Studs and Duds from Grizzlies failed comeback vs. Magic

Memphis Grizzlies Duds in loss vs Orlando Magic

Perimeter Shooting

Other than Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies just could not get shots to fall consistently, especially from three-point range.

They finished the first quarter making 5-20 field goal attempts and going 0-6 from three, which seemed to be a trend throughout the game.

During the middle of the third quarter, players not named Desmond Bane for the Grizzlies were a whopping 12-45 (26.6%) from the field.

Most times, the looks that players were getting were open, but the shot just couldn’t seem to fall.
The Grizzlies finished the game shooting 37-92 (40%) from the field and a horrendous 9-36 (25%) from the three-point line.

Ja Morant

Ja Morant himself would be the first to tell you that tonight was an off night.

He finished the game with 23 points (8-24 FG%, 0-6 3pt%, 7-10 FT%), four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one turnover, and was a -21 on the night.

In quarters 1-3, it seemed as if he could not buy a bucket. He started the game 1-10 from the field and was simply missing shots that he normally makes from all areas on the court.

If it wasn’t for his fantastic fourth-quarter effort, his total stat line would look even worse. He tried to will the Grizzlies back in the fourth, scoring 12 points on 4-8 shooting from the field and going 4-4 from the free-throw line.

It is rare to see Morant struggle to get things going, but tonight was just one of those nights.

Dillon Brooks

Defensively, Dillon Brooks looked just fine.

He was asked to play the small ball four for the first time this preseason, and he showed that he could be effective in doing so. He brought crucial energy on the defensive end that was a key factor in the Grizzlies making the game close in the fourth.

Offensively, however, tonight was a struggle. He missed his first three shots of the game and never really got it going from there.

He finished with 10 points (4-13 FG, 1-6 3PT, 1-2 FT), four assists, two rebounds, and three turnovers.

The one positive from Brooks is that his shots seemed to be taken in the flow of the game. They just weren’t falling.

Hopefully, he will shake this performance off and find ways to take more quality looks and become more efficient once the regular season starts.