7:30 PM EST, TNT – Line: Memphis -5.5, Over/Under: 232.0
As the regular season winds down, a pair of teams looking to ascend up very different parts of the standings clash tonight in Memphis, as the upstart Grizzlies look to keep pressure on the top of the West as they host the suddenly hot New Orleans Pelicans tonight from FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. For the better part of 2021-2022 it appeared that the Pelicans (27-37, 10th in Western Conference) were indeed headed to a second consecutive disappointing campaign marred by dysfunction. On their third Head Coach in three seasons, New Orleans was hoping that Willie Green would be the man to unlock the considerable potential of the young nucleus that (General Manager) David Griffin had assembled over the past few years; the Pels have horded draft capitol following various trades, along with acquiring a wealth of young talent in the form of (lithe Swingman) Brandon Ingram (22.8 PTS, 46.2% FG, 33.5% 3FG, 81.6% FT, 5.7 REB, 5.5 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.5 BLK, 18.8 PER) and (former No. One Overall Pick) Zion Williamson. However, while the former has certainly developed into a formidable offensive threat, the promising career of the latter has continued to be hindered by injuries, with an ailing foot and a seriously lengthy rehab keeping him from taking the hardwood this season. One of the more underrated sagas in the National Basketball Association this season, Zion’s road back from surgery has been full of pitfalls, with an additional injection back in December further delaying his return to the court, while his relationship with the team, particularly Griffin, has drawn plenty of criticism from around the league and the media. In three years since being tabbed as the NBA’s next generational talent, the 21-year-old has played in just eighty-five games, and while the talent is absolutely there, it’s become a serious question as to whether his body will permit him to unlock his lofty potential. In an attempt to further the healing process, the Pelicans agreed to send him to Portland, Oregon for a specialized rehabilitation routine, so that he could get away from all the noise. In the meantime, New Orleans has finally found their rhythm under Green’s watch, winning four consecutive games following the All-Star Break before Sunday night’s entertaining 138-130 loss at the Nuggets (more on that shortly). So, what in the name of Baron Davis has happened to the Pels, you ask? Well, the biggest change came at the Trade Deadline, when Griffin acquired the services of (sharpshooting Guard) CJ McCollum (26.1 PTS, 51.8% FG, 40.3% 3FG, 75.0% FT, 5.7 REB, 6.1 AST, 1.3 STL, 25.0 PER) in a deal with the Trail Blazers, bringing a veteran backcourt presence who could stretch the floor and create spacing for Ingram and (veteran Center) Jonas Valanciunas (17.8 PTS, 53.7% FG, 37.6% 3FG, 81.4% FT, 11.6 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.9 BLK, 20.7 PER) to operate. Since the trade the team is 5-5, with the 30-year-old fitting in quite nicely; after missing eighteen straight games in Portland due to a partially collapsed lung, McCollum has turned up in the Big Easy, averaging 26.1 points per game on an efficient 51.8% shooting from the field, including 40.3% from beyond the arc, along with 5.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals in ten games. During that four-game winning streak, in which they hammered the West-leading Suns (117-102) and the Jazz (124-90), Green’s troops were dominant on both ends of the hardwood, scoring 122.3 points on 51.4% shooting from the floor and 34.7% from downtown, dishing out a healthy 27.5 assists in comparison to committing 12.5 turnovers, all the while relegating the opposition to 95.5 points on a scant 39.8% shooting and 25.3% from three. Furthermore, they’ve bullied their opponents on the glass (+10.2), while forcing nearly as many turnovers (17.0) as assists permitted (18.3). Ingram has really shown out during this run, posting averages of 29.4 points on a staggering 58.5% shooting, with 5.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, adding further physicality to his game evidenced by getting to the charity stripe eleven times against Phoenix and thirteen more at Denver. Currently occupying the final play-in spot in the Western Conference, if the Pelicans can maintain this momentum, then they could become a serious threat to move up the playoff field; trailing the Lakers by just 1.5 games in the standings and having humiliated them in a 123-95 affair a week ago, this team has become dangerous and in a one-off battle, they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
When we last saw the Pelicans, their winning streak came to a halt in a thrilling overtime loss at the Nuggets, which saw the visitors overcome a 21-point deficit int he first half to force extra time. Indeed, Green’s charges started slowly in this one, as they were outscored 35-19 in the first quarter, shooting just 8-of-21 from the field (38.1%) opposite the hosts who were THRIVING on 14-of-20 shooting (70.0%). However, New Orleans would turn the tables in relatively short order, outscoring Denver 75-49 over the course of the second and third periods. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter featured (reigning MVP) Nikola Jokic doing MVP things, scoring TWENTY-THREE of his forty-six points to force overtime, where the home side finished off the contest on a 12-0 run. In the end, the Pels shot 47.5% from the floor, including 14-of-33 from beyond the arc (42.4%), though missed nine of their twenty-nine free-throws, which played a role in their defeat. Though they were fluid offensively with thirty assists on forty-eight field goals, their biggest problem was that they had NO answer for Jokic and the Nuggets on the defensive end, where they were torched on 54.0% shooting and thirty-two assists, while sending the Nuggets to the free-throw line for FORTY-THREE attempts leading to 14-point advantage. Furthermore, Denver ousted them in transition (24-12), and throttled them in the paint (60-42), fueled by Jokic’s historic stat line (46 PTS, 12 REB, 11 AST, 3 STL, 4 BLK). The towering Serbian overshadowed an excellent performance from Ingram, who went off for thirty-eight points on 12-of-24 shooting (50.0%), 3-of-7 from three (42.9%), and 11-of-13 from the stripe (84.6%), while McCollum chipped in with twenty-four points on 9-of-19 shooting (47.4%), five rebounds, and nine assists. Valanciunas did his best to combat Jokic, finishing with nineteen points and fourteen rebounds, while (young Guard) Devonte’ Graham (12.6 PTS, 36.0% FG, 34.4% 3FG, 83.1% FT, 2.5 REB, 4.3 AST, 0.9 STL, 12.0 PER) scored a dozen points on 4-of-10 shooting (40.0%) and 3-of-7 from the perimeter (42.9%). Looking ahead, after this battle with fellow Southwest Division denizen, Memphis, they will be presented with a golden opportunity to keep moving upward; a four-game homestand featuring the likes of the Magic, Hornets, and Rockets, before concluding the Suns is a soft stretch that they simply MUST take advantage of if they wish to snap this four-year postseason drought. One way or another, we’re about to learn an awful lot about these Pelicans over the next few weeks and making a statement against the Grizzlies would be a great place to start.
Meanwhile, arguably the most difficult thing to do in sports isn’t necessarily going from point A to point B, but rather from B to C, which is something that the Grizzlies (44-22, 3rd in Western Conference) are mastering this season, asserting themselves as a legitimate power out West. After going a meager 72-73 over the course of his first two years in Memphis, (Head Coach) Taylor Jenkins has overseen a wealth of internal growth in year three, filling the power vacuum left by the Lakers and Clippers and molding themselves into one of the most impressive groups in the NBA, regardless of their age or (lack of) experience. With that said, the campaign didn’t necessarily start out this way for the Grizz, who by the end of November were very much treading water at 11-10, only to put their foot on the gas and win thirty-three of their next forty-five games, including eight out of ten in the month of February. During this period, they’ve averaged 115.7 points per game on 46.6% shooting from the field, including 34.3% from beyond the arc, along with 25.4 assists in comparison to 12.4 turnovers, while utterly ANNIHILATING the opposition on the glass (+7.8), particularly on the offensive end where they’re a healthy +4.5. So, what in the name of Hubie Brown is going on in Memphis you ask? Well, it all comes back to that internal growth that referenced earlier, and no player on the roster embodies that more so than (All-Star Point Guard) Ja Morant (27.6 PTS, 49.4% FG, 34.2% 3FG, 76.1% FT, 5.8 REB, 6.6 AST, 1.2 STL, 25.1 PER), who ascended into superstardom in this, his third season in the Association. Back when Jenkins and (General Manager) Zachary Kleiman chose him second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, all attention was paid to the guy chosen before him (the aforementioned Williamson), but three years later there is ZERO question as to who has become the superior performer; no pun intended, but Morant has taken a MAJOR leap in 2021-2022, posting career-highs in a slew of categories including points (27.6), field goal percentage (49.4%), three-point percentage (34.3%), two-point percentage (53.8%), rebounds (5.8), steals (1.2), and PER (25.1). And for all intents and purposes, he’s getting even better, for over the last seven games alone he’s authored a whopping 35.5 points on 49.7% shooting from the field, including 38.5% from downtown, along with 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, while knocking down 9.1 free-throws a night, highlighted by a career high FIFTY-TWO points in last week’s 118-105 victory over the Spurs. With all that said, it’s awfully ironic that this current run of form was sparked without the 22-year-yold dynamo, who was nursing a sprained ankle back in early December when Memphis began their ascension; 10-1 during that period, credit the supporting cast for learning how to be effective without their star, with a number of young talents making their own evolutional leap. (Versatile Forward) Jaren Jackson Jr. (16.3 PTS, 41.4% FG, 31.1% 3FG, 79.9% FT, 6.0 REB, 1.0 AST, 1.0 STL, 2.2 BLK, 17.0 PER), who was selected fourth overall in the draft prior to Morant’s, is slowly becoming the two-way force that Jenkins and Kleiman envisioned, even if it has only been in spurts. Furthermore, (sharpshooting Swingman) Desmond Bane (17.8 PTS, 45.5% FG, 41.2% 3FG, 90.7% FT, 4.4 REB 2.5 AST, 1.1 STL, 16.7 PER) has brought some sorely needed spacing to the equation, while (bullish Guard) Dillon Brooks (18.4 PTS, 42.6% FG, 32.7% 3FG, 88.9% FT, 3.3 REB, 2.7 AST, 1.3 STL, 15.8 PER) brings plenty of attitude and tenacity on both ends of the hardwood. Add a veteran Center such as Steven Adams (7.2 PTS, 55.5% FG, 55.3% FT, 9.8 REB, 3.4 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.8 BLK, 17.9 PER) to the mix and you have a hungry, young group that has been nothing short of entertaining to watch, leading the NBA in transition points and opportunities, thanks in large to their penchant for forcing turnovers; the Grizzlies have logged 15.0 takeaways per game (7th Overall) and posted a turnover percentage of 13.3% (6th Overall), while pacing the NBA in both steals (9.9) and blocks (6.3). As we hinted at earlier, they also put in plenty of work on the glass, for not only are they the league’s top rebounding side (49.2), they’re also its most prolific offensive rebounding unit too, securing 14.0 a night, along with a healthy percentage of 29.9% (1st Overall), which of course leads to a wealth of easy second chance points. Getting easy buckets is something that great teams do in spades, and the Grizz are no different, with a whopping 74.4% of their field goals coming from within the three-point arc. However, that run of success has hit a bit of a wall of late, as Jenkins troops have dropped two of their last three outings, double-digit losses to the Celtics (120-107) and the lowly Rockets (123-112). As good as they’ve been defensively this season, that simply hasn’t been the case in these contests; against Boston they were eviscerated for 51.7% shooting, were outrebounded 51-44, and permitted a whopping thirty-three assists, while we’re about to get into that poor performance in Houston shortly. Memphis could really benefit from the return of the aforementioned Brooks, who serves as their physical, defensive presence on the perimeter, with his attitude and energy oftentimes proving infectious. After missing thirty-one of their last thirty-three games with an ailing ankle, word out of the Grizzlies camp is that he should be back at some point this month, with the 26-year-old continuing to take part in non-contact drills.
When we last saw the Grizzlies, they dropped their second game in three contests, this time to the Southwest cellar-dwelling Rockets, who stunned them in that aforementioned 123-112 affair from Toyota Center. After outscoring the hosts 34-27 n the first quarter, Memphis appeared to gradually run out of gas over the course of the following three periods of play, in which they were bested 96-78. In the second half alone, they were ousted 71-50, shooting a meager 37.0% from the field, including just 3-of-11 from beyond the arc (27.3%), and were outrebounded 26-17. Morant looked particularly gassed, scoring half of his dozen points from the charity stripe, while shooting only 3-of-11 from the floor (27.3%), with as many turnovers as assists (2). However, the aforementioned Bane did his best to keep the visitors in it, totaling twenty-one of his twenty-eight points post-intermission, knocking down 8-of-17 attempts overall (47.1%) and 3-of-6 from downtown (50.0%). Unfortunately, as was the case in Beantown, they simply couldn’t get many stops against a team that had previously won just fifteen games all season; Houston shot a torrid 58.1% in the second half, including 8-of-16 from three (50.0%), where they outscored the Grizz by fifteen points in that regard. The most telling number from Monday night’s defeat was the fourteen assists that they permitted in the second half in comparison to forcing only three turnovers. We touched upon how Jenkins’ troops thrive off the extra opportunities created by forcing turnovers and their lack of pressure on the ball was VERY telling, which stood in stark contrast to the fourteen takeaways they logged in the first thirty minutes of action. In the end, Memphis outscored them in the paint (72-56) and in transition (17-10), while also holding a sizable advantage in points off turnovers (24-19) but couldn’t compete with the Rockets from deep (-24) and couldn’t keep them off the stripe either (24-of-36). Morant’s fatigue was on full display, shooting 35.0% on the night, with nearly as many turnovers (5) as assists (6), while apart from Bane and Adams, who surprised with a season-high twenty-three points, the rest of the rotation offered very little, totaling just thirty-nine points on 17-of-44 shooting (38.6%). Needless to say, this is NOT the time for the Grizzlies to fall into a malaise; trailing the Suns by eight games and standing tied with the Warriors for second place in the Western Conference, this period of time has been a golden opportunity for Memphis to advance, particularly given the former has and will continue to be without Chris Paul for the foreseeable future, while the latter has been without Draymond Green for months. What we’re seeing at the moment is this group’s youth and inexperience coming back to bite them, with how they continue to grow down the stretch likely telling us what we can expect from them in the playoffs.