Orlando has a bunch of troubles these days. The team has lost its last three games. Thursday, they traded J.J. Redick, former Grizzly Ish Smith and Gustavo Ayon to Milwaukee for Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb and Beno Udrih. Redick was the team's second-leading scorer, and led the team in FT percentage and 3-PT FG percentage.
Orlando's roster is filled with recognizable names, guys who had success in college or some measure of productivity in the pros. But, this roster doesn't scare anybody this year. The best players remaining have injury and illness issues. Starting PG Jameer Nelson has an injured left knee; he is day-to-day. Glen "Big Baby" Davis is out with a fractured left foot. Hedo Turkoglu is just getting over flu-like symptoms. What's left shouldn't beat a playoff-caliber team, especially on the road.
Memphis, on the other hand, appears to be gelling after the recent trades. This team also appears to be built to compete in the playoffs. When the pace slows, and every possession is ultra-valuable, teams that can turn defensive stops into easy buckets can swing a playoff series to its favor. Of course, there are several teams in the Western Conference who are decidedly better than Memphis (San Antonio, Oklahoma City, L.A. Clippers). But, this Memphis roster should be more competitive during the playoffs. I like this mix, and look forward to seeing if they can execute on both ends of the floor.
Memphis would do well to put a defensive squeeze on Orlando early. If the home team can set the tone from the start, an easy win looks highly likely. If the Grizzlies come out like they did against Toronto, missing numerous close-range shots, Orlando will gain confidence. This game shouldn't be close.
The Grizzlies have won their last five games - tonight should be number six. Next game is a Sunday night road test at Brooklyn, in that swanky new Barclays Center.
My guess for tonight, Memphis 103, Orlando 90, with Coach Hollins emptying the bench in the fourth quarter. As always, my guessing is just that - meant for argument and post-game grading, not for gaming purposes.
After the Game: Memphis 88, Orlando 82. If any win could be called disappointing, this one is it. Gasol got 19 and 13, Randolph with 16 and 14. The Grizzlies were flat, other than a portion early in the 3rd quarter.
Orlando was valiant in defeat. Orlando only dressed 8 guys, and one (Al Harrington) was injured and unable to play. I'd forgotten Turkoglu was suspended for banned substances. Two Magic players (Vucevic and Nicholson) fouled out. Head coach Jacque Vaughn had his guys playing hard. Kudos to him and his team.
For any who want a blueprint on how to beat the Grizzlies, this game was a great example:
- One, pack the middle on defense. Memphis will settle for outside shots, and will keep shooting even when they don't fall.
- Two, in the half-court sets, attack the lane off the dribble. Memphis will block a shot or two, but overall you can get shots in the lane and at the rim.
- Three, on the fast break, the ball handler running the break can get to the rim. Memphis struggles stopping the ball in transition defense.
- Four, you can foul Memphis, because they will miss free throws (12 missed tonight).
- Five, pound the offensive boards. With all their rebounding prowess, Randolph nor Gasol are especially mobile. An opponent can get precious extra possessions just through a bit more hard work.
Memphis is 36-18 after this win. With only 11 home games remaining of the 28 games left, they've got to be more consistent offensively.
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