Memphis Grizzlies-Golden State Warriors Game 2 Preview

May 3, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) fights for a rebound with Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) during the fourth quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 101-86. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies will be trying to get the split in Golden State later tonight and send this series back to Beale Street tied 1-1. Mike Conley, who was unable to play in Game 1, expects to be able to play tonight, which is certainly terrific news. Without Mike Conley, the Grizzlies have no chance of wining this series. With Conley, odds may not be high, but there’s a chance. Of course, we don’t know for certain if Conley will play and even if he does play, we don’t know how effective he’ll be. All the same, assuming he laces it up and plays, we can expect a better performance out of the Grizzlies.

While it looked like the Grizzlies got outplayed in Game 1, the statistics suggest otherwise. The Grizzlies got to the free throw line more, shot a higher free throw percentage, had just two fewer rebounds, two fewer assists, and the same number of steals and turnovers. The only area where the Warriors had a clear advantage was shooting from beyond the arc. The Warriors connected on 13 of 28 three-point shots (46%) while the Grizzlies connected on just 3 of 12 (25%).

 Draymond Green was on fire early on in Game 1 and that really set the tone for how the game was going to be played. If the Grizzlies want a chance at winning tonight, the main thing they need to do is to find ways to make things tougher for the Warriors on the perimeter and also knock down some three-point shots of their own. While doing so is easier said than done, it’s really the truth. If the Grizzlies can get into a bit of a rhythm from beyond the arc and prevent the Warriors from having a field day, they can walk out of Oracle Arena with a win. If they are unable to do this, odds they win are slim to none.

One of the mistakes the Grizzlies made in Game 1 was letting Draymond Green get the easy looks that he did. At least half of his threes were uncontested, indicating that the Grizzlies were essentially daring Green to beat them. Green took the Grizzlies up on their offer and he torched them.

The Grizzlies need to understand that while Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the two best shooters on this Warriors team, there are other guys who can also do some serious damage and deserve to be respected. The Grizzlies may not be able to put their best defenders on guys like Draymond Green, but they can be expected to at least contest any three-point shot regardless of who is shooting.

The best way to accomplish this task of not allowing any easy threes may be to incorporate the “Hack-A-Shaq” strategy just to slow the game down and get the Warriors out of their comfort zone. The Warriors love to run up and down the floor after getting stops and I guarantee that committing a lot of fouls will prevent the Warriors from doing what they want to do. They are a young team that can sometimes get a little impatient. The “Hack-A-Shaq” strategy may not be pretty or fun for the fans at Oracle Arena to watch, but it just might be a strategy that gets the job done for the Grizzlies, especially if they are sending Andrew Bogut to the line.

In conclusion, the Grizzlies have their work cut out for them tonight. But with Mike Conley back and some better defense on the perimeter, a win is not impossible. One of the things I really like about this Grizzlies team is their toughness and determination. If there is any team that can come into Oracle Arena and get a win in the playoffs, it’s the Memphis Grizzlies. They have the toughness, the style, and experience to do it. Go Grizz!