Using the Correct Defender Could Have Made Different Result for Memphis Grizzlies

Though the Memphis Grizzlies failed to capitalize on offense in Sunday’s fourth quarter, they failed to utilize their pricey wing defenseman to fend off the Phoenix Suns.

The Memphis Grizzlies were seconds away from notching their first four-game winning streak of the 2018-19 season. It would have been the first such occurrence for this team since March 18th of 2017.

Prior to Sunday’s fourth quarter, things were going great for the Grizzlies in their second meeting of the season versus the Phoenix Suns. It looked as if they had broke free from the back-and-forth game and they would roll toward victory lane.

In reality, once the fourth quarter arrived, Memphis’ dual leadership of Marc Gasol and Mike Conley failed to make baskets to keep them in the lead. The team defense was stellar, but the basketball could not find the bottom of the hoop. Eventually the team needed to score a bucket, and it just did not happen.

After scoring 25+ points in each of the first three quarters against Phoenix, the Memphis Grizzlies produced just 19 in the final 12 minutes of play. No. 33 and No. 11 were a combined 5/29 (17.2%) from the field in the 102-100 road loss.

Stepping aside from the lackluster offense, the game truly came down to the last minute. The Phoenix Suns called upon Devin Booker — twice, actually — to lead them to victory, and he did just that.

The first isolation involving the ball being in Booker’s hands happened with just over the 30-second mark. The Grizzlies’ allowed Shelvin Mack to take the Suns guard one-on-one. Though Mack was aggressive, he did not have the length to alter the shot once Devin pulled up.

At this point in time, the Memphis Grizzlies had a three-guard backcourt on display, featuring Mack, Mike Conley, and Garrett Temple. Thankfully the team benefited from this lineup on the offensive end, when Conley finally connected on a two-point floater to tie the game at 100.

On the next possession, Devin Booker went to work again in similar fashion coming out of the timeout. While Memphis kept their three guards on the floor, Kyle Anderson checked into the game to provide an enhanced defensive effort. However, there was one problem.

In the final eight seconds, Anderson remained stationary on his man in the right corner. Ultimately, his defensive prowess was wasted.

Credit goes to Garrett Temple for playing Booker head-to-head on the final possession. Devin hit a tough shot — once again — to seal the deal for his club. However, there was a better option on the floor to complete this task on the Grizzlies’ end.

The Memphis Grizzlies were able to persuade Kyle Anderson away from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason via a four-year, $37 million contract offer. It was a rather large investment by the Front Office, but their intentions were excellent.

In situations like the one Memphis faced in the waining on Sunday, Kyle Anderson should have been the defender. He may be slow-moving on offense, but he is a solid wall on the defensive end. Kyle is paid to be the team’s go-to defenseman in this one-on-one end-of-game scenarios.

Anderson was a top-15 defender in the 2017-18 season. He individually ranked sixth overall in defensive rating. More impressively, he ranked third overall in the defensive box score plus/minus stat. Owning a high basketball IQ and an efficient skillset, Kyle Anderson was a classic Spurs prototype. He plays winning defense.

Sunday’s game should have been decided in overtime, but since Grizzlies Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not plan to utilize Kyle Anderson on Devin Booker, Memphis lost in regulation. Anderson’s length and strength was needed on the ball in those final seconds.

The Grizzlies have earned some impressive wins lately, but this loss to the Phoenix Suns was a tough pill to swallow. This game should have been an easy one to put away and close the book on. It also was a momentum-killer as the team prepared for the league-leading Golden State Warriors in the second game of a back-to-back scenario.

It is early in the season, and this should serve as a lesson learned for Coach Bickerstaff and his Grizzly squad. Kyle Anderson may not be torching the box score, but his core value comes in the situations that presented itself on Sunday.