As the Memphis Grizzlies prepare to resume their regular season schedule at home against the Golden State Warriors tonight, the team has a couple of adjustments that can be made to better their already second-best Western Conference record.
Making these adjustments will be beneficial for the team as they work their way from contender to a championship team. Although the team has performed well considering their circumstances due to injuries, the team has another level that it can elevate to while they wait on GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. to return to round out the roster.
Get Desmond Bane in rhythm
The third member of the Grizzlies' big three has looked more like a regular role player for the Grizzlies after being second on the team in scoring the last two seasons. He is shooting the worst percentage of his five-year career this season with 44% shooting from the field and 31.7% from three.
Known as one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA in his career, Desmond Bane's previous low was 38.1% last season. He is also taking the least amount of shots this season at 12.3 field goal attempts per game since his rookie year when he came off the bench.
Last player getting up shots today after practice: Desmond Bane pic.twitter.com/6HfBJwbz6P
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) December 18, 2024
Averaging 14.4 points is also his lowest since his rookie season. Desmond Bane will be needed for more, and whether it is just a shooting slump, an injury that is not known to the public, or the Grizzlies' new explosive offensive system that he is struggling to acclimate to, this will need to be figured out if the Grizzlies want to aspire for championship contention.
Utilize Jaren Jackson Jr. in clutch situations
While the Grizzlies currently have an 18-9 record, their record is only 4-6 in games decided by single-digit points. Their struggles closing out opponents and executing in the final moments is a continuation of their struggles in the 2022-23 season when their half-court offense wasn't good.
Fans like to call their clutch offensive plays the "call 12" play, as everything slows down and runs strictly through the superstar point guard. However, their All-Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has risen to the occasion as a secondary clutch time scorer this season in their biggest win of the season against the Boston Celtics on December 7th.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a run where he scored 11 consecutive points for the Grizzlies to reverse a deficit against the Celtics and took the lead for good in the fourth quarter of that game. Ja Morant is one of the game's best players and has delivered many times in clutch moments but the Grizzlies need an alternative when the defense keys in on him, and Jaren's growing game is ready to be unleashed in those moments.