Memphis Grizzlies: 3 players that need to step up their shooting

As of the start of March, the Memphis Grizzlies are 15-15 and the current 10th seed in the Western Conference. They are currently shooting 35.6% from beyond the arc, which is good enough to be tied for 20th in the league. However, the same Grizzlies are only averaging 10.8 3PT FG per game, which is 25th in the league.

Last year saw the Grizzlies just barely miss the NBA Playoffs, as they finished 34-39 and were the 9th seed in the western conference. They shot 34.7% from 3-point range, which was good enough for 23rd in the league and made 10.9 3PT FG per game which was 25th in the league. Sound familiar so far?

The Memphis Grizzlies need to break away from their habits to find success

The Grizzlies are looking a lot like the team they were last year in the stat sheet, so unless they want to fall short on making the playoffs again this season, a few key players need to shoot better going forward. With the new shooting era that has swept the NBA in the last decade or so, we are seeing more and more teams rely heavily on 3-point shooting. Since the 2012-2013 season, the league average for 3-point field goal attempts per game has shot up from 20.0 to 34.9 this season.

We have seen such a drastic increase in 3-point shooting that an NBA record related to 3-point shooting has actually just been broken this year. The Milwaukee Bucks set the NBA record for 3-pointers made in a single game with 29. They shot 29/51 for an astounding 56.9% on the 29th of December against the Miami Heat.

If the Grizzlies are to keep up in such a competitive league that’s always evolving, then they are going to need to embrace the 3-pointer and look to increase their overall field goals made and their percentage. This could definitely help them make a push to the playoffs this year.

Let’s take a look at which players could have crucial roles in this push.