Memphis Grizzlies: The Underperforming Bench Could Halt Title Contention

After winning seven of their first eight games, the Memphis Grizzlies are off to a sizzling start. Their stifling defense hasn’t skipped a beat and they’re at the top of many bloggers’ power ranking lists. Nonetheless, the Grizzlies’ bench unit has been a disappointment up to this point, as was displayed in their lone loss — a heartbreaking one point defeat — to the lowly Milwaukee Bucks.

The game featured Memphis’ second unit scoring a mediocre 27 points on a dismal 32 percent from the field. They have one of the league’s best records at 7-1, but Memphis needs these three key role players to step up in order for the team to sustain its winning ways for 82+ games.

1. Quincy Pondexter

Pondexter was brought in to Memphis largely to fulfill one job: shoot the basketball. However, his shots have seldom splashed through the net. Here are Pondexter’s shooting numbers thus far in the season:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/12/2014.

As a physical, grind-it-out team that’s severely lacking in three-point shooters to relieve the pressure off the big men in the post, it’s pivotal that Pondexter finds his groove sooner rather than later.

After missing nearly an entire year of basketball, Pondexter’s performances on the court up to this point have exuded hesitancy and a lack of confidence, which explains his poor shooting percentages. The good news is that every shooter periodically experiences a slump, and a few good games from Pondexter can quickly alter the trajectory of his underwhelming season thus far.

2. Vince Carter

Another cog in Memphis’ second unit is the former slam dunk champion, Vince Carter. Carter, who’s not nearly the athletic freak of nature that he once was, has been slowly progressing towards recovery from an offseason ankle surgery, and he’s moving awkwardly on the court. Here are Carter’s currently diminished numbers juxtaposed to his stats last year with the Dallas Mavericks:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/12/2014.

Carter clearly isn’t 100 percent right now, and he’s chucking shots at the basket as a result — which explains his low-numbered efficiency. The signing of Carter was perceived as a positive for the Grizzlies’ bench unit and an upgrade over Tayshaun Prince at the small forward slot, but this notion has yet to come to fruition. Moreover, the season is still young. Although “Half Man, Half Amazing” hasn’t even been half the player he once was, he has plenty of time to regain proper footing as a Grizzly.

3. Jon Leuer

Another shooter who’s able to create suitable spacing for the Grizzlies on offense is Jon Leuer. With the departures of Ed Davis and Marreese Speights, Leuer was expected to provide valuable minutes at the power forward slot this season. However, just like Pondexter, Leuer is another shooter for Memphis who has struggled to connect on his jumpers. During the preseason, Leuer was averaging 9.4 points per game off the bench as a beneficial role player, but his shots just haven’t been dropping for him since the games started counting. Here are his numbers thus far:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/12/2014.

The problem isn’t a lack of shot attempts for Leuer. He’s shot 27 times so far with only seven of them finding the bottom of the net. The misses have mostly been too short, and this sort of drought shouldn’t last. Should Leuer remain confident and persist in practicing his shot, he’ll likely regain his rhythm.

Perhaps he can start by attempting to generate points near the basket and slowly work his way out to the perimeter as he gets more comfortable. Garnering a few put-backs and free throws could definitely give him a boost. If not, there are a couple rookies waiting for the opportunity to usurp Leuer’s role.

The Grizzlies have an elite defense that can propel them to a deep playoff run, but they’ll need their bench to step up and provide perimeter shooting if they hope to contend.