Tyreke Evans makes his first regular season return to Memphis during a time in which the Memphis Grizzlies are sinking and the Indiana Pacers need his services the most.
On Saturday, the stage is set for the Memphis Grizzlies to receive their second and final visit from the Indiana Pacers. Tyreke Evans, in his first season with Indy, was seeking revenge in October, but now his focus is placed on the importance of his role.
Evans has been playing the role of reserve in his first season with the Pacers, just as he was initially expected to do one prior to the 2017-18 NBA season as a member of the Grizzlies. With Mike Conley only playing in Memphis’ first 12 games last season, this elevated Tyreke’s title to starter from that point forward.
Last season, which earned Tyreke Evans and the Memphis Grizzlies just 22 wins, was a major boost for the University of Memphis product’s career. He was able to prove that his health had returned and he was still very much a capable scorer and play-maker. His 21.1 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) spoke for itself leading into NBA Free-Agency.
His season averages of 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 39.3% field goal shooting (35.6% from long-range) was very impressive. He appeared in 52 of 82 games, but a chunk of the 30 missed contests came from the Grizzlies’ Front Office gaffes and not so much injury-related absenteeism.
Now in the 2018-19 NBA season with the Indiana Pacers, ‘Reke is averaging 10.4 minutes less than he was in his lone season with the Grizzlies, which has subsequently sent a direct hit to his PER (sitting at a career-low 12.8).
A big reason for Evans’ drop in efficiency is the teammates he now has surrounding him. The Pacers have developed a versatile roster mixed with veterans and young guys. Leading the pack has been Victor Oladipo, but this week saw unfortunate news of a season-ending injury for the All-Star shooting guard.
Saturday will mark the first full game in which the Pacers will be without Oladipo for the final stretch of the 2018-19 schedule. While most teams would immediately panic and collapse, this Indiana squad still has a lot of hope remaining in their championship dreams.
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How so? Grizz fans can understand, as Tyreke Evans is the one that made a losing season somewhat bearable. He will now assume a permanent starting role once again in consecutive seasons in very similar fashion.
‘Reke will have to return to his dominant ways as Victor Oladipo has been the heart and soul of the Pacers. Vic has been Indiana’s second-most efficient player, their leading scorer, second-best passer, and their steals leader. Oladipo has been one of several keys to Indiana earning the title of the league’s best team defense.
This is the freedom that Tyreke Evans needs in order to be most effective. It could also open avenues for a guy like Darren Collison to operate without the ball in his hands and focus more on knocking down open outside shots.
Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies admired the way Reke commanded dual coverage from the defense as he drove the lane, oftentimes gaining the hoop plus the harm if not kicking it out to an open man for the jumper. Evans is a bully with excellent court vision when the ball is placed in his possession.
For Memphis, this evening’s matchup will be a chance to redo a pathetic effort given during the season-opener in Indiana. The team was never competitive during the game and the result was a 111-83 beatdown via the Pacers.
After noting that he was essentially dissed by the Grizzlies not extending an offer in Free-Agency this past offseason, Tyreke had a chip on his shoulder in Game No. 1 of 82. He went out and was clearly forcing shots up in order to drop Memphis to an early loss in the October meeting.
Evans finished that matchup with 14 points, four assists, and six rebounds along with a +23 rating on the night against his former Grizzly squad. Now that he removed the hard feelings, his focus is on other things. Coincidentally enough, this call into the starting lineup is against his former team. Somtimes it is funny how life pans out.
A lot has tremendously changed in negative ways for the Memphis Grizzlies since mid-October. On the other side, the Indiana Pacers have maintained early success and have continued to grow and improve. It will be interesting to see how Indy will respond post-news of Victor Oladipo’s injury.
Another important item to note is Tyreke Evans’ increased play as of late. Over the Pacers’ past five games, he has produced 15.4 points on 52.8% shooting accuracy, including a whopping 46.2% from downtown in just 19.4 minutes per game.
This is yet another opportunity for Memphis to achieve a morale boost via a victory in the New Year. They have been competitive and will surely give the Pacers a run or their money, but it has been extremely difficult for the Grizzlies to dig deep enough to pull out a victory, even in a home situation. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM Central Time inside the Grindhouse.