Memphis Grizzlies are in trouble if they don’t improve in these five areas

1. Memphis Grizzlies must get better in the half-court or they have to play faster

The Memphis Grizzlies were the best team in transition last year, getting a league-high in possessions and points in that category. There’s a line of demarcation from last season to this season in these two important categories. Perhaps a lot of it can be attributed to not have wing players Ziaire Williams or Dillon Brooks in the first game to help get stops on the wing and push the ball up the court, but it’s something worth keeping an eye on.

2022-23: 20 points on 16 transition possessions 
2021-22: 24.8 ppg on 22.3 transition possessions per game

If the Grizzlies aren’t going to be able to push the ball up the court and score in transition, they have to get better with their half-court sets. Things were taking way too long to develop in the frontcourt against the Knicks and spacing was poor at times. Morant still managed to find his spots and slithered his way into the paint for 16 of his 34 total points.

The Grizzlies were taking roughly four seconds longer to get a shot off in the season opener compared to what they usually did in games last season. The longer you get in the shot clock, the greater the chance the team shoots a bad-quality shot. A lot of times in the half court, players were relying too much on Ja Morant to penetrate to create shot opportunities, which becomes easier to defend if a defense elects to play zone. Knicks Head Coach Thom Thibodeau did elect to mix in some matchup zone at various points in the game, which made it harder for the Grizzlies to penetrate and get quality shots.

2022-23 average time of possession: 24.6 seconds
2021-22 average time of possession: 20.7 seconds