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Memphis Grizzlies Rapid Reaction: The Demoralizing Three

By Nir Regev

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May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the third quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 98-78. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley said it best at halftime. The Memphis Grizzlies have to stop themselves from overreacting. ‘They’re only down 8 points, even after all those threes’. Phil Jackson spoke out on Twitter against three-point focused teams recently when the Grizzlies were on the cusp of going 3-1 against the Warriors.

Despite laughs from Kenny Smith, Chuck stuck to this notion on Inside the NBA. About ‘jump shooting looking pretty only when it goes in’ so to speak. Are Curry and Thompson, two of the best shooters ever? No doubt, but it didn’t stop the Grizzlies from capitalizing on two wins. Can a 11 ring Champion in Phil Jackson and one of the greatest post players of all time be wrong? The answer is no, their logic is sound. The three however, is beyond logic. It has a different type of effect. Psycholigical. A demoralizer. Everytime Stephen Curry shot a three you can see this Grizzlies team’s eyes visibly look like a deer caught in headlights. When it finally, inevitable goes in, the Grizzlies looked deflated. Even before any kind of true offensive run.

It felt as if the moment the Grizzlies lost the lead by even a single point in the first quarter, they felt the game was over. Not for a lack of trying. They kept going, especially Gasol who appeared quite frustrated with his own shooting in this game. Rather, demoralization with every three. A larger hole to climb out of, and no shovel could dig fast enough. So what happened? Zach Randolph started off in classic Z-Bo mode, scoring 11 points in the first including a three pointer. Then something happened. It was like the rhythm was vacuumed out of the room. The Grizzlies started turning over the ball on their own, taking uncharacteristic shots. Letting the Warriors get back in the game, then later simply take control of it.

One of the biggest keys to the shift was a subtle one. When the Grizzlies opted for a more fast shooting backcourt of Conley/Calathes. Simultaneously removing Vince Carter out of the lineup. A fast scoring backcourt gave way to the Warriors’ principles instead of the Grizzlies big lineup philosophy. The Warriors had the splash brothers to counter and have trained this very method all season long.

Yes, Vince missed two three-pointers prior, but they were good shots. Despite missing those particular shots, Carter is a veteran and opposing players respect his shooting. His defense also matched up well with Thompson. Jeff Green had a lot of pump-fake threes before driving to the basket tonight and the Warriors were not buying it. He was 0-2 from three point range and 5-13 overall for 10 points. Which is not too concerning. What is concerning is the Warriors are not biting on the Grizzlies’ three point attempts, leaving the middle packed. Essentially, the Warriors’ biggest strength in three point shooting is the Grizzlies’ top weakness.

O.J. Mayo would have been an immense help in this instance, his replacement Lee has to shoot the three ball more often. Lee had 7 points on 3-3 shooting tonight, he needs more touches to open up the floor. Udrih hit the floor in the fourth and managed a clean three-pointer, they need Udrih to stay on the floor with Conley or Calathes. Giving the classic Sixers 2001 style model of the big Point Guard guarding the Shooting Guard ala Eric Snow/Allen Iverson or Aaron Mckie/Allen Iverson. Otherwise you are giving a big advantage to the Warriors every time out.

The impact of Tony Allen‘s defensive loss tonight was alarming. The Warriors looked unhindered and free without Allen’s presence on the floor. Without Allen’s first team defense, the Memphis Grizzlies were unable to defend their way out of the Warriors’ lead.

The Grizzlies way to victory is paved with defense and never getting down large numbers. They appear unable to score their way back fast enough. They need to maintain a lead and keep it. The Memphis Grizzlies were off to an excellent start to start the game, then they lost their groove. Random careless turnovers. They need to accept Curry is going to get some threes, and not become demoralized by it. Focus on continuing to play the game that’s gotten them to the second round. It’s not too late. Momentum or not, just two games separate the Memphis Grizzlies from the Conference Finals. Take one game at a time. Start with Game 6.

Current Playoff Record:

6-4

Memphis Grizzlies Season Record:

55-27

Check out more Memphis Grizzlies articles by me at this link. Follow me on Twitter: @nirregev

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