The Memphis Grizzlies may have won two of their three first games of the 2022-23 NBA season, but you could argue that their start has been far from perfect.
Ja Morant is putting his name in early MVP talks and Santi Aldama is justifying the coach’s trust in him, but there are many areas where the Grizzlies can and should improve on moving forward.
One of them is creating turnovers at the defensive side of the court. Last season, Grizzlies were leading the leagues in steals with 9.8 per game. This season they are ranked 25th in the league with 6 steals per game.
This drop-off has prevented them from scoring easy baskets, as they average 12.7 points off turnovers, compared to last season’s 18.3 points.
A big reason for the Grizzlies’ struggles on that area is Dillon Brooks’ absence. Dillon has been the spirit animal of the team, whose energy and aggressiveness on the defensive side transports to the rest of his teammates. Him getting back will undoubtedly help toughening up the team’s defense.
Following the loss of De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson in the summer, two players that did a great job at getting steals, many Grizzlies fans were worried that their void would be left unfilled. While the stats so far have been proving them right, I don’t believe there is a reason to panic.
Memphis right now lacks three key members of the rotation in Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ziaire Williams. All three players are extremely valuable for the team’s defensive function. As they all recover and return on the floor, the Grizzlies should get their swagger back and create chaos defensively.
There are other players that can help the Grizzlies find their groove defensively. John Konchar is averaging 1.7 steals and is doing an impressive job as he has started in all games. Jake LaRavia and David Roddy have also been active on that side of the court and should be expected to contribute more.
Generating steals has been a huge factor for the Grizzlies success during the last years, as it creates opportunities for them to run the fast break, where they are unstoppable. With the imminent return of Dillon Brooks in the lineup, I’m confident they will reach their usual standards.