PHOENIX — Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. were the first to walk through the tunnel following the final buzzer, but it was their silence amid the elated Suns faithful that made the most noise.
The two Grizzlies players had been the engines of Memphis’ rambunctious pregame, full of life, energy and confidence as they danced and hyped their teammates in the bowels of the Footprint Center. All of that had dissipated 48 minutes later. A 112-110 loss to the Suns without its two leading scorers in Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton — in a game much more lopsided than the final score read — served as a reality check of sorts. The Grizzlies, as talented and deep as they are, still has some work to do.
For a team with title aspirations, Sunday’s loss was an interesting case study as the All-Star break draws near. The Grizzlies are 31-15, second in the Western Conference and 1.5 games back of the first-place Denver Nuggets. They’re also an impressive 20-3 at home, smothering teams on both sides of the ball. But on the road, it’s a different story. The intensity and efficiency drops, and the mistakes add up. Memphis is 11-12 away from Fedex Forum. That won’t cut it against the best in the league.
“We gotta have a better road mentality,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We’re a sub .500 team on the road. It doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup, who we’re playing, we gotta be better on the road. We gotta start better, come with a warrior mentality. We used to be good the last couple of years. This year’s a struggle, but it’s a great opportunity for us midseason to find a better way to come out.”
“Good teams win at home,” Ja Morant told The Athletic. “Great teams win on the road. That’s been our identity since I got here. Road warriors. This year, we haven’t been bringing that intensity on the road.”
This isn’t to say the sky is suddenly falling in Memphis. Far from it. Memphis may be having troubles away from home, but they’re not the only team in the West going through it. The Nuggets are 11-10 on the road. The Pelicans are 9-15. The Mavericks are 8-15. Increasing parity, combined with the league’s offensive surge, has resulted in some wacky trends in the standings.
In spite of all of this, Memphis never let go of its footing among the best. For much of the past month, the Grizzlies were the hottest team in the NBA. During their 11-game winning streak that started on Dec.29, Memphis was first in point differential (plus-15.2), third in offensive efficiency (122.6 points per 100 possessions) and first in defensive efficiency (107.4 points per 100 possessions). They’ve played the second-fewest clutch games in the league, a testament to their dominance. For teams that envision playing deep in May and June, these are vital benchmarks to hit.
“The thing I kept saying was we found different ways to win games, that’s the one consistent thing,” Jenkins said. “Whether we were up or down, struggling offensively or defensively, we could collectively come together to flip a switch. For me, it’s finding consistency for 48 minutes. You’re never going to pitch a perfect game every single night. Our mentality’s the thing I keep talking to the team about.”
Back-to-back losses to the Lakers and Suns however, two depleted teams the Grizzlies should have no trouble defeating, might have given them a harsh reminder of how hard it is to win nightly in the NBA. And this isn’t the end of their road trip. Memphis still has dates with the Kings, Warriors and Timberwolves to close out the month. The Western Conference has always been crowded, and the Grizzlies need no reminding of that. If they want to reach their final destination, they’ll have to be better on the road. Much better.
“I think we’re playing great basketball at home,” Jenkins said. “We gotta find that renewed togetherness, road mentality when we go on the road. Can’t find it in spurts on the road, we gotta come out as the aggressors. But this is great. The Western Conference is deep, it’s competitive, the NBA’s competitive.”
The biggest culprit of their home-and-road discrepancies is their half-court execution. Memphis is an excellent transition team, featuring athletic, versatile players who can get the ball up the floor in a hurry and are great on the boards. They’re a top-five scoring team off steals and overall, per Cleaning the Glass.
The Grizzlies also possess the league’s stingiest half-court defense, surrendering just 91.8 points per 100 plays — more than a point and a half better than second-place Oklahoma City. At its core is Jackson, the 6-foot-11 big man with a 7’4 wingspan who has stamped himself as one of the league’s most versatile defenders at 23. Memphis’ defensive rating with Jackson on the floor is 104.6, and the Grizzlies are nearly eight points better defensively when he’s on the floor versus when he’s off, a 96th-percentile-type impact. Potential Defensive Player of the Year impact. All-NBA impact. He’s Memphis’ black hole, drawing everything towards his core and turning it into nothingness.
Jackson is swatting 3.3 shots a game, a career high, and he’s developed this mean streak simultaneously. He blocks shots like he’s insulted you would think about coming near his rim.
“You gotta do it every night,” Jackson told The Athletic. “Big responsibility. Take on the challenge every night and be ready. That’s really it.”
“You just gotta use your gifts and play hard. Gotta always have that mindset, use your gifts and not go after everything. Be smarter.”
Consistency is an issue for this team, however, which happens on the road. Memphis’ aggressive, versatile defense knows how to stifle opponents at Fedex Forum and force turnovers. Away from home, for some reason, the energy level drops and the Grizzlies don’t apply the same pressure. When they’re not forcing turnovers and can’t hurt teams in transition as much, they’re forced to win the half-court battle. So far this season, it’s been a struggle. Memphis is 23rd in half-court efficiency per Cleaning the Glass, scoring just 94.9 points per 100 plays.
It shouldn’t be the case, not for a team with high-IQ players and one of the league’s best backcourts. The high-flying Morant is averaging a career-high 7.9 assists a game and is having another All-Star season and Desmond Bane, averaging 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 42.1 percent from 3, will be in the discussion for Most Improved. There’s a lot of talent there, certainly enough to keep the Grizzlies’ half-court game humming when necessary. Bane’s improvement is legit, too. Morant doesn’t have to pound the rock every time down the floor, trusting his running mate and their supply of big men to create attacking lanes and open looks courtesy of quality screening.
Even when Morant and his gravity aren’t on the floor, Memphis can still create half-court offense. Bane is capable of shouldering the offensive load, especially when he shares the floor with Tyus Jones, one of the league’s most coveted reserves and an every-night starter on a lot of teams. Bane is an underrated driver and finisher, with a strong upper body and nice touch around the rim.
“Just work,” Bane told The Athletic of his development. “Putting in the time. We got a great organization here that really believes in all of us, and that does a lot for players and their development.”
The overriding theme here is consistency or lack thereof. But the Grizzlies are a confident bunch. After the game, the sense from speaking to several players was the past two games, although disappointing losses, are just that — losses. The NBA is a long, grueling, 82-game season with ups and downs. They’ll be the first to admit they didn’t play to their standard against the Lakers or Suns. The road warrior mentality will return. Everything moving forward is in their control as long as the mindset continues to be growing from within.
“I think we’re really focused on ourselves,” Bane said. “I don’t think we’re shooting for any certain seed or anything like that. Just playing to our standards and continuing to grow.”
pabloescobarbecue
If I was a 20 something famous millionaire, I’m not ashamed to admit I’d be playing every road game hungover.
battery1127
We need to get calls when we are on the road. We can’t get anything going when the defenders are allow to club Ja and ride on his back, we can’t get anything going when the other team can ram into JJJ and JJJ is called for a foul, etc. We are still looked at as the small market team that doesn’t deserve a spot at the table, look at the all star voting, JJJ gets no recognition.
3 Comments
PHOENIX — Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. were the first to walk through the tunnel following the final buzzer, but it was their silence amid the elated Suns faithful that made the most noise.
The two Grizzlies players had been the engines of Memphis’ rambunctious pregame, full of life, energy and confidence as they danced and hyped their teammates in the bowels of the Footprint Center. All of that had dissipated 48 minutes later. A 112-110 loss to the Suns without its two leading scorers in Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton — in a game much more lopsided than the final score read — served as a reality check of sorts. The Grizzlies, as talented and deep as they are, still has some work to do.
For a team with title aspirations, Sunday’s loss was an interesting case study as the All-Star break draws near. The Grizzlies are 31-15, second in the Western Conference and 1.5 games back of the first-place Denver Nuggets. They’re also an impressive 20-3 at home, smothering teams on both sides of the ball. But on the road, it’s a different story. The intensity and efficiency drops, and the mistakes add up. Memphis is 11-12 away from Fedex Forum. That won’t cut it against the best in the league.
“We gotta have a better road mentality,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We’re a sub .500 team on the road. It doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup, who we’re playing, we gotta be better on the road. We gotta start better, come with a warrior mentality. We used to be good the last couple of years. This year’s a struggle, but it’s a great opportunity for us midseason to find a better way to come out.”
“Good teams win at home,” Ja Morant told The Athletic. “Great teams win on the road. That’s been our identity since I got here. Road warriors. This year, we haven’t been bringing that intensity on the road.”
This isn’t to say the sky is suddenly falling in Memphis. Far from it. Memphis may be having troubles away from home, but they’re not the only team in the West going through it. The Nuggets are 11-10 on the road. The Pelicans are 9-15. The Mavericks are 8-15. Increasing parity, combined with the league’s offensive surge, has resulted in some wacky trends in the standings.
In spite of all of this, Memphis never let go of its footing among the best. For much of the past month, the Grizzlies were the hottest team in the NBA. During their 11-game winning streak that started on Dec.29, Memphis was first in point differential (plus-15.2), third in offensive efficiency (122.6 points per 100 possessions) and first in defensive efficiency (107.4 points per 100 possessions). They’ve played the second-fewest clutch games in the league, a testament to their dominance. For teams that envision playing deep in May and June, these are vital benchmarks to hit.
“The thing I kept saying was we found different ways to win games, that’s the one consistent thing,” Jenkins said. “Whether we were up or down, struggling offensively or defensively, we could collectively come together to flip a switch. For me, it’s finding consistency for 48 minutes. You’re never going to pitch a perfect game every single night. Our mentality’s the thing I keep talking to the team about.”
Back-to-back losses to the Lakers and Suns however, two depleted teams the Grizzlies should have no trouble defeating, might have given them a harsh reminder of how hard it is to win nightly in the NBA. And this isn’t the end of their road trip. Memphis still has dates with the Kings, Warriors and Timberwolves to close out the month. The Western Conference has always been crowded, and the Grizzlies need no reminding of that. If they want to reach their final destination, they’ll have to be better on the road. Much better.
“I think we’re playing great basketball at home,” Jenkins said. “We gotta find that renewed togetherness, road mentality when we go on the road. Can’t find it in spurts on the road, we gotta come out as the aggressors. But this is great. The Western Conference is deep, it’s competitive, the NBA’s competitive.”
The biggest culprit of their home-and-road discrepancies is their half-court execution. Memphis is an excellent transition team, featuring athletic, versatile players who can get the ball up the floor in a hurry and are great on the boards. They’re a top-five scoring team off steals and overall, per Cleaning the Glass.
The Grizzlies also possess the league’s stingiest half-court defense, surrendering just 91.8 points per 100 plays — more than a point and a half better than second-place Oklahoma City. At its core is Jackson, the 6-foot-11 big man with a 7’4 wingspan who has stamped himself as one of the league’s most versatile defenders at 23. Memphis’ defensive rating with Jackson on the floor is 104.6, and the Grizzlies are nearly eight points better defensively when he’s on the floor versus when he’s off, a 96th-percentile-type impact. Potential Defensive Player of the Year impact. All-NBA impact. He’s Memphis’ black hole, drawing everything towards his core and turning it into nothingness.
Jackson is swatting 3.3 shots a game, a career high, and he’s developed this mean streak simultaneously. He blocks shots like he’s insulted you would think about coming near his rim.
“You gotta do it every night,” Jackson told The Athletic. “Big responsibility. Take on the challenge every night and be ready. That’s really it.”
“You just gotta use your gifts and play hard. Gotta always have that mindset, use your gifts and not go after everything. Be smarter.”
Consistency is an issue for this team, however, which happens on the road. Memphis’ aggressive, versatile defense knows how to stifle opponents at Fedex Forum and force turnovers. Away from home, for some reason, the energy level drops and the Grizzlies don’t apply the same pressure. When they’re not forcing turnovers and can’t hurt teams in transition as much, they’re forced to win the half-court battle. So far this season, it’s been a struggle. Memphis is 23rd in half-court efficiency per Cleaning the Glass, scoring just 94.9 points per 100 plays.
It shouldn’t be the case, not for a team with high-IQ players and one of the league’s best backcourts. The high-flying Morant is averaging a career-high 7.9 assists a game and is having another All-Star season and Desmond Bane, averaging 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 42.1 percent from 3, will be in the discussion for Most Improved. There’s a lot of talent there, certainly enough to keep the Grizzlies’ half-court game humming when necessary. Bane’s improvement is legit, too. Morant doesn’t have to pound the rock every time down the floor, trusting his running mate and their supply of big men to create attacking lanes and open looks courtesy of quality screening.
Even when Morant and his gravity aren’t on the floor, Memphis can still create half-court offense. Bane is capable of shouldering the offensive load, especially when he shares the floor with Tyus Jones, one of the league’s most coveted reserves and an every-night starter on a lot of teams. Bane is an underrated driver and finisher, with a strong upper body and nice touch around the rim.
“Just work,” Bane told The Athletic of his development. “Putting in the time. We got a great organization here that really believes in all of us, and that does a lot for players and their development.”
The overriding theme here is consistency or lack thereof. But the Grizzlies are a confident bunch. After the game, the sense from speaking to several players was the past two games, although disappointing losses, are just that — losses. The NBA is a long, grueling, 82-game season with ups and downs. They’ll be the first to admit they didn’t play to their standard against the Lakers or Suns. The road warrior mentality will return. Everything moving forward is in their control as long as the mindset continues to be growing from within.
“I think we’re really focused on ourselves,” Bane said. “I don’t think we’re shooting for any certain seed or anything like that. Just playing to our standards and continuing to grow.”
If I was a 20 something famous millionaire, I’m not ashamed to admit I’d be playing every road game hungover.
We need to get calls when we are on the road. We can’t get anything going when the defenders are allow to club Ja and ride on his back, we can’t get anything going when the other team can ram into JJJ and JJJ is called for a foul, etc. We are still looked at as the small market team that doesn’t deserve a spot at the table, look at the all star voting, JJJ gets no recognition.