Memphis Grizzlies Assistant Vows to Play to Strengths on Offense
In a recent interview, an Assistant Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies’ coaching staff describes the offensive approach the team will have in the 2018-19 season.
This past week, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jerry Stackhouse joined Fastbreak Breakfast to discuss his past, current, and future within the NBA. He provided insight into the offensive side of the basketball, which Grizz Nation knows has almost always been a hardship in their grand scheme of things.
During the segment, Stackhouse was quoted in saying the following:
"“We don’t want to take guys away from their strengths. Maybe we have a guy that is good in the mid-range. We don’t want to not have him play to his strengths. The numbers kinda say that it is better to get in the paint or it is better to take the three. Obviously, we would prefer to have one of those two shots, [unless] it is late in the shot clock or sometimes you get into those moments in the game where you don’t care where the baskets come from.“Play to your strengths. If it is somebody that’s good on the post-up — if it’s a guard that can post-up, we want to post him up. Trying to figure out the numbers in the past and what has happened, we are just starting with a clean slate and figuring out the best way for us to put points on the board.I think pace is a skewed number. I think it’s a lot of teams that want to get up and down, it’s really about taking shots, how quickly you take shots in the shot clock. I don’t think we have that type of team or that type of makeup where we want to come out and take quick shots. We want to make the defense work, move the ball from side to side.”"
Ultimately, this is the smart approach to offense with this particular group of guys on the current Memphis Grizzlies roster. This new coaching staff realizes they cannot force non-three-point shooters to be the team’s biggest chucker from long-distance. Alternatively, when guys have the advantage in the low-post on offense, the ball must find their hands.
Playing to strengths on the offensive end. It sounds like a simple plan, but it has not been that case in seasons’ pasts. In having a healthy roster to begin the 2018-19 season, it is easier to follow through with the idea of playing to the players’ strengths.
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Offense is rightfully a major concern because the Grizzlies are coming off a season where they were ranked 27th in offensive rating (alternatively, 24th in defensive rating), 29th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 28th in overall pace.
Obviously, Mike Conley‘s 70-game absence played a huge factor in the team’s downfall, but the offensive issue is wide-spread within the entire roster. Most of the current roster’s top strength is found within the defensive end. At some point (no pun intended), the Memphis Grizzlies must put points on the scoreboard.
During the interview, Stackhouse also hints at MarShon Brooks being the focal point in the wing scoring department. However, it will be a group effort to score at the wing positions — including contributions from Andrew Harrison and Chandler Parsons. All three of these players have something to prove — all for different reasons — in 2018-19.
Next. 3 Reasons to be Excited for the Grizzlies' 2018-19 Season. dark
It is clear that Jerry Stackhouse will be assigned the role of instructing the Memphis Grizzlies’ backcourt, especially the younger guys. This is one of the many aspects in which having a head coach-caliber assistant on the staff will pay major dividends. Hopefully the result is an improved and more efficient Grizz offense.
Go Grizz!