Grit-‘N’-Grind will only get the Memphis Grizzlies so far. If they do not start scoring more, their season will “grind” to a halt.
The Memphis Grizzlies‘ 2018-19 season is off to a largely okay start. Through roughly two weeks, they sit at 4-2, good for sixth in the Western Conference. It is very early, but every game will count out West this year; a +.500 start is a great asset.
Memphis’ play has been all over the map, through one of the NBA’s easier schedules to date. They have both shut down fringe contenders (win vs. Jazz) and slipped on doormats (loss vs. Kings).
Such inconsistency is to be expected from an unfamiliar team with a first-(full)-year coach. But even in the early wish-wash of an NBA season, patterns can emerge.
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One of particular concern for the Memphis Grizzlies is how much trouble they are having putting the ball in the hoop. Memphis ranks in the NBA’s basement across the board scoring-wise: 24th in points per 100 possessions, 23rd in true shooting percentage, and 25th in offensive rating. Using the crudest measure; only the shell-shocked Boston Celtics and awful Orlando Magic score less per game.
It starts at the top with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Conley is averaging a respectable 19 points per game, but is shooting a ghastly 39.2% from the field. Gasol has been a total dumpster-fire with shooting so far; 14.6 points per game on 38.% accuracy.
Both Gasol and Conley are bound to start shooting better eventually, but neither is the type of go-to beast the Grizzlies can consistently lean on. Supplementary scoring will have to come from another source. But where?
Memphis is hurting for offensive depth; a concern going into the season has very much remained one. Behind Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, only two Grizzlies are averaging double-digits: Garrett Temple and Jaren Jackson Jr. Neither is sustainable as a third option. Jackson is limited offensively, and a prime candidate to slam into the infamous Rookie Wall. Temple’s early average is propped-up by his 30-point outlier versus the lowly Atlanta Hawks.
Especially when Conley or Gasol sit, Memphis can struggle mightily for quality looks. Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff & company will have to mine for another source of buckets, or else the Grizzlies will struggle to outscore opponents, no matter how stout their defense is.
The ideal candidate is still nebulous, but both Wayne Selden and MarShon Brooks have shown early flashes. Dillon Brooks could emerge as an option as well once fully healthy. As long as the team is not counting on Chandler Parsons, who seems like more of a lost cause by the game.
While the answers are not obvious, the time to act is now. Scoring depth is a clear problem for the Memphis Grizzlies, who are best suited to cultivate new opportunities and scoring-oriented lineups while the season is young.
Tuesday night versus the Washington Wizards — everyone’s favorite punching bag right now it seems — was a great place to start. However, it remains to be seen if the Grizzlies can translate their enhanced shooting and scoring capabilities to road matchups.