Memphis Grizzlies Must Place All Chips on Defense to Compete with Golden State

The Memphis Grizzlies are undoubtedly the clear underdog versus the Golden State Warriors, but a bad loss and statistical trends may be just what they need on Monday.

Sunday featured a bad loss for the Memphis Grizzlies. Even if they had held on to their double digit lead versus the Phoenix Suns and reversed the outcome, it was a terrible night on the offensive end.

Never mind that Devin Booker sank the Grizzlies with back-to-back baskets in the game’s final moments in Phoenix.

Memphis was not able to put the ball in the hoop, but they really did a solid job on the defensive end. Credit Booker — he made two tough shots and that aspect is not a knock on the Grizzlies.

Like most other seasons, there is not a lot of discussion surrounding the Memphis Grizzlies right now. They were counted out before the 2018-19 NBA season began.

Blame it on the 2017-18 season. The Grizzlies made their bed last season by starting with a 5-1 record and then finishing it in 17-59 fashion — equaling a 22-60 mark.

With Memphis boasting a winning record early on in the new season, Grizz Nation is being cautious themselves. A lot could still go wrong rather quickly, just as the ship headed south nearly one year ago.

Following Sunday’s loss in Phoenix, the Memphis Grizzlies bring their 5-3 record to the Golden State to face the league’s best team (both on paper and in reality).

The Golden State Warriors sit at 9-1, including being undefeated on their home floor. Memphis also knows how sweet it is to be at home, as the Grizzlies are also undefeated at home, but 2-3 in road meetings.

Digging deeper, things typically go above average for the Warriors regardless of their playing environment. For the Memphis Grizzlies, their luck has been running out on the road. However, things had been looking up for them until Sunday’s second half collapse versus the Phoenix Suns.

On the topic of offense, Golden State is all about it. Klay Thompson is making headlines for crushing an NBA record for three-pointers made, Stephen Curry is doing the same, and in-between is Kevin Durant with blindfolded 30-point performances.

To put things into perspective, the Warriors average a league-best 124.1 points per game. Over their last three contests, that number has exploded to the tune of 132.0 per game. Whether at home or on the road, they boast nearly the same offensive stats. It is inhuman.

The Memphis Grizzlies are nearly a polar opposite example of Golden State when it comes to scoring the rock. They rank 27th of 30 teams with 104.6 points per game. Their 118.3-point average in home meetings is commendable, especially in today’s fast-paced NBA, but this Grizzly squad is entirely different on the road, and not for the better.

Memphis ranks dead last in the association in points per game in road situations at 94.2. That is 5.5 points less than 29th-place Orlando. In comparison to last season’s 2017-18 squad, these current Grizzlies are 5.1 points worse in the scoring department on the road than that injury-ridden roster.

Scoring was definitely not looked at as a strong suit for these Memphis Grizzlies prior to training camp, but the night-and-day difference that is found between their home and road contests is absolutely staggering. That is a 24.1-point gap through the team’s first seven games (prior to Sunday’s loss).

It will be a long shot for these Grizzlies to make it competitive against the star-studded Golden State Warriors. It is not just Memphis’ team, it is the rest of the league, too. It is tough to compete with a team littered with All-Stars.

If this Grizzly team wants to make good on their slight chance of victory on Monday evening in Oracle Arena, they will have to do it via their stifling defense.

Offense is not the Memphis Grizzlies’ game. When they score, it is typically off of steals and stops. Their defense initiates offensive opportunity throughout the course of 48 minutes.

Memphis ranks second in the NBA in steals per game at 10.6. Golden State surprisingly only collects an average of 8.2 steals — 10th-best.

It is not just the passing lanes that makes the Memphis Grizzlies so great on defense. Their recent utilization of multiple guards — sometimes a trio of Mike Conley, Garrett Temple, and Shelvin Mack — is the Grizzlies’ form of ankle-biting that forces the opposition to cough the ball up.

In proving that the Grizzlies are doing more work than just getting lucky with their collection of steals, Memphis tops the league in team steals per defensive play at 9.6%. Over their last three games, that number has climbed to 11.9%.

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Being as Golden State is known for their beautiful display of basketball with multiple passes on nearly every possession, they will have to adjust their game plan accordingly in facing Memphis. The Grizzlies are one team that has the key to success against the Warriors’ team-oriented offensive flow.

Overall, Memphis owns the assocation’s second-best team defense, allowing exactly 100.0 points per game. Only the Boston Celtics rank higher with a 99.8 mark.

Though the Grizzlies have not been able to get the job done as often on the road as they do on their home floor, they give up just 98.0 points per game in away matchups. Their defense has actually been 4.7 points better on road trips.

These Memphis Grizzlies are shutting the water off on defense. They will steal your lunch money. This is Grand Theft Auto. Their suffocating defense is something that has quickly come to fruition after the coaching staff and Front Office envisioned greatness in the offseason.

On Monday, they look to perform their next swipe in stealing a win away from the Golden State Warriors. If they are successful in their attempt, it will become the first home loss of the season for Curry, KD, and the Dubs. The madness begins at 9:30 PM Central Time.