The Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks will be playing the first of a back to back tonight. Will the Grizzlies be able to continue their momentum?
Though it may only be three games into the season, it’s a really good time to be a fan of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies currently sit atop of the Western Conference along with the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers. With wins over two of the top teams in the West in the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, the Grizzlies certainly look the part of one of the better teams in the league.
No team will have better back-to-back wins this year than Memphis beating Golden State & Houston. Really impressive 3-0 start for the Grizz.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) October 24, 2017
As for the Dallas Mavericks…not so much. The Mavericks have lost their first four games of the season and have generally looked outclassed by superior competition. Dirk Nowitski is basically a walking corpse now, and the team is clearly in a rebuilding phase.
However, there are bright spots for the Mavericks. Dennis Smith looks like a candidate to win Rookie of the Year, and he may be a future All-Star. Though they may not be franchise centerpieces, Harrison Barnes and Nerlens Noel are two nice building blocks for a young team.
On paper, the Grizzlies are easily the superior team and should win both of these games. It sure is a good thing the Grizzlies don’t have a tradition of losing to inferior teams, right?
What to Expect
Expect Mike Conley to be at his peak against the younger, inexperienced Dennis Smith. Though he came up big in the 4th quarter against Houston, Conley hasn’t played particularly well the last two games. He’s likely due to have a few games where he looks like his usual self, and an opposing rookie point guard may be the likely victim. Dennis Smith will probably become a very good NBA player, but he’ll likely be outclassed by Conley.
A Battle of the Bigs may also be in order. Marc Gasol has been at his absolute peak through the first three games of the season, averaging 24.7 points and 10.0 rebounds. However, Nerlens Noel’s length and athleticism bothered Gasol greatly when they played against each other last season. Expect an exciting battle between the skill and finesse of Gasol and the youthfulness and athleticism of Noel.
The youth movement will also be alive and well for both of these teams. The Grizzlies have given extended time to Dillon Brooks, Jarell Martin and Andrew Harrison, with excellent results to show for it. They’ll be competing with a young Mavericks team that gives consistent minutes to Yogi Ferrel, Dennis Smith, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Prediction
I really want the Grizzlies to win both of these games simply because they should. The Mavericks are an inferior team, and Memphis should take care of business. However, beating the same team twice on a back-to-back is a very difficult thing to do. The Memphis Grizzlies have also built up a well-deserved reputation of being a team that plays down to their competition.
All things considered, the Grizzlies will likely split with the Mavericks, losing the first game on the road and then winning the next one at home. Unfortunately, 82-0 may not be able to stay in play.
Next: Opposing Views: Dallas Mavericks
Game(s) Info
WHO: 1st game-Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks; 2nd game-Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies
WHERE: 1st game – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX; 2nd game-FedExForum -Memphis, TN
WHEN: 1st game – 7:30 CT, 2nd game -7:00 CT
HOW TO WATCH: Fox Sports Southeast
HOW TO LISTEN: 92.9 ESPN