as a role model to the younger generation. “I got to set better examples,” said the All-Star guard. “Mistakes I made in the past [are] not examples they need to see. It’s only right, I correct them and show them the right way. Having them still behind me brings joy to me, makes me happy.”

Morant didn’t have any issues in the opposing arena since he said it was home for him. He was born in Georgia and spent time there growing up. 

Morant also said he can’t wait to get back to Memphis in front of the home crowd in the playoffs. Like Dillon Brooks, he’s ready to hear, “Whoop That Trick,” the Grizzlies playoff rallying cry. 

The Grizzlies are now 47-27 on the season and hold the longest active winning streak in the NBA with six consecutive victories.

Desmond Bane added 25 points, five assists, three rebounds while going 11-of-18 from the field. 

Jaren Jackson, Jr. finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, five blocks and three steals in 34 minutes of play. 

After the game, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had this to say about Jackson, Jr.’s defensive impact: 

Xavier Tillman, Sr. had an all-round complete game. In 30 minutes, he chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Tillman has been doing an excellent job holding it down for the Grizzlies in the absence of Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.

Luke Kennard scored 14 points while shooting four-of-nine from three and grabbed seven boards off the bench. As a reserve Tyus Jones had 13 points and five assists. 

Up Next 

The Grizzlies return to FedExForum for a three-game homestand starting Tuesday, March 28, against the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. CT. 

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Depleted Grizzlies Run Clippers Close in Road Loss

Dillon Brooks guards LeBron James. (Credit: NBAE via Getty Images)

It has been tumultuous for the Memphis Grizzlies since Friday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets. 

First, Brandon Clarke went down with injury with a torn Achilles (out for the season), Dillon Brooks received his 16th technical foul that caused an automatic one-game suspension, and then there’s Ja Morant, who is away from the team indefinitely after brandishing a gun on his IG Live. 

It was remarkable to see the Grizzlies put up a fight against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. 

“We have to step up because there are big shoes to fill,” said Jaren Jackson, Jr. after Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to the Clippers. “That’s been our motto for a long time. Whenever somebody goes down, everyone’s always ready, everyone’s always working. Come together and do it.”

The Grizzlies put up a 51 point third quarter against the Clippers and had a 15 point lead going into the final period. LA outscored Memphis 38-17 to win the game, 135-129. 

Memphis’ fourth quarter woes continue to rear its ugly head. 

Desmond Bane says that the team isn’t really too concerned about it. 

“We’ve had guys in and out you know pretty much all year, so I think that we’re still kind of figuring out our fourth quarter offense,” he said. “Once we get to half court, Jaren [Jackson, Jr.] is a focal point given his size. We slow the game down and play through him. So if he continues to make the right decisions, I think that is something that we’re gonna grow through for sure.” 

The Grizzlies are ranked 29th in fourth quarter scoring in the association. 

Tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers on TNT, Memphis will have Dillon Brooks back in the starting lineup. 

Memphis is still second place in the Western Conference yet only .5 games ahead of the soaring Sacramento Kings, who are in third. 

The Lakers are trying to make the play-in while LeBron James is out due to a foot injury. 

Tyus Jones isn’t worried about the team after all the adversity. He said Sunday, “I’m confident that the team will move forward. I’m confident we can continue to stay together, ride together. We still have a job to do – we are still striving to improve as a team.”

That next-man-up mentality must be ever present for the Grizzlies if they want to keep second place in the West. Other teams will not lie down for them. 

The secret to their success is giving a full effort for the full 48 minutes. Jenkins must take responsibility for the selection of his lineups and the players have to take responsibility for their play. 

I know it’s going to be a struggle. Can the team handle it with added pressure without Morant? 

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Grizzlies Rout Nuggets

Ja Morant goes up for a lay up against the Denver Nuggets on February 25, 2023. (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizzlies beat the West-leading Denver Nuggets, 112-94, to improve to 25-5 at home this season.

Swag is what the Grizzlies had been missing as of late. Swag returned briefly on Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, however the lack of late-game execution cost the team a game that it led up until the final seconds. 

“The whole mentality, the last five, six weeks of the season, is just building to our best version of ourselves,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on the team getting their swagger back. “I think our guys have really embraced it day one in practice. I thought we had that mentality, thatswag, that trust. That’s a big word that we’ve been using recently. 

Jenkins added, “What we’ve had to do to play our best basketball home and away, I thought we did that in Philly, it just didn’t bounce our way the last couple of minutes, but we put ourselves in a position to win a game there.” 

“And then tonight, we came out with the same urgency, and I think we just clamped down on both sides. I thought the discipline… it starts with the mentality for sure when you go into games, but then I said our discipline from our game plan, execution defensively, has got to be on point, but then even offensively, knowing that they’re going to be a heavy shift team.”

“We scored 60 points in the paint, but we knocked down 15 threes – The ball movement, the energy, the trust on what we’ve got to do offensively was huge for us,” Jenkins concluded. 

“So, just really proud of the guys. Four days, but as I said, it’s just continued growth one day at a time. Keep trusting the process to what we’ve got to do one day at a time to get better and responding.”

Bench Play

The Grizzlies bench has been missing in action as of late. On Saturday night, the bench put up 48 points. 

Tyus Jones had been in a slump, but that changed against the Nuggets. Jones tallied 17 points and five assists off of 5 of 10 from the 3-point line tying a season-high with threes made. 

Jones on breaking his slump, “I mean, it’s always good to see the ball go through the basket. But yeah, you just try not to get too high or get too low. You try to stay even-keeled. The season is so long. Like you said, I’ve had hot stretches, I’ve had cold slumps, and I know it comes and goes, but it’s always good to kind of break out of that and see the ball go through the basket. I had a good convo with coach this morning, but just been trusting my work. It’s part of the season, it’s part of the grind.”

Luke Kennard had his best game since his trade to the Grizzlies. Kennard finished with 12 points while converting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. 

And Kennard completed a beautiful play started off by Morant. Take a look here: 

Kennard comments after the win. 

Call 12 and Rookie Dunker 

Ja Morant led all scorers with 23 points, and added seven rebounds and four assists. 

Some say it was a statement win but Morant was cautious knowing there are more games to played and to him it was “just another win.”

Morant described his magnificent play in the third period: “I pretty much just went to chase the rebound. We were all kind of under the rim when the shot went up. It was a long rebound, and there were times when we had our struggles. We didn’t get that rebound right there, so I pretty much just gave it my all, went and got the rebound. I kind of tapped it. We both were kind of going for it and once I got control, I just did a couple of dribble moves to actually make sure I have control over the ball. He kind of slipped, and I just attacked the rack. Once I got by that first defender, I felt the other one behind me, and I pretty much just used me being in front to an advantage. Kind of just stopped and jumped back. He bumped me in the back and after that, it was just a basic left-hand layup, finishing the play. So yeah, just one of those plays. I kind of yelled out there and got lightheaded, so I probably won’t do that again.”

Take a look at this spectacular play: 

Xavier Tillman 

Tillman ended the game with 12 points on 6-6 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists while holding the front-runner for NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to 16 points 

Morant credited Tillman’s play since Steven Adams has been out due to injury. He said, “He’s been holding his own. Out there battling, giving it his all and playing very well on both of those guys who are two of the most dominant bigs in the game. A lot of credit goes to him for locking in, knowing what they want to get to and making everything tough for them.”

Tillman’s play earned him the walk-off interview. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the new look Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, February 28th at 6:30 pm CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Grind Out Win Against Spurs

Tyus Jones and Jaren Jackson, Jr. on January 10, 2022 against the San Antonio Spurs (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 121-113 to complete their seventh straight victory, which is the longest active winning streak in the association. 

Memphis’ record at home now stands at 17-3 after the victory. The Grizzlies improved to 27-13 on the season. 

Due to right thigh soreness, Ja Morant missed his second consecutive game. In Morant’s absence, Tyus Jones assumed the role of floor general and put on a performance of his own, leading all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting, six assists and three steals. 

After the game, Jones talked about his relationship with Morant. He said, “Me and Ja are extremely close. We’re always talking hoops and what we see to help one another out. Coming here, I knew what my role was going to be, but Ja was extremely open to welcoming me, welcoming that relationship, and that was extremely huge.” 

“You don’t always see that with No. 2 picks coming in with the keys to the franchise but still being open to learning or pointers, talking through what you see and just being a good teammate,” added Jones. “Our relationship has taken off since that first year with us both being point guards and both wanting to get better and not feeling like we know it all. That’s been huge. Both of us are humble enough to say we don’t know everything and talk the game through and take pointers from each other.”

Jones has scored 20 plus points in his last four starts. So what’s the secret behind Jones’ improved play? One word: confidence. 

The Duke alum said about the difference in his aggressiveness this season, “Just confidence. Confident in my abilities, confidence in my game. The guys in this locker room, this coaching staff are extremely confident in me as well and just give me that freedom to hoop. I’m just trying to take advantage of that, playing my game and doing what everybody needs me to do on a nightly basis. And if that’s scoring, if that’s being aggressive, looking to score, if that’s setting my guys up… just doing whatever it takes. That confidence is definitely there, and I can tell.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. continues to impress on both ends of the floor. The Block Panther finished with 16 points, six rebounds and back-to-back games with five blocked shots. The 23-year-old set new franchise records with 11 straight games of 2 or more blocks, surpassing Pau Gasol, and six-straight games with three or more blocks. He now ranks third in the NBA in total blocks (79) after having played just 24 games this season.

“There are so many great stretches that he’s done protecting the rim,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on Jackson’s rim protection. “He set a tone on that first quarter with multiple; I think there were a couple possessions. One, in particular, where he had two blocks on the same; he does that seemingly every single night.”

Jenkins continued: “It’s just very impressive what he does on both ends of the floor. I think he’s playing really well on the offensive end too. When he sets a tone defensively, that means a lot. We had him switch in, guarding shooters there. At one point in the fourth quarter, I thought he did a really good job. We know what he can do on the on the rim, protection wise. I’m not [going to] apply a grade, but this is definitely a great stretch.”

In the last seven games, Jackson is averaging 18.4 points, 7.1 rebounds,  3.9 blocks while shooting 55 percent from the field. 

Jackson believes he’s a better shot blocker now than he was in his younger years. He said, “I think guards were just worse back then, and I could just let them go by and surprise them, but now I think I’m definitely better. Who knows? It wasn’t really in my head to do all this. Blocking shots, like maybe a year ago, I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was just trying to stay out there, play solid defense and be stronger and just deter shots. Blocks are icing on the cake.”

Up Next 

Both teams will play again at FedExForum on Wednesday night, as Memphis looks to extend its win streak to a season-high eight straight games. 

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Morant, Jones Lead Grizzlies to Win Against Kings

Ja Morant and Steven Adams slap hands on January 1, 2023 in a match-up against the Sacramento Kings. Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

In a 118-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on New Year’s Day at FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies extended their winning streak to three games. This victory came on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Grizzlies improved to 15-3 at home and marked the first time in team history that a game had been played on New Year’s Day in Memphis.

With the win, Memphis raised their record to 23-13 that has them in a tie for second place in the West with the New Orleans Pelicans, and one game behind the first place Denver Nuggets. 

As Kool Moe Dee said, “The Wild, Wild West.”

Ja Doing Ja Things 

There were plenty of Ja-dropping plays on Sunday for Ja Morant, who led all scorers with a game-high 35 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. 

“It’s gotta be a mindset – you got to want it,” Morant said after the game. You just have to come out and be ready to play from top to bottom. It has to be everybody.” 

“That’s our message right now to each other as a team,” Morant added. “We got to come out and play, no matter if we play a Western Conference or Eastern Conference team, or if we play on a team who is down main guys. We got to still come out and play and go out and make a statement and win the basketball game.”

Stones

Tyus Jones was a man on a mission on Sunday night against the Kings. Jones has been struggling as of late, but he started the new year off with 18 points, eight assists, and six rebounds off the bench. Stones tied his career high with 3-pointers made by going 5-of-7 from the long line. 

Take a look at a point guard to point guard connection between Jones and Morant. 

Morant talked about his synergy with Jones:

After the game, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had high praise for Jones. Jenkins said, “No matter what his role is: Come off the bench, be a starter, play with different lineups, play longer stretches, shorter stretches – when he has an aggressive mentality, it’s usually good for Tyus.”

King of Rebounds 

Steven Adams had a really productive night for his team. 

Career-high with 13 offensive rebounds ☑

Career-high tying 23 total rebounds ☑

First player in franchise history with consecutive 20+ rebound games ☑

Tied franchise record for rebounds in any two-game span (44) ☑

“I mean, it’s just part of our job as the bigs,” said Adams on his contributions to help his team win in the trenches. “It’s just part of our coverage. We enjoy just getting a stop, so we don’t have to play any more defense. That’s the main thing. The less defense we could play, the better.” 

Adams continued, “That’s why we try and emphasize the defensive rebounding, that’s why it is such a demoralizing thing if you give out offensive rebounds, then you have a 14-second shot clock while you have to play defensive again. So, just trying to be active. I think I’m more comfortable in the system, getting more calm. Last year was a bit of a learning curve on how players move and if they were in front or not; it’s kind of weird reads on the body language, but I’m getting used to just reading the players a bit better when they need help and when not to.”

The Block Panther 

Jaren Jackson, Jr. finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Jackson had two blocks on the same possession against the Kings’ Malik Monk. He also had six blocked shots on New Year’s Eve against the Pelicans. The All-Defensive First Team big man is making his case as one of the best rim protectors in the game. Ask Malik Monk; he didn’t dare to try to get a bucket again with The Block Panther lurking at the rim. In 20 games, Jackson Jr. is averaging 3.2 blocks. 

A Special Gift

A young fan, Zander Carr, was gifted with a pair of Morant’s signature shoes, Ja 1, after the game. 

“I can tell – I actually saw him during warm up, so I could tell how big of a fan he was,” said Morant on giving the fan his shoes after the game. He was screaming my name, cheering for me making shots from warmup. So, I knew he was a big fan, and I’m actually doing this thing where I give a pair of my shoes out.” 

Morant went on to say, “Obviously, I know a lot of people want them right now, and it’s not released yet in stores and online. I read the sign and, from then on, I knew who was getting a pair of shoes, and you can tell how much he wanted it and loved it.”

Morant has a campaign going with the hashtag #Jas12DaysOfChristmas where 12 fans will be selected to receive a pair of Ja 1s on January 12th. 

“It’s a great thing to see,” Morant added. “Leaves you speechless when you see somebody is that big a fan of you to burst out and cry, and then there, it was even more crazy to notice his mom crying as well. I know that touched both of their hearts, and that’s something that I’ll never forget.” 

Yes, Zander and his mom will never forget the gift and kindness of Morant for his birthday. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies look to extend their winning streak against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday in Charlotte. Tip-off: 6 pm CT.

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Grizzlies Fall in Denver

Ja Morant (Credit: Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

After a seven-game winning streak, the Memphis Grizzlies have now dropped back-to-back games. And the schedule doesn’t get any easier. On Tuesday night at Ball Arena, the Denver Nuggets defeated Memphis 105-91 to take the number one spot in the Western Conference standing.  

Memphis’ record now stands at 19-11 overall and 6-9 on the road.

A slow start reared its ugly head for Memphis again, as Denver held the Grizzlies to just 14 points in the first period. “It’s just our mentality, we’ve got to be more focused,” said Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones after the loss. “We can’t ease our way into the game, especially against a good ball club like that. We can’t ease our way into the game and try to feel out how the game is going to be, and then we’re playing from a deficit the rest of the way and even if you’re playing with the ball, the margins of error are so slim that we have to play great basketball the rest of the way to continue to chip away at that lead.

“It’s just being more focused and locked in, trying to be the aggressors,” Jones added. “We’ve got to be the aggressors coming out from the jump. We had been playing like that. The last couple of games now we’ve been a little more relaxed and we have to get back to playing Grizzlies’ ball.” Jones finished with five points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Center Steven Adams conceited that it is very difficult to win on the road, even though last season Memphis went 26-15 on the road. He said, “It’s hard to win on the road, regardless. But most of all, I think everyone’s just trying to win the game, regardless. In terms of development, I think there’s plenty of times like last year, that I wouldn’t give us that easy of an excuse. We came out like shit. We did well actually in the second quarter, third quarter, and in the fourth quarter was kind of like the first.” Adams chipped in four points and 10 rebounds.

Memphis is now 8-8 against the Western Conference and Jones understands the team has to put forth a better effort than the last two games. “We can’t sneak up on anybody,” Jones admitted. “We knew that going into this year, we’re 30 games in now and we’ve got to know that, but it still takes some getting used to.”

Jones continued, “It’s a long season, it’s a lot of games, and it takes a lot to get up every single night, especially when you’re not going to sneak up on anybody. That’s what’s testing us and that’s how we’re going to continue to grow as a team and continue to get better. We’re a work in progress still. I’ve still got things to get better on and we’re not hanging our heads. We’re continuing to look at ourselves in the mirror, look at the drawing board, and figure out how we’re going to take steps forward.”

Ja Morant continues to put on MVP-caliber performances on a nightly basis. The South Carolina native finished with 35 points and 10 assists in 38 minutes of play. 

To round it off, Jaren Jackson, Jr. continued his defensive dominance with a game-high five blocks and three steals to go along with eight points. It marks the fifth time this season the 23-year-old has swatted five or more shots. Jackson is averaging 3.2 blocks on the season. 

Up Next

No rest for the weary. The Grizzlies are headed to Phoenix to take on the Suns Friday night and are heading to San Francisco for its first ever Christmas Day game against the defending champs, Golden State Warriors.  

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Tyus Jones Lifts Grizzlies Past Miami Heat

Tyus Jones (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The ‘hero’ on Monday night was Tyus and not Tyler (Herro) for the Memphis Grizzlies. Not all heroes wear capes but they might have ‘Stones.’

Tyus Jones, aka Stones, stepped up in the absence of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, Jr., and sharpshooter Desmond Bane to secure a 101-93 victory over the Miami Heat. 

Jones finished with a career-high 28 points, and added 10 assists, and two steals while shooting 10-of-16 to help the Grizzlies to improve to 15-9 on the season. 

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins talked about the importance of having Jones when Morant is sidelined. “When Ja [Morant] is out, for Tyus to step in … he’s had a couple of moments so far this season with Ja out,” said Jenkins. “This was definitely his best game with Ja out, and obviously with [Jaren Jackson Jr.] and [John Konchar] out.”

Jenkins added, “He is back because he means so much to us beyond just a game like tonight. It’s every single night. The spirit he plays with, coming off the bench, playing with the starters, with the bench unit … the leadership, his growth as a player, as a person. … He means so much to us. He’s a Grizzly. That’s why we wanted him back. He’s got a huge impact on our culture, a huge impact on winning. So, that’s why Stones.”

“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and I will continue to say it,” Jones said after the game. “I view myself as a starter in this league. I feel like I am a starter in this league, I just come off the bench. I have no shame in that.”

Jones continued, “I love being in Memphis. I take pride in it. I take pride in my role as part of this ball club. When I’m called upon to start, I’m very confident and comfortable in that role, as well. I think Coach [Taylor Jenkins] and the rest of my teammates are comfortable and confident in that, too. Part of the reason why I’m here is that I can fill in when [Ja Morant] needs a night and try to continue to steady the ship.”

Santi Aldama tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds off of 66.7 percent from the field to secure his second double-double of the season. 

Aldama said he was feeling it when he woke up. 

Memphis’ own Kennedy Chandler had his breakout game of the season. Chandler stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, five assists, and three rebounds, plus two steals and a block. 

Memphis limited the Heat to one of its lowest shooting percentages of the year, holding them to 39 percent from the field. 

Finally, Memphis went 100 percent from the free throw line, thanks in part to Jones, who went 5-for-5. Let me repeat that again, Memphis went 100 percent from the free throw line!! The Grizzlies only shot nine free throws but any improvement is to celebrated, since free throw shooting has been a nagging issue.

Grizzlies color analyst Brevin Knight jokingly said he warned Grizzlies play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica not to mention anything about the free throws. Knight said later on social media, “You can never be surprised by this Memphis Grizzlies squad. Missing four rotation guys and playing the second night of a back-to=back against a rested veteran team and it didn’t matter. Everyone was huge and Tyus Jones was special.”

Next Man Up

The Grizzlies have made the next man up mentality an integral element of the team culture.

“Nothing changes,” Jenkins said about the bench stepping up in starters absence. “Day in and day out, how we approach our work, our individual development, our team development, the next-man-up mentality. We just say, ‘Go out and play Grizzlies basketball.’ We approach our practices the same way, our shootarounds, our offensive philosophies, defensive philosophies. We don’t change how we coach. We don’t change how we celebrate for each other. We navigate each day.”

Jenkins went on to say, “That was a special win last year at the end of the season (over the Phoenix Suns). But tonight is a great example of guys just staying ready. That’s what I told the guys in the locker room, especially guys I haven’t played a whole lot. That’s Grizzlies basketball. That’s Grizzlies prep. That’s the Grizzlies standard. That’s how we operate.”

Tidbits 

Ziaire Williams is close to his season debut. He was upgraded from out to doubtful. Jenkins talked about his progress before the game. “We’re getting closer. I don’t have a definitive date. He did some five-on-five with the Hustle, and had a great play group there.” 

“It’s very beneficial that our Hustle team is available with their schedule,” added Jenkins. “The opportunity to play five-on-five against other pro players has been great. He’s progressing really well and responding to everything well every day after the workloads we’re providing him.”  

Jenkins concluded, “I think this is the second or third time he’s gotten in on five-on-five. We’ll just kind of recalibrate, see how tomorrow goes and dress Wednesday, and we have a game on Friday as well. So, potential in the next week or so.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Tip-off: 7pm CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Do or Die: The Grizzlies Must Win in San Francisco

Growl Towels: Ain't Ducking No Smoke from Game 5 - Warriors at Grizzlies (Credit: Sharon Brown)

Wednesday night’s 134-95 victory over the Golden State Warriors demonstrated the Grizzlies’ “next-man up” mentality in face of elimination. 

Ja Morant is doubtful throughout the remainder of the playoffs with a right knee bone bruise. 

“I mean, this is definitely impressive, but to use our player’s phrase, we deep,” said Taylor Jenkins on winning without Morant. “I mean, we’re deep. It’s as simple as that. I think we say that, not arrogantly. We say that confidently because anybody that steps out on the floor can make an impact for us.”

Jenkins added, “A lot of different guys stepped up. It’s really impressive, no matter who’s out. Ja’s out, anyone else goes out, our guys rally and compete, and tonight was a big win for us.”

“Next man up mentality,” said Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks about playing without Morant. “We know how to respond. … We know how to play with each other better than any team in the NBA. We continuously find ways to keep up in our play. So, it’s just a fun style to play and it starts with the defensive end. Everyone bought in on the defensive end. Guarding, trying to get deflections, rebounding, and it builds into our offense.”

“It almost seems like whenever somebody thinks we can’t do something,” said Desmond Bane after the massive win, “we end up doing it. I never want to put a limit on what we can do, because anything’s possible.”

Tonight the Grizzlies will face the Warriors in San Francisco for Game 6 and will be a must-win to avoid elimination. Here are some things Memphis should do to force Game 7 in Memphis: 

Go big again

With Steven Adams back in the starting lineup, the Grizzlies dominated the offensive glass and outrebounded the Warriors for the first time during the series. Rebounding helped the team finish the regular season with the second-best record in the league. 

Memphis’ +18 rebounding advantage (55-37) in Game 5 swung the game in their favor. As a result, they had a 24-5 advantage in second-chance points. 

Prior to the last game, the Warriors have been winning the rebounding battle. Adams is a key factor for the Grizzlies both offensively and defensively.

“Steve-O [Steven Adams] will find a way to feed them in the paint,” said Brooks. “Same with Jaren, and once we get able to establish the paint, it’s easy for us to make threes. We relentlessly crash the boards. Relentlessly played off the catch and drag their close-outs.” 

“Then, ultimately, it opens up the three, so we have a complete game tonight,” continued Brooks. “It lets me know we’ve got to bring that on the road and keep that same effort and energy on the defensive.”

Make JJJ the focal point on offense

In Game 5, Jenkins made it a point to go to Jaren Jackson Jr. early and often. He finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. JJJ converted on 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. 

He’s been hearing a lot lately about how he needs to be more aggressive.

After the blowout win against the Warriors, Jackson told reporters, “Be aggressive. Take what they give me. Depending on who’s guarding me, probably depends on what I’m going to do. I mean, they want me to be aggressive, so I’m just doing me.”

Tyus Jones said, “It makes my job easy. I tell Jaren every night, dominate. That should be his mindset.”

Jenkins said after Wednesday’s game, “I want to get him going early in the game because I knew he was going to be a big factor early in the game, late in the game. He’s going to be a big factor for the rest of the series.”

“He’s the key,” Brooks told reporters after Game 5. “They got no one to guard him. No one to stop him. He needs to keep demanding the ball. The Warriors are going to have to adjust and double team him soon, and he’s going to have to learn how to pass the ball out to get his teammates shots, and that’s what he needs to do.”

Brooks added, “I try to tell him to stay aggressive, and you’re a walking mismatch out there for every single player that guards you. So just keep attacking.”

Jackson also needs to stay out of foul trouble. 

Everybody eats

Jones and Bane must replicate their performances from Wednesday. 

Jones ended the game with 21 points, nine assists, two steals, and zero turnovers plus he shot 4 of 7 from the three point line. Game 6 has to be the best game of his career as a scorer, passer and playmaker. He has run a consistent offense to avoid getting stagnant like it did late in Game 4. 

“We’re hungry — we’re fighting,” Jones said. “We’re fighting because our season is on the line at this point. And so, you know, we’re just fighting. We’re going to need these guys every single night from here on out. Simple as that. They stepped up. They showed up for us. We’re going to need that again Friday.”

Bane finished with 21 points like both Jackson and Jones. He connected with 4 of 6 three point shots. The Grizzlies need him to shoot lights out like he did in the first round series against the Timberwolves. 

The bench squad has to show up and show out. Last game Memphis bench outscored the Warriors reserves 52-35. Brandon Clarke and company must produce in order to extend the series. 

Will these young Grizzlies continue to do the impossible? Will they upset the Warriors and advance to the Western Conference Finals?

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall in Game 1 Thriller, But Game 2 is on the Horizon

Ja Morant takes flight against Malik Beasley. Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Sunday afternoon in Memphis, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors put on a fantastic show before a sold-out crowd at FedExForum and a national TV audience on ABC. It is the first time in franchise history that Memphis has hosted Game 1 of a playoff series after the first round. The Grizzlies fell to the Golden State Warriors in a nail-biting contest, 117-116.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with a near triple-double, 34 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had another breakout game with his best game of the entire season. Jackson finished with a double-double with 33 points and grabbed 10 boards. “It was cool — got going,” said Jackson on knocking down 6-of-9 from 3-point shots. “They were finding me. I mean my teammates just found me. You know, when you hit a couple the rim kind of looks bigger. Not really thinking about much, just letting it go. So yeah, it just felt good right there.”

“They are a really good defensive team,” Jordan Poole said about the Grizzlies. “They are long and athletic so [I’ve] got to find ways to get into the seams and be aggressive but also make the right plays because they feed off of energy and turnovers.”

“I mean pick your poison. He is so good at hitting in the key and I don’t think you know,” said Klay Thompson on Morant. Three-point shooting is not his strongest attribute — so when he gets in the lane and gets other guys involved, that’s when they’re really dangerous. We just tried to limit his impact around the rim because obviously he’s one of the best in the NBA when it comes to finishing down there and kicking out the three-point shooters.” 

In spite of the loss, the Grizzlies and their season will not be defined by this one game. 

Keys on how the Grizzlies Can Win Game 2

Win the rebounding battle 

Golden State out-rebounded Memphis 51-47. However, what hurt the Grizzlies the most was the fourth quarter rebounding disparity. The Warriors grabbed 15 crucial rebounds to Memphis’ nine. To break that down further, Warriors had 10 defensive rebounds and five offensive rebounds while the Grizzlies only had three offensive and six defensive rebounds. Memphis seriously needs to clean that up especially in the final period. 

“We just got to get the ball — find a way to get the ball,”  said Jackson on the team’s rebounding struggles in Game 1. “If they shoot deep threes, it’s going to be different types of bounces. Can’t get the ball under the rim so you got to just fan out. It was just some tough bounces there. Credit to the way it was getting off the rim, it’s tough. Some of those were tough.”

“[We] gave up too many second chance points,” said Morant after Game 1 against the Warriors. “Gave up 26 — gave up 18 fast break points. Definitely not something we want to give up and play a factor in this game.”

“I feel like that’s where we kind of messed up,” Morant said about the long rebounds off three point shots. “Felt like we were running to the rim on their shots. There were some long rebounds, 50/50 balls we got to come up with this team. We can’t allow them second chances or any open looks and they pretty much made us pay for it.”

Win the paint battle 

The Grizzlies strive better when they are winning the points in the paint battle. Although they connected with more three-pointers than the Warriors, it may not be sustainable. Memphis led the league in paint scoring at 57.1; however, Golden State outmatched them in the paint by 12 points (56-44). Instead of seeking contested three-pointers, the Grizzlies should find their way inside if the shots are there. 

This can’t happen in Game 2, if so Memphis will be in some serious trouble. Morant led the league with 16.6 in the regular season and the Warriors baited him into shooting more threes. Morant went 4 of 11 from beyond the arch. Although Morant was successful in the paint, he shot 58.8 percent in that area. 

Jackson must remain available

JJJ was a one-man wrecking crew against the Warriors. “Whoever is there really — I work on my game enough to deal with anyone,” said Jackson on post mismatches. “So yeah, you want to seek out a mismatch but it’s just about getting to your spot, really. Do what you work on.”

However, availability is required. In the first round, JJJ averaged 4.9 fouls per game in the playoffs, with seven games in total. To have him available at all times will be beneficial to the Grizzlies on and off the court. In order for Memphis to advance to the Western Conference finals, JJJ will be a key player in that process. A big question going into Game 2 is whether or not he can equal his offensive output. Jackson had a true shooting percentage of 75.1 in Game 1. 

Better output from the bench 

After limited minutes in the first round, De’Anthony Melton returned to the lineup in Game 1 and made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. We are so used to three or four guys off the bench that can score in double figures on any given night. 

“[Melton] was phenomenal, staying ready,” said Taylor Jenkins on Melton’s Game 1 performance. “Wasn’t really in the rotation at the tail end of the last series, but just have a lot of faith in him, what he’s been doing all season long, staying ready. He’s had a good regular season overall, but especially against the Warriors. He was a huge boost for us tonight. Good stuff defensively, but obviously his shot making, 50/50, winning plays throughout the game. He was great tonight.”

Tyus Jones hit some big shots in the series against Minnesota. His offense is needed for Game 2 and beyond. According to reports, Jones wasn’t happy with the bench’s performance.

Have fun

When the team is having fun, they click on all cylinders and demoralize their opponents. Instead of overthinking, they need to go out and play as freely as possible. Match the intensity of the Warriors while having fun. The team is great at supporting one another on and off the court. It will be crucial to have fun and play their game to secure the win inside FedExForum at 191 Beale Street.

Fans in attendance will receive an awesome Growl towel: