The Memphis Grizzlies fell to the Washington Wizards, 102-100. This loss was just an example of the team’s main issue: lack of excitement.
Friday night was just another night in the office for the Memphis Grizzlies. They fell behind by quite a bit then gave the fans some glimmer of hope. As the Grizzlies nearly came all the way back, Mario Chalmers made a bonehead play that essentially cost the game. Oh, to top it off: Tyreke Evans missed the game-tying 3 but hit one at the buzzer … to reduce the deficit to two.
Typical.
While this game consisted of the repetitive action of false hope, it just illustrated a few main problems for them.
For starters, the team doesn’t have the same “silver lining” excitement the other bottom-feeders possess. Yes, the Grizzlies have some young players that offer fringe NBA starter potential. However, with the exception of Atlanta, there are other lottery teams who have some young players who could evolve into All-Stars. The Lakers have Kyle Kuzma, Brandan Ingram and Lonzo Ball. Chicago has Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn. Dallas has Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes. Phoenix has Devin Booker, and Orlando has Aaron Gordon.
The Grizzlies have young players who are likable and could evolve into legitimate NBA players, but none of them offer the same level of upside and excitement.
This game illustrated that as none of those players played exceptionally well or didn’t do anything worthwhile.
Dillon Brooks and Wayne Selden got the start, but they combined for 11 points on 4-11 shooting, and neither wing played 20 minutes. Jarell Martin had eight points and a nice dunk, but he only had two rebounds and a +/- of -13 in 20 minutes. Deyonta Davis only played three minutes, and two-way player and fan favorite Kobi Simmons was in for eight minutes — while Mario Chalmers played 28 minutes.
That isn’t ideal.
Finally, the biggest problem for the Grizzlies is the roster around Evans and Gasol. Most of the active roster, with the exception of Marc Gasol, JaMychal Green and Tyreke Evans, is full of fringe NBA talent. The rookies can develop into rotation players, but right now they’re inconsistent. Some nights, they flash their potential, and they look like rookies in other games. For guys like Ennis, Chalmers, Wright and McLemore, you can make a case saying why they shouldn’t be in the league.
It was crystal clear as Tyreke Evans was the only real producer in this game. No surprise.
The roster issues combined with just poor offensive schemes make for lackluster basketball.
Next: 2018 New Year's Resolutions for Grizz
Key stats
Tyreke Evans: 26 points on 10-24 shooting, seven assists, five rebounds
Marc Gasol: 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, five blocks
Mario Chalmers: 13 points, four rebounds, four assists
Best +/-: Evans (+16)
Worst +/-: Chalmers (-14)