The Memphis Grizzlies are officially off for a week after completing their pre-All-Star break schedule with a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Last night's loss presented their first opportunity against the Clippers in their new home arena, the Intuit Dome.
Sitting at 36-18, the Grizzlies remain as the second seed in the Western Conference standings. Their 36 wins before the All-Star break marked the second-most wins the team has won before the break, only trailing the 2014-15 team's 39 wins.
While the team has been successful and at the top of the league in nearly all offensive categories, one stat has stood out that has been a consistent weakness for this team in the past. Their success in this category could make the difference between them being contenders or pretenders when the games matter the most in the playoffs.
The Grizzlies are 23-2 when making more threes than their opponent
The Grizzlies are top 10 in the league in three-point percentage, shooting at a 37.3% clip and ranking seventh. What's more impressive is the accuracy of their shooting as they have only ranked 14th in the league in attempts with 37.5 per game.
That accuracy is what will help the team overcome the games when one or more of their stars struggle in a playoff series. Luke Kennard leads the team with 47.8% shooting from three on 4.4 attempts per game. Jay Huff is the other Grizzlies player shooting over a 40% clip at 41.8% (Jake LaRavia was second on the team at 44.4% before being traded).
Including Kennard and Huff, the team has eight players shooting at least 35% from three. They also have two players in GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. who have only played a combined 18 games that are shooting below that percentage but have shown they can shoot above the 35% threshold.
GG Jackson shot 35.7% during his rookie season last year and Vince Williams Jr. shot 37.8% during his second NBA season last year. The Grizzlies have the team equipped to surround Ja Morant with the shooting he needs when he drives to the rim at the moment and that is a good sight for the superstar point guard.
Outside of Ja Morant, who is shooting 32.1% this season and is a career 31.9% shooting from three, the only other active participant in the Grizzlies' rotation who isn't a threat from the three-point line is Brandon Clarke.
While only time will tell if this shooting can carry over to playoff basketball, the team has a collection of rotation players that will be a threat that opponents will have to respect regardless of the accuracy when that time comes. This stat makes the Grizzles a true contender and the numbers suggest that it is not a fluke.