Dave Joerger Says Memphis Grizzlies ‘Got Full Of Themselves’

Memphis Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger took to the airwaves on “The Chris Vernon Show” last Wednesday to discuss the recent occurrences of the team.

Given his candor, Joerger’s appearance provided fans with a glimpse of the Grizzlies’ daily operations and the thought process of the man running the show from the sidelines.

Chris Faulkner, Managing Editor of Grizzly Bear Blues, transcribed a good portion of the interview on Twitter.

Whether the Grizzlies just got cocky or Joerger’s quote was actually a euphemism for coasting, the Grizzlies have been mediocre at best since their two signature wins against the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers back in January. Memphis was on a 12-2 run during a stretch where they had seemingly feigned their championship authenticity.

The Grizzlies showed their grit as they overcame several grueling contests, and fans were deluded into thinking Memphis was a lock to make it to the NBA Finals. The team’s numbers during this stretch reinforced the fan’s sentiments.

Then, the Grizzlies went 10-10 from Feb. 25 to March 30. Opponents exposed Memphis’ dearth of shooters by packing the paint and making life difficult for the Grizzlies’ big men. Additionally, Memphis appeared discombobulated and sluggish defensively. Their defensive minded, grit and grind identity had seemingly been sapped.

Integrating Jeff Green to the team mid-season was also a contributing factor to disrupting the team’s flow. Jeff Green was inserted in the starting lineup, but he asked to come off the bench after struggling to coalesce with the starters; however, it now seems that Joerger has determined a role for Green.

On the surface, Joerger’s line of thinking makes sense. Green’s physical ability and attributes are vastly superior to Tony Allen‘s. Neither athleticism nor size can be taught, and Green is gifted with both of these attributes.

His physicality adds a different element to a team that’s severely lacking in athleticism; however, Allen has played alongside Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley for five years, and his familiarity and chemistry with the starter’s is conducive to the team’s success; he has a better understanding of the Grizzlies’ schemes.

Green has merely been in Memphis for three months, and he’s still finding himself within his role in the structure of the Grizzlies. The ceiling may be higher with Green, but not this season. Here’s a look at the net ratings (Offensive rating minus defensive rating) for three different wing combinations playing with Conley, Ranolph, and Gasol (data provided by Memphisflyer.com).

Interestingly, the duo of Tony Allen and Jeff Green outscore opponents by an astounding 26.6 points per 100 possessions. Though conventional wisdom says that both Green and Allen’s lack of shooting would cripple the offense, they have a considerably higher offensive rating than the original Allen/Lee pairing. Lee is supposedly one of the Grizzlies’ best shooters and floor spacers, but his shot sporadically eludes him.

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If he isn’t getting buckets, then what is he for?

Contrarily, Allen and Green’s diverse skill sets enables them to coexist more fluidly. Allen’s defensive intensity helps mitigate Green’s miscues on that end, and Green’s athleticism makes Allen’s undersized stature less problematic.

It’s curious that Joerger hasn’t explored this pairing more frequently. Perhaps the coaching staff is cognizant of the facts mentioned above, but don’t want to break Lee’s morale by even mentioning moving him to the bench. After all, much of shooter’s success is contingent on their confidence, and the team desperately needs Lee to regain his mojo. Memphis’ recent slump coincides with Lee’s individual regression.

He struggled mightily with his shot throughout March, and his hand injury only aggravated his struggles. Lee’s inability to space the floor is what renders the Lee/Green combo feeble.

As of now, Green is better suited playing with the bench unit if Joerger refrains from experimenting further with the Green/Allen combo. The fast pace and flow of the second unit best accentuates Green’s skill set. The starters’ primary focus consists of running set plays and pounding the ball inside to the bigs. With Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph clogging the paint, Green struggled to find clear driving lanes.

Additionally, as a proficient post-up scorer, Green’s post-up opportunities were diminished as a starter.

Perhaps Green will carve out a starting role in the future as he continues to acclimate to the Grizzlies’ infrastructure (preferably with Allen instead of Lee), but it’s in the team’s best interest to keep him in a reserve role off the bench for the upcoming playoffs.

Next: Memphis Grizzlies Could Lose More Than the Second Seed

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