We're all in this together
The playoffs are a grind and the Grizzlies and their fans are feeling the pressure as the team sits on the brink of elimination
I can only speak for myself, but this first round series against the Lakers has been brutal.
As a basketball and overall hoops fan, I am more than aware of the physical and emotional drain that the playoffs present. The late nights spent watching the guys play on the west coast can set the mood and tone for days following the contest.
It’s obviously an elevated grind for the players, but the playoffs bring a certain level of stress and exhaustion to hardcore fans as well.
This matchup with the Lakers is probably one of the worst possible playoff matchups for the Grizzlies - especially for an opening round.
Anthony Davis has been a menace in the paint on defense, stifling the Grizzlies field goal percentage at the rim by 7 percentage points when in the game. That’s a huge difference for a team whose bread and butter is getting to the rack and converting on close-range attempts.
The Dillon Brooks performances have been eyeball clawing and have brought about many cringe moments with his putrid three point shooting and off-court antics.
Not gonna lie, when he had the “I poke bears” quote following the game 2 win, I was pumped up and on team Dillon. But I should have known that ice-cold shooting performances were coming down the pipe and that I would only be setting myself up for disappointment with false hopes of efficient performances.
Over the years I have visited Dillon Brooks island many times. Especially as his WWE-esque persona has developed. It’s all highly entertaining when he is acting out and pushing his “Memphis vs errrrrbody” agenda and the guys are winning. However, choosing to avoid the media after two painful losses is not it. If you want the smoke, you have to take the smoke, win or lose. That is something that Brooks clearly doesn’t understand. Honestly, that doesn’t disappoint me as much as Ja Morant also avoiding the media. He is supposed to be the leader of the team and that means owning up to results in front of the world. So far in this series, other guys like Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. have taken the brunt of the post-game questions and have done it admirably. Maybe the recent disappointment and adversity has revealed who the true locker room leaders are.
Thanks for reading The BarnBurner - Memphis Grizzlies Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
A major item of note this series is how the Grizzlies have failed to have guys step up on offense when needed. In order to win a series, you have to have a few things. Your go-to guys have to outperform the opponent’s top players on a consistent basis and you have to have random guys rise to the occasion and give you a game or two where they are difference makers.
Xavier Tillman did this in his impressive performance in game 2. He earned his annual salary in that game alone.
As a whole, the Grizzlies stars have not consistently performed up to the level needed from them. Morant had his impressive offensive outburst in game 3, but it was too little, way too late. Memphis also wasted the first high scoring game from Desmond Bane in game 4. Jackson had his big offensive game at the outset of the series, but again, the Grizzlies failed to capitalize.
So far this series, Rui Hachimura has single-handedly outscored the Grizzlies’ bench.
The big difference in this series so far is that the Lakers’ role players are hitting shots while the Grizzlies’ aren’t.
Of the Grizzlies who lead the team in 3PA for the series, the results are painful.
Desmond Bane - 10/35 (28.5%)
Dillon Brooks - 6/27 (22.2%)
Ja Morant - 9/19 (47.4%)
David Roddy - 5/17 (29.41%)
Jaren Jackson Jr. - 4/14 (28.6%)
Luke Kennard - 6/13 (46.15%)
Luke Kennard is 6th on the team in minutes played in this series with 89 total minutes. He started off the series with consistent run of around 25 minutes per contest in the first three games, but in game four, where the Grizzlies shot 21% from three, Kennard only saw the floor for 14 minutes.
I have a hard time understanding this discrepancy. In a series where the lane is a no-fly zone with AD anchoring the paint, the ability to hit a three point shot has come at a premium for Memphis. To not play one of the best three point shooters in the league more than 14 minutes in an overtime game is a tough pill to swallow.
Yes, the Lakers are acutely aware of Kennard’s ability and don’t give him much space, but in order to execute on that strategy, it involves pulling another defender out of the paint. That spacing goes a long way in allowing Ja, Bane, and others to get to the rack and create opportunities.
It’s so hard for Memphis to score in this series. I’m in favor of sacrificing a little defense in order to generate some offense.
One interesting note from game 4 is that both teams got to the rim at a high rate, but neither team could hit jack once they got there.
This series has been a bloodbath akin to basketball from 5-10 years ago and I don’t expect anything different in game 5.