Ah, where to start with this article. The Memphis Grizzlies were bad on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Obviously, there were a few good bright spots, including Ja Morant who rarely has a bad night, Jaren Jackson Jr., who is getting things going, and a few role players.
However, for the most part, the game was bad for the Grizzlies. When you lose by 25, there is something wrong with your team, and your players in the game. In other words, there were some guys who did not play well at all.
The Memphis Grizzlies need more help, more consistently from role players, when playing good teams.
Obviously, not every player will play well in a loss, but these are things that need to be addressed when your team is young and has a lot of potential. Do we blame the loss on these guys? No, we don’t. It is a team effort, in a team sport. The Grizzlies win as a team, and they lose as a team. However, these three guys could have made that a little easier on Friday night.
Three Bad Performances From the Memphis Grizzlies
Ziaire Williams, G/F:
The rookie has a ton of potential, which is why the Grizzlies traded up to get him. However, this game was just not a good one for him. besides only scoring two points in 19 minutes, and going 1-5 from the field, Williams’s defense did not help the Grizzlies at all.
Yes, he is young and he is a rookie, so his defense will not be perfect. However, if that is the case then Taylor Jenkins does not need to have Williams guarding Devin Booker, especially in pick and roll situations, as he was roasted all night.
De’Anthony Melton, G:
Melton has had a great year, and there is no question whether he deserves minutes or not. In fact, Melton has played great in the starter role, just not in this game.
With just three points on the game, Melton was 1-5 from the field in 17 minutes of play. In those 17 minutes, he was not really helpful away from scoring the ball, as he turned it over four times. Melton is a guy who can make big shots and big plays when needed, he just didn’t Friday night.
Steven Adams, C:
Some fans will see this and think I’m wrong, all because of what Adams did on the glass. Here is the deal though, Steven Adams is supposed to grab 10 rebounds if not more, so that is not the issue.
The real issue lies within his inability to help the offense at all. Whether it’s going 2-6 from the field or 1-4 from the free-throw line, Steven Adams was not very helpful on that side of the ball.
This team is still so young, with so much potential. Yes, they will have games like this. However, it is good to know who played bad, and what they need to do to help the team win the next game.