Memphis Grizzlies: Buy Or Sell Early-Season Statistics

Team three-point field-goal percentage

Sell.

That the Grizzlies are 24th in the league isn’t surprising, but they could be higher if their mark were better than this painful 31.9 percent level.

Memphis hasn’t been one of the better three-point shooting teams in the NBA, having finished 19th or lower since 2007-08, but it could be decent. Their reliable marksmen have underwhelmed thus far. Matt Barnes, a 33.6 percent career long-range shooter who made 34.8 percent the previous four years, has hit 28.8 percent.

Barnes has taken 56.2 percent of his shots from downtown, but isn’t getting enough good looks from the corners.

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Jeff Green‘s 34.4 percent isn’t great, but it’s respectable for him since he’s 0.2 percent above his career mark. He’s only finished a full season better than 35 percent twice. If he can have enough hot stretches and match the 45-game run in which he drained 36.2 percent, that would be a blessing for the Grizzlies.

Mike Conley is at an almost reasonable 36.6 percent, 0.8 below his career clip, having made half his three-point attempts in the past seven contests after hitting 26.8 percent through the first 10 games.

Courtney Lee is an even bigger drag than Barnes, even though he’s taken just 2.9 per game, 1.3 fewer than him. Lee, a career 37.9 percent three-point shooter, has nailed a miserable 22 percent. He’s made half his threes just three times when taking multiple threes.

This has caused Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger to send Lee to the bench starting with Game 11 on Nov. 15. Since then, he’s raised it to a still underwhelming 4-of-13 (30.8 percent).

Lee said he’s certain he will bounce back, telling The Commercial Appeal’s Ron Tillery, “It’s no worry. It’s early in the season. It’ll turn around.”

Vince Carter has made a third of his 21 attempts. Strangely, this can be taken as promising after he hit 29.7 percent last year.

Soon, Lee will follow Conley in progressing to the mean. As the one-time Orlando Magic showed Memphis last year, he can’t stay down for too long.

Next: Waiting for Marc Gasol to Shoot