Maybe in a few weeks the Memphis Grizzlies will be back in line. Or maybe they will have proven that their very promising last season and their hot start in it was absolutely no accident. Memphis is one of the feel good teams of the moment and we almost want it to last for the young Grizzlies squad to erase the disappointment experienced in the bubble last season. But how come the Grizzlies are in 5th place in the nation’s toughest Conference?
Ja Morant is a crack
Memphis have won 3 of their last 7 games without their point guard, who suffered an ankle injury at the start of the season. It’s interesting that the squad can be united without their best player, but the presence of Ja Morant still changes the level of the team very significantly. Before he landed in the NBA, we were still a little afraid to see a player land a bit “crunchy” and turned to the stats. A false impression born from the fact that at Murray State the boy was kind of forced to do everything. In Memphis, Ja Morant is a calm, altruistic conductor, able to take responsibility if the situation demands it.
Despite his young age, he is also a locker room leader, vocal and inspiring to his comrades. If we add to this the very spectacular side of his game when he decides to attack the circle or climb a too bold defender, the observation is simple: the Grizzlies hold their player franchise.
Going to vote @JaMorant for #NBAAllStar right now like… pic.twitter.com/kMBog7FdpA
— FOX Sports Grizzlies (@GrizzliesOnFSSE) February 2, 2021
They have the best shooter in the league
We talked about it on Monday in an article on the best performing players at three points since the start of the season. The Grizzlies don’t just have one of them, but THE best of them in percentage terms right now. Rookie Desmond Bane, recovered with the 30th pick from TCU, was 52.2% from downtown before his 2/5 last night against San Antonio. If he went down to 50.9%, he remains the most skillful player with at least three outside shots taken per game in the NBA today. The fact that he has the name of a super comic book villain does not spoil anything, quite the contrary.
Desmond Bane in the corner ????pic.twitter.com/rGIiEG9Mex
– The Analyst (@LanalysteFR) January 2, 2021
Collectively, the Grizzlies are on the other hand a little saved by their rookie at the level of the outside address, since they are only in 21st place in the standings in this area with 35.6%. Far from the 41.6% of the Clippers. The proof that one can be well classified without being fabulous in the sector.
The 10 best snipers in the NBA this season
They played fewer matches
Due to a collective quarantine, the Grizzlies did not play for 12 days. They have therefore played between 5 and 7 games less than most of the other teams in the league. With a series of 7 wins in a row, the percentage of wins is inevitably a little flattering. However, we can also see it differently. With these late matches to play, Memphis is not able to take the opportunity to climb a little more in the hierarchy?
On this winning streak in question, five of the teams beaten by Taylor Jenkins and his gang are virtually qualified for the playoffs. It should also be noted that the Grizzlies have put two spurs in quick succession, which is still not within the reach of everyone.
Memphis plays basketball, thank you Taylor Jenkins
Most NBA fans might come across the Memphis Grizzlies coach at the bakery and not recognize him. In the end, we don’t talk much about the work of Taylor Jenkins, only 36 years old, whose course finally allows us to understand quite well the success today. Jenkins graduated from Spurs when he was assigned to the Austin Toros G-League team at 24.
Behind, he served as an assistant with the Hawks and Bucks to Mike Budenholzer, before being offered the job in Memphis. The apple did not fall far from the tree and Jenkins manages to make his team play in a very altruistic and serious way, which also explains the results of a franchise that one expected to see tanking for a few. years.
To this equation, we must also add the work of Zach Kleiman, vice-president of basketball operations often cited as the brains of operations since his arrival in 2019.
The core of young people is very efficient
With Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke (excellent in rookie season and waking up from a sluggish start this year), Dillon Brooks, Xavier Tillman, DeAnthony Melton, Desmond Bane or Tyus Jones, the Grizzlies have one of the youngest groups. of the whole league. At 31 and 29, Gorgui Dieng and Jonas Valanciunas are the oldest of the squad … And despite this relative inexperience at the top level, the Grizzlies can boast of hardly ever suffering the inconvenience that teams usually suffer. with few veterans.
The most impressive is undoubtedly that in addition to the players mentioned above, Memphis also has Justise Winslow (injured for a month) and Jaren Jackson Jr (who has not yet started his season) in its workforce. The future is bright!
They have a Babac padawan
Babac is unique, but he still had a disciple, in the spirit anyway, during his time with Spurs. Kyle Anderson isn’t a sprint pro, not a demented athlete at all, but his brain still generally works faster than most other players on the court. Offensively, Anderson is amazing this season. He who has never exceeded 8 career average points is currently 13 points per game, with nearly 4 assists and 7 rebounds on average. He is also one of the most experienced players in the group by necessity.
This game was also great for appealing to my nerd sensibilities, featuring multiple sets in triplicate.
Triple away screen for Kyle Anderson. And triple-drag for Derrick White. With precision. pic.twitter.com/YQ6IG2jEke
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) January 31, 2021
Kyle Anderson drops a crazy pass
