Memphis Grizzlies Can Make A Statement This Week
The Memphis Grizzlies are on a mission this week. At 15-2, they have the best record in the NBA, and if all goes as planned, by the end of the week it will be clear that they are without a doubt the best team in basketball.
The Grizzlies are currently in the midst of a four-game road trip that includes meetings with the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets. Following the trip, they return home to face what could possibly be their toughest test of the season, a meeting with the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
Memphis has passed the first two tests of this challenging week. Friday, they went into Portland and easily defeated the Blazers behind Marc Gasol’s 26-point, nine-assist, and seven-rebound effort. Memphis’ staunch defense held them to 28.8 percent shooting from three-point range, extinguishing Portland’s nine-game winning streak.
Sunday night ended up being less compelling than expected. An illness to DeMarcus Cousins deprived the world of a Gasol-Boogie rematch down low. However, the Boogie-less Kings still put up quite a fight. Former Grizzly Rudy Gay stepped up in the big man’s absence, scoring 20 points in the 97-85 loss.
Early foul trouble limited Marc Gasol’s first half production, giving Zach Randolph the opportunity to show he can still be Batman. Randolph scored 13 first quarter points, finishing with 22 points, in a game that saw all five Memphis starters in double figures.
Wednesday night the test gets harder. The Kings may be much improved, and Portland is a formidable foe when in their home building, but a game in Houston against the Rockets and their dominant defense will be the Grizzlies’ toughest game to date (flu-tainted game in Toronto notwithstanding).
Houston is 13-4 on the season and currently has the third best defensive rating in the NBA at 99.6. The Grizzlies destroyed the Rockets 119-93 when these two met on Nov. 17, but the game was at Fed Ex Forum and it was the second game of a back-to-back for Houston.
Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley, if healthy, will be difficult matchups for Gasol and Mike Conley. Limiting their two-man game that has been so successful early this season would put Memphis in a tough spot. Beverley has been dealing with a strained hamstring lately, and Howard has been fighting a strained knee. Their absence would make this a much more favorable matchup for Memphis.
Offensively, Houston is known for their three-pointer bombardment and James Harden getting to the foul line. If Memphis can clamp down on Trevor Ariza and other shooters, while also keeping Harden off the free throw line, then they should be able to stay in the game. Otherwise the Rockets will get revenge for the early season drubbing.
Then there is a Friday night date with the defending champs. After starting slow, the Spurs are doing Spurs things again. Any time NBA pundits begin to think that their run of regular season dominance is starting to come to an end, they show how foolish that notion is.
The Spurs have won seven games in a row, and 10 of their last 11 to bring their record to 12-4. Rather than winning with spectacular offense, the stingy defense by San Antonio has been the key to their success. They lead the NBA in points allowed per game with 92.7, and have the second best defensive rating in the lead at 99.
Even though they have not played their best offensive basketball in the first 16 games, they can turn it on at any time. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and Manu Ginobili are tough assignments for even the best defensive teams. Even though the game is in Memphis, this will not be a walk in the park. The Spurs will not beat themselves, the Grizzlies will have to be at their best to grab a win.
A pair of wins against Houston and San Antonio would solidify Memphis as the best team in the NBA. Playing such dominant defenses will also give a good indication of whether their efficient offensive play is here to stay, or if it was just an early season mirage. Grit and grind is making a push for the No. 1 seed. Can anybody stop them?