May 15, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shake hands after game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Golden State Warriors beat Memphis Grizzlies 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
The Memphis Grizzlies fell to the Golden State Warriors on Friday by the score of 108-95. The Warriors advance to the Western Conference Finals and the Grizzlies’ offseason begins. What I will do in this article is list five key things that stood out to me from the Grizzlies’ final game of the season.
#1. Stephen Curry’s 62-foot prayer was the nail in the coffin: Warriors point guard Stephen Curry made a 62-foot shot at the end of the 3rd quarter right after Grizzlies small forward Jeff Green appeared to get mugged attempting a three. It was a bizarre sequence of events which resulted in a six point swing. Had Jeff Green gone to the foul line and knocked down three foul shots, the Grizzlies would have entered the 4th quarter only down by two points.
Instead, after working so hard to get back in the game, the Grizzlies found themselves down by eight points. It was clearly too much to bear and the momentum heavily shifted in the Warriors’ direction. The Grizzlies were never able to recover.
#2. The Grizzlies’ inability to get buckets is what really did them in: While it is true that the 62-foot shot by Stephen Curry dramatically shifted the tone and vibe of the game, the Grizzlies did not lose because of that shot. The Grizzlies lost because throughout the game they were unable to consistently knock down shots. The only quarter where the Grizzlies found success scoring was in the 3rd quarter. Outside of that, it was a struggle all night to make shots.
Going further, what the Warriors thrive on is scoring the ball in transition. Missed shots and failed rebound attempts by the Grizzlies led to transition baskets for the Warriors. It felt like each shot missed by the Grizzlies was a four point swing.
#3. The Grizzlies need Marc Gasol to return next season: Marc Gasol was huge in this game. He had 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He is the only reason this game wasn’t a total blowout. Without him slowing down the pace, hitting shots, grabbing rebounds, and blocking shots, the Grizzlies would never have even been in a position to be down by two at the end of the 3rd quarter.
#4. Jeff Green has been a disappointment: Jeff Green had only 6 points and 7 rebounds for the Grizzlies and averaged just 8.9 points for the entire postseason. His performance throughout the postseason was incredibly disappointing considering how huge of an acquisition he was supposed to be.
During the regular season when he was with the Celtics, he averaged 17.6 points per game and during the regular season when he was with the Grizzlies, he averaged 13.1 points per game. The Grizzlies were doomed to fail in the playoffs without him scoring around his regular season average.
#5. Where do we go from here? The Grizzlies once again fail to come out of the Western Conference. The team is solid and the foundation for championship success appears to be there, but so far the results indicate otherwise. I definitely think the Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Mike Conley trio can win a title together, but it’s the other pieces that are the question. Do the Grizzlies need another three-point shooter? Should Jeff Green go?
These are questions that the front office has to address and if I can be honest, I don’t think I know the answers. What I will say is that the Grizzlies need to find a way to solve their scoring droughts. The Grizzlies don’t necessarily need another long-range shooter, but they certainly need to add some people who can reliably put the ball in the basket.
Note: For a full recap of the game, check out our Game 6 recap by Nir Regev. For more coverage of the Grizzlies’ post-season run, check out our playoffs section.