Grizzlies’ Week in Review: 5 Takeways

The week that was: November 9 – November 15, 2015

Following a listless opening week and a less than stellar West Coast road trip that  left a bewildered fanbase searching for answers, or pining for a roster overhaul, the Grizzlies enjoyed a little success with a couple victories and a little roster shakeup with a couple new faces.  In the biggest Memphis basketball news from last week, the Grizzlies traded Beno Udrih and Jarnell Stokes to the Miami Heat and acquired Mario Chalmers and James Ennis. More in a moment on last week’s games and Chalmers’ instant impact as a new Grizzly, but  first a fond farewell to dearly beloved Beno Udrih as he takes his talents to South Beach:

https://instagram.com/p/9_yzxRP5Tl/

We’ll miss you and your sweet mid-range pull-ups.

November 9 Memphis Grizzlies vs. Flop City

The Grizzlies finally looked like the Grizzlies and seemed much more inspired in this one than in recent blowout losses, but bottom line from this one is that the Grizzlies had a chance to snag an impressive victory against the Clippers at the Staples Center and failed to seal the deal. While the Grizzlies finally looked competitive playing a legitimate contender and came close, this isn’t a young upstart team that gets applause for “close.” This is a perennial playoff team that shouldn’t be having an identity crisis and doesn’t count moral victories. To borrow a quote made during a viral rant (sadly no longer on youtube) by a beleaguered Tennessee fan during the darkest days of the Derek Dooley era, “I’m tired of clapping because we tried.”

If you didn’t stay up late to watch the game, you’ll at least want to watch Jeff Green make Paul Pierce feel too old for this (stuff). Notice this comes after The Truth takes a nice long travel:

Nov 13, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Kaman (35) during the second half at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers 101-100. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

November 13 Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trailblazers

In probably the most fun game of the Grizzlies’ season so far, Mario Chalmers received a warm welcome and nailed his debut game, and the guys in Beale Street Blue managed to escape with victory thanks to a clutch Z-bound and putback for the game winning basket. Although the Grizzlies needed the last second heroics of Zach Randolph to avoid a fourth quarter collapse, Marc Gasol’s return to All-NBA form carried Memphis. In addition to scoring a season-high 31 points, Marc Gasol played with an intensity that hasn’t been seen this season. Several positive signs emerged during the Portland win: Mario Chalmers provided strong play and above-average shooting off the bench, Jamychal Green impressed again with 18 minutes of spirited play, Matt Barnes connected on both of his three-pointers after struggling mightily this season, Jeff Green finished with a respectable 14/5/2/2, and the Grizzlies found a way to win despite their starting backcourt of Conley, Lee, and Allen combining for a frigid shooting performance of 6-for-27.

Honorable in defeat, the folks in Rip City gave the Grizzlies their propers:

https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/665372534213206016

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

November 15 Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Mike Conley came out of the gates strong this time, and did more in the first quarter to power the Grizz than he did in the entirety of the previous game as he finished with 20 points including 4 (FOUR! By a Memphis Grizzly!) triples. Coach Dave Joerger gave Jeff Green the start at the 3, and making the most of his starting role, he lead the Grizzlies with a team-high 21 points. As Tony Allen stayed in the starting lineup, where he tends to play his best, and Courtney Lee came in as a reserve, Joerger’s starter selections will be an interesting development to monitor going forward. Despite Kevin Garnett turning back the clock and playing some quality minutes of defense on Zach Randolph, Z-Bo posted a very efficient 14 points to go with 8 boards. Gasol had 16 and 7 with 4 assists. For an early afternoon game that started out a bit sloppy for both teams, the Grizzlies did well to round out the weekend and leave Minnesota with the W.

Nov 13, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Mario Chalmers (6) brings the bal up court during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers 101-100. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

5 Takeaways

1.) Mario World 1-1: the first level of the Super Nintendo Chalmers era is looking good.

As Grizzlies fans we’ve spent a fair share of the last five years lamenting the Grizzlies’ outside shooting needs and, more recently, about whether or not ‘Rio can hit 3s without Lebron spacing the floor and assisting. Somehow in the Chalmers discussion, we forgot to mention he is one of the best free throw shooters in the entire NBA. He made some clutch ones to ice the game down the stretch vs Minnesota. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the Chalmers-Conley backcourt tandem when matchups allow the opportunity

2.) Marc Gasol enjoys playing basketball again

Whether outmaneuvering his man in the post, dropping in set-shots from 20 ft, making the crafty assist, directing the defense, or smacking himself on the butt in celebration, Marc Gasol has been playing with the passion we expect from the all-star center.   We first saw Big Spain’s enthusiasm and gusto for the game fully return during his monster game against Portland, and we saw him continue his dominance inside and out against the T’Wolves. He continued to knock down mid-range shots with ease and cranked up the attack in a head-to-head battle against Karl-Anthony Towns, an entertaining exchange that saw both dial it up a notch to battle in the paint. It will be difficult for Dave Joerger to ration Gasol’s minutes over the duration of the 82 game season because Gasol has shown he can already hit playoff level hype mode and is willing to give an Herculean effort for upwards of 40 minutes a game. Hopefully coach Joerger  can find enough front court production that he does not have to physically destroy Gasol by playing him 40 every game.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

3) Jeff Green can Start for the Grizzlies

As previously mentioned, stay tuned to how Dave Joerger adjusts his starting lineup. Slumping Courtney Lee did better off the bench than many may have expected, and Jeff green seemed to realize some of his potential and performed better in a starting role than some might he has in a long while. Many have fairly questioned Tony Allen’s ability to maintain a starting role as a shooting guard in the NBA for obvious reasons that have nothing to do with his First-Team caliber defensive capabilities, and it is yet to be seen if Matt Barnes can stabilize as a reliable outside threat, though he’s been solid defending on the perimeter. Jeff Green has an opportunity to make a useful impact as a starting small forward so let’s see how he fares through the season compared to the other aforementioned wing players.

4) Winning on a Warriors-Free Diet

Those Warriors are so hot right now. Having to play against Chef Curry has been a recipe for disaster. The best chance for cooking up a nice winning streak is predicated on having Golden State take Grizzly bear off the menu. I could painfully drag this out little further by talking about the Grizzlies’ missing ingredients and a Chopped reference, but you get the point. Memphis doesn’t play Curry and company again until April 2016 so we’ll cross that bridge again when we come to it.

Nov 13, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) goes to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24). Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

5) Jamychal Green Continues to Prove He Belongs

Jam’ Green has continued to provide the energy and spark off the bench the Grizzlies need from a player who can guard the 4 and 5. He runs the court well, he creates possessions with chase-down steals and offensive rebounds, and he hasn’t disappointed in this “small sample size” early phase of the season. With Brandan Wright missing action, Green’s steady play has been crucial to the success of the Grizzlies’ second unit. Look for him to continue to get 17 to 20 minutes a game as coach Joerger has been using a shorter bench and Green has made his playing time meaningful. Green’s answered the call, but there are still several questions remaining regarding the Grizzlies’ bench. We know we can rely on Jamychal as a solid rotation player for the time being, but we are still left wondering: will we ever see veteran(read “old”) wing player Vince Carter again? How much can we rely on Matt Barnes this season? Also the Grizzlies’ latest first round draft pick, big man Jarrell Martin, has been unable to play so far this season due to injury. Will Joerger give the rookie significant run at some point this season, or bring him along incredibly slowly a la Jordan Adams?

And-One: After years of anticipation, the Memphis Grizzlies, who’ve previously sported the Pros and Tams uniforms of their ABA predecessors, will suit up in the uniquely ABA-tastic style of the Memphis Sounds for their Hardwood Classic in Monday night’s game vs the Thunder. It seems the organization has been having some fun with this one doing promotional spots and photo opp’s with Issac Hayes’ gold plated Cadillac at legendary STAX Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis. It also seems like the franchise stands to make some bank with several faux-vintage items and throwback jerseys retailing at the Grizzlies den.

As cool as the throwbacks are with their whimsical music-note-inspired letter and number font and such, the team will be focused on the incredibly difficult task of preventing Russell Westbrook and the visiting OKC Thunder from ruining the party.

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