Five games left in the regular season, and Memphis is in the midst of a transition. The team is becoming more perimeter-oriented. The pace remains the same (scoring in the low-to-mid-90s most nights). As Mike Conley's confidence grows, he's becoming more assertive looking for his shot.
Whether it's Conley, Bayless, Pondexter or Prince, the jump shooter needs to hit those shots. There is nothing wrong with the open man taking reasonable shots. Personally, I get frustrated with a) off-balance jumpers early in the shot clock; b) heavily-contested jump shots when team-mates are open for better shots; and c) "heat check" shots - after hitting two or three in a row, the player starts chucking the ball up almost as a science experiment.
Tuesday, the Grizzlies host the 18-59 Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats have lost 7 of their last 10 contests, and will lose to Memphis.
Charlotte does have talent. Kemba Walker and Ben Gordon can heat up and score from deep & when getting to the rim. Gerald Henderson is an active wing player who can score in similar fashion. Bismack Biyombo is a pogo-stick defender and shot-blocker. He can protect the rim, but his haste to jump can get him off-balance. Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is active on both ends and is learning the pro game on the fly.
The Bobcats have been trying to mesh as a team all season. They are working towards next season.
My guess: Memphis 95, Charlotte 85. It will be a lackluster effort from the home team. Memphis lately seems to play up or down to its level of competition. It's disturbing, coming up to the playoffs. The true championship contenders play at a high level more often than not, regardless of opponent. Memphis has to get to that point, in a hurry.
After the Game: Memphis 94, Charlotte 75. The Bobcats were in this game through 3 quarters, down 63-57. Jon Leuer came off the bench in the second half to add 11 points, 5 rebs and the energy the rest of the ?Grizzlies seemed to lack.
For Memphis, it was 39 field goals, 17 assists, 6 turnovers and 6 steals. Conley scored 20 and added 7 assists. Randolph had 11 points, 13 assists, and some labored moments on the floor in the second half. His spring is just about gone, his legs seem dead. Every healthy player played, as the 4th quarter lead got out near 20 points.
For Charlotte, it was 30 field goals, 13 assists, 10 turnovers and 2 steals. The Bobcats were led by Kemba Walker with 19 and Gerald Henderson with 13 and 6 rebs. They played somewhat uptempo, but there was a lot of one-on-one freelancing in their half-court offense. When Memphis finally decided to turn up the heat in the 4th, they were able to take advantage of Charlotte's offensive impatience. Missed Charlotte shots turned into Memphis run-outs or easy shots on the secondary break.
Ho-hum. Letting Charlotte hang in for three quarters was troubling (I admit, I turned over to AMC to watch "A Few Good Men" for a bit at the end of the 3rd.) "They'll have to play with more focus in the playoffs."
Next up for Memphis is back-to-back time yet again. Friday night at Houston, Saturday night at home against the Clippers. After that, Memphis plays on "Tax Day (15 April) at Dallas, then the home closer against the Jazz.
I've said it before: record-wise, this is the best Grizzlies' season ever. Most wins in the regular season (53). Tied for most home wins in team history (31). 13-game home winning streak (second-longest in team history). Why does it feel so unsatisfying? Am I focusing too much on the flaws? Should I just enjoy what's been accomplished up to this point?
It remains to be seen...
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