Satchel Paige famously said "don't look back, something might be gaining on you". Rock band Boston sang "don't look back". Steve Lukather sang "can't look back". The Grizzlies would do well to heed the warnings.
Denver's Nuggets are one game back of Memphis (three games back in the loss column), and they are on a rampage of their own. Their seven-game winning streak is second-longest in the Association.
Memphis' assignment is simple: win. It's tempting to keep an eye on what Denver is doing, but all they really can control is their own result. Friday night, the Grizzlies play in Cleveland.
Cavaliers' PG Kyrie Irving is one of the best young players in the league, and fast becoming one of the best players period. He leads his team in PPG, assists, FT percentage, 3PT percentage and steals. He's that rare Duke player who was a good college player but even better as a pro. Mike Conley is quick enough to keep up with Irving, but Conley is gonna have his hands full Friday.
Cleveland is missing some key players. Anderson Varejao got injured in December and is gone for the year. Boobie Gibson, Tyler Zeller and Dion Waiters were all fighting the dreaded "flu-like symptoms" (Why don't teams simply say "he has the flu"? What other illnesses are really flu-like, but not actually the flu?)
The Cavaliers aren't depleted, however. Thank Memphis for that, actually. Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington, former Grizzlies, have been assets since coming over in that January trade. I like Speights' game - he's a big body that can go out on the floor to hit a mid-range jumper. He can post up and score. He is a willing and physical rebounder. He contributes a lot, and is capable of a 20 point, 10 rebound game coming off the bench. Ellington was really coming into his own this year, especially as a long-range shooter. His leaving Memphis left a hole in the Grizzlies' roster that Austin Daye is attempting to fill.
Tristan Thompson in the post and C.J. Miles on the wing are good players, especially offensively. They are part of a young roster that can score, and they feed off the passion of the home arena crowd. If they get on a roll, and the fans stand & cheer, they are very good.
Memphis has to know that the youngbloods feed also off Irving's play. He is the guy whose quickness and vision helps to set up easy shots for teammates.
Memphis needs to keep Irving somewhat under control. If he gets his 20-23, but doesn't get teammates involved, Memphis can win. If Irving gets 20 with 12-15 assists, Cleveland will win.
One more thing: Cleveland isn't a particularly strong defensive team. They've given up an average of 99.6 points the last five games. They've scored an average of 98.6 in the same span.
My guess: Memphis 97, Cleveland 96. It will be an exciting game, and Irving will put on a show. Memphis' team balance will squeak out a win, but the Grizzlies have to hit those close-in and mid-range shots they seem to miss in the first and second quarters. They must establish control of the game early, take the crowd out of the contest, and convince Irving to play "hero ball" instead of setting up his teammates.
After the Game: Memphis 103, Cleveland 92. Both teams were depleted. Between injury, illness and the fact that both teams have now played 60-plus games, some sloppiness was expected.
Gasol led the way with 22 pts, 8 rebs and 5 assists. Five Memphis players scored in double figures, with Bayless contributing 17 off the bench. His long-range shooting kept the team afloat in the second half. Conley had 17 pts, 11 assists versus Irving's 24 pts but only 3 assists.
Memphis had 45 baskets, 30 assists and 12 turnovers, compared to Cleveland's 33 baskets, 19 assists and 15 turnovers. What kept the game close was a 20 to 9 FTs made between the home team and the visitors (which is pretty much normal in the Association, eh?).
Considering a) no Randolph or Arthur (injuries) and b) history (first Memphis win in Cleveland since November of 2003), this was a good win. After the flight home and some rest, the Grizz get New Orleans at home Saturday night.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
My Team - Nationals versus Roy Halliday
Saw this on MLB Network Thursday:
Wednesday, the Nationals and Philadelphia played a spring training game, with Stephen Strasburg and Roy Halliday the starting pitchers. Strasburg hit Phillie Chase Utley in the lower leg with a pitch. A bit later in the game, Halliday threw a pitch behind Washington's Tyler Moore. In his post-game interview, Halliday alluded to his mindset on the mound and baseball's unwritten rules (I paraphrase the following):
"Well, when a teammate gets hit with a pitch, I gotta protect him...but the pitch I threw slipped...but, if it had hit their guy, I guess that would be OK, I guess..."
He was fighting so hard to hold back the smirk. I thought it hilarious. Halliday covered so many clichés in a matter of a few words, it was amazing. He's a pro's pro, for sure.
All kidding aside, watching the Nationals, Phillies and Braves fight it out in the National League East will be fun all summer.
Wednesday, the Nationals and Philadelphia played a spring training game, with Stephen Strasburg and Roy Halliday the starting pitchers. Strasburg hit Phillie Chase Utley in the lower leg with a pitch. A bit later in the game, Halliday threw a pitch behind Washington's Tyler Moore. In his post-game interview, Halliday alluded to his mindset on the mound and baseball's unwritten rules (I paraphrase the following):
"Well, when a teammate gets hit with a pitch, I gotta protect him...but the pitch I threw slipped...but, if it had hit their guy, I guess that would be OK, I guess..."
He was fighting so hard to hold back the smirk. I thought it hilarious. Halliday covered so many clichés in a matter of a few words, it was amazing. He's a pro's pro, for sure.
All kidding aside, watching the Nationals, Phillies and Braves fight it out in the National League East will be fun all summer.
In Dreams - Storms, Ironing, Dogs, Pheasant
The parts I remember:
I was back at a house where I lived during my junior high years. It was a small Section 8 house, but in the dream it had been enlarged and remodeled. At this point, I was an adult, and the family had all moved back. We were there for some sort of ceremony - reunion, wedding, promotion or similar. Scattered thunderstorms periodically pounded the house, sound and fury.
I was looking for an iron so I could press a shirt. I kept finding irons that had large water reservoirs, almost like water pitchers attached to heating elements. They looked silly, so I kept looking for an iron that looked like a normal iron. As I looked for a normal iron, this guy came up to me and said "tell people what God has done for you. I'll do the same. Promise me we both will do this." I agreed, we shook hands, and I resumed looking for the iron.
I even went outside to look in my car for a normal iron. As I looked, I noticed we had received three newspapers, all in those familiar blue plastic bags. A lady who was nearby also noticed, and took two of the papers and threw them down the street, as if to share with neighbors.
Scene shift: now, I'm back in rural Tennessee, near where my first wife grew up. I was playing touch football with some guys, but I couldn't see their faces. We were on a paved country road, which was barely wide enough for two cars. We were in a 4-wide receiver formation, and I was one of the four. Seemed strange to be 4-wide on a narrow road, but there you go. The ball was snapped, we started sprinting. Two receivers stopped after a few strides, another guy did something I didn't/couldn't see, and I went deep. The quarterback threw me the ball, a perfect spiral right on target, in stride. It landed on my right (outside) hand. I bobbled it for an instant, then grasped it firmly. I sprinted the rest of the way with the pigskin in my grip. Touchdown.
As I whooped and hollered with the other three guys, we saw three German Shepherds chase a pheasant, from nearby cotton fields to the street and back. The pheasant was skittering around just enough to stay out of reach of the dogs, as if it was a game of tag. One of the dogs stopped to take a poop in the middle of the road, then resumed the chase. After we laughed at the scene, I noticed off to the other side of the road a German Shepherd puppy, a round little fuzz ball of a dog. It was cute and energetic. It tried so hard to join in the chase game with that pheasant, but its stubby legs weren't up to the task.
As we ended the game, and went to a house, that same guy with whom I'd shaken hands showed up. Again, he told me "tell people what God has done for you."
I have no idea where all that came from.
I was back at a house where I lived during my junior high years. It was a small Section 8 house, but in the dream it had been enlarged and remodeled. At this point, I was an adult, and the family had all moved back. We were there for some sort of ceremony - reunion, wedding, promotion or similar. Scattered thunderstorms periodically pounded the house, sound and fury.
I was looking for an iron so I could press a shirt. I kept finding irons that had large water reservoirs, almost like water pitchers attached to heating elements. They looked silly, so I kept looking for an iron that looked like a normal iron. As I looked for a normal iron, this guy came up to me and said "tell people what God has done for you. I'll do the same. Promise me we both will do this." I agreed, we shook hands, and I resumed looking for the iron.
I even went outside to look in my car for a normal iron. As I looked, I noticed we had received three newspapers, all in those familiar blue plastic bags. A lady who was nearby also noticed, and took two of the papers and threw them down the street, as if to share with neighbors.
Scene shift: now, I'm back in rural Tennessee, near where my first wife grew up. I was playing touch football with some guys, but I couldn't see their faces. We were on a paved country road, which was barely wide enough for two cars. We were in a 4-wide receiver formation, and I was one of the four. Seemed strange to be 4-wide on a narrow road, but there you go. The ball was snapped, we started sprinting. Two receivers stopped after a few strides, another guy did something I didn't/couldn't see, and I went deep. The quarterback threw me the ball, a perfect spiral right on target, in stride. It landed on my right (outside) hand. I bobbled it for an instant, then grasped it firmly. I sprinted the rest of the way with the pigskin in my grip. Touchdown.
As I whooped and hollered with the other three guys, we saw three German Shepherds chase a pheasant, from nearby cotton fields to the street and back. The pheasant was skittering around just enough to stay out of reach of the dogs, as if it was a game of tag. One of the dogs stopped to take a poop in the middle of the road, then resumed the chase. After we laughed at the scene, I noticed off to the other side of the road a German Shepherd puppy, a round little fuzz ball of a dog. It was cute and energetic. It tried so hard to join in the chase game with that pheasant, but its stubby legs weren't up to the task.
As we ended the game, and went to a house, that same guy with whom I'd shaken hands showed up. Again, he told me "tell people what God has done for you."
I have no idea where all that came from.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
My Team - Grizzlies versus Portland
After having a couple of nights off, the Grizzlies take the floor Wednesday night against the Portland Trailblazers. Portland is just a bit out of range in the Western Conference playoff picture, so they would love to a) gain a win to get a little bit closer, and b) cause problems for a team ahead of them. Portland is 3.5 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the West.
Randolph no doubt used the off-days for treatment for that sprained left ankle. While that Sunday night win in Orlando was an opportunity for other guys to get their games going (Ed Davis and Darrell Arthur for two examples), tonight will present a different kind of challenge. The Trailblazers have the kind of experience and talent that can cause Memphis problems.
LaMarcus Aldridge is the type of active post player that can keep Gasol and a healthy Randolph scrambling to keep up. Aldridge is a competent offensive player down low, and loves that mid-range jumper that few can stop. Rookie Damian Lillard is still the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, notwithstanding some recent struggles. More of "scorer first/distributor second" point guard, he is quick enough to match Conley step for step. SG Nicolas Batum is a long-armed, deceptively quick player. He can get to the rim, and has legit 3PT range (37% for the year). Also, Wesley Matthews is a two-way contributor on the wing. This team matches up well with Memphis, and won't be intimidated on the road. This team likes to run - averaging 113 PPG the last three games.
The Grizzlies need to make this game like the one at Miami last Friday. Slow the pace for the most part, with occasional sprints when they have the obvious numerical advantage. If Randolph isn't 100%, look for more Arthur and Davis taking turns covering Aldridge, while also trying to wear down Aldridge by making him play defense against the rotating cast of fresh PFs.
My guess: Memphis 95, Portland 90. Arthur and Davis will be key for the home team. If they don't play well in relief of Randolph, the team will lose. As usual, these guesses aren't for gaming purposes. They are more for bragging rights and entertaining myself.
After the Game: Memphis 91, Portland 85. Randolph didn't play - Davis started in his place (3 pts, 6 rebs in 25 minutes). Gasol played well (23 pts, 12 rebs, 3 assists). Conley added 20 points and 6 assists. Prince and Allen combined for 7/25 FG/A, though. Bayless scored 12 off the bench. The team had 38 FGs, and 20 assists to 9 turnovers.
For Portland, Aldridge went 2/13 from the field, but added 10 rebs and 8 assists. Slowing him down made a difference. Matthews (4/11 FG/A) and Batum (4/10) struggled from the field as well. Lillard scored 20 and had 4 assists. Former University of Memphis player Will Barton got 5 minutes of time, scoring one point.
Neither team shot great (Memphis 43.7% from the field, Portland 40.8%), which is the usual Memphis M.O.
Portland led 50-38 at the half, but the Grizz fought their way back. I DVR'd this, and may watch it if/when insomnia sets in.
Next for Memphis is back to back, at Cleveland (8 March) and home against New Orleans (9 March). The Grizzlies need to win both.
Randolph no doubt used the off-days for treatment for that sprained left ankle. While that Sunday night win in Orlando was an opportunity for other guys to get their games going (Ed Davis and Darrell Arthur for two examples), tonight will present a different kind of challenge. The Trailblazers have the kind of experience and talent that can cause Memphis problems.
LaMarcus Aldridge is the type of active post player that can keep Gasol and a healthy Randolph scrambling to keep up. Aldridge is a competent offensive player down low, and loves that mid-range jumper that few can stop. Rookie Damian Lillard is still the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, notwithstanding some recent struggles. More of "scorer first/distributor second" point guard, he is quick enough to match Conley step for step. SG Nicolas Batum is a long-armed, deceptively quick player. He can get to the rim, and has legit 3PT range (37% for the year). Also, Wesley Matthews is a two-way contributor on the wing. This team matches up well with Memphis, and won't be intimidated on the road. This team likes to run - averaging 113 PPG the last three games.
The Grizzlies need to make this game like the one at Miami last Friday. Slow the pace for the most part, with occasional sprints when they have the obvious numerical advantage. If Randolph isn't 100%, look for more Arthur and Davis taking turns covering Aldridge, while also trying to wear down Aldridge by making him play defense against the rotating cast of fresh PFs.
My guess: Memphis 95, Portland 90. Arthur and Davis will be key for the home team. If they don't play well in relief of Randolph, the team will lose. As usual, these guesses aren't for gaming purposes. They are more for bragging rights and entertaining myself.
After the Game: Memphis 91, Portland 85. Randolph didn't play - Davis started in his place (3 pts, 6 rebs in 25 minutes). Gasol played well (23 pts, 12 rebs, 3 assists). Conley added 20 points and 6 assists. Prince and Allen combined for 7/25 FG/A, though. Bayless scored 12 off the bench. The team had 38 FGs, and 20 assists to 9 turnovers.
For Portland, Aldridge went 2/13 from the field, but added 10 rebs and 8 assists. Slowing him down made a difference. Matthews (4/11 FG/A) and Batum (4/10) struggled from the field as well. Lillard scored 20 and had 4 assists. Former University of Memphis player Will Barton got 5 minutes of time, scoring one point.
Neither team shot great (Memphis 43.7% from the field, Portland 40.8%), which is the usual Memphis M.O.
Portland led 50-38 at the half, but the Grizz fought their way back. I DVR'd this, and may watch it if/when insomnia sets in.
Next for Memphis is back to back, at Cleveland (8 March) and home against New Orleans (9 March). The Grizzlies need to win both.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Old Dude, Old Movies - "Pride of the Marines"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038000/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Schmid
From 1945 comes this biographical movie starring the acclaimed John Garfield. Garfield, who was born 4 March 100 years ago, was a stalwart of many well-known movies in the 1940s. Films like "Air Force", "Thank Your Lucky Stars", "Destination Tokyo", "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Body and Soul" were lifted by his presence and skill.
In this film, Garfield plays the decorated Marine Al Schmid as the archetypal East Coast guy from that era, swagger to spare and full of big talk & big plans. Some friends persistently attempt to set him up with their single lady acquaintances, as he continually resists. Eventually, he meets his match in the lovely Ruth (portrayed by Eleanor Parker). Al gives her the business, trying to keep her at arms' length. Ruth proves his equal and more (check out the scenes in the bowling alley and where Al offers Ruth a ride home).
Over time, Al and Ruth grow close. Their growing romance, however, gets interrupted by the attack at Pearl Harbor and America's subsequent entry into World War II. Al, like most able-bodied men, heads off to join the Marines, again full of bluster and determined to do his part to win the war.
As Al sees action right away at Guadalcanal, he and his fellow Marines face all sorts of internal challenges as well as the adversary. They are all changed profoundly for the experience.
Soon, the injured Marines are stateside, recuperating in a military hospital. Those scenes carry a lot of gravity, and they foretell what our wounded military heroes go through today. So many questions: how do I re-enter society? Will there be a job for me when I'm healthy? How do those who didn't fight see me, now that I am permanently injured? Will there be some immigrant guy in the job I left behind? Will society look at me with pity, or look at me as a washed-up "former hero"? Al is at the forefront of all these questions and more.
Of course, a movie like this has a happy ending that looks trite by today's standard. Nonetheless, the movie was well-put-together, and was no doubt meant for civilians to consider as they welcomed home family and friends who'd fought for America's safety & freedom.
For character actors in the supporting cast, look for John Ridgely (who worked in "The Big Sleep" and "Air Force"), Rosemary DeCamp (from "Strategic Air Command" and numerous TV appearances) as a caring nurse and Dane Clark ("Action in the North Atlantic" with Humprey Bogart & "Hollywood Canteen"), among others.
I like World War II movies in addition to film noir. This film was good for its' time, and holds up in the present day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Schmid
From 1945 comes this biographical movie starring the acclaimed John Garfield. Garfield, who was born 4 March 100 years ago, was a stalwart of many well-known movies in the 1940s. Films like "Air Force", "Thank Your Lucky Stars", "Destination Tokyo", "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Body and Soul" were lifted by his presence and skill.
In this film, Garfield plays the decorated Marine Al Schmid as the archetypal East Coast guy from that era, swagger to spare and full of big talk & big plans. Some friends persistently attempt to set him up with their single lady acquaintances, as he continually resists. Eventually, he meets his match in the lovely Ruth (portrayed by Eleanor Parker). Al gives her the business, trying to keep her at arms' length. Ruth proves his equal and more (check out the scenes in the bowling alley and where Al offers Ruth a ride home).
Over time, Al and Ruth grow close. Their growing romance, however, gets interrupted by the attack at Pearl Harbor and America's subsequent entry into World War II. Al, like most able-bodied men, heads off to join the Marines, again full of bluster and determined to do his part to win the war.
As Al sees action right away at Guadalcanal, he and his fellow Marines face all sorts of internal challenges as well as the adversary. They are all changed profoundly for the experience.
Soon, the injured Marines are stateside, recuperating in a military hospital. Those scenes carry a lot of gravity, and they foretell what our wounded military heroes go through today. So many questions: how do I re-enter society? Will there be a job for me when I'm healthy? How do those who didn't fight see me, now that I am permanently injured? Will there be some immigrant guy in the job I left behind? Will society look at me with pity, or look at me as a washed-up "former hero"? Al is at the forefront of all these questions and more.
Of course, a movie like this has a happy ending that looks trite by today's standard. Nonetheless, the movie was well-put-together, and was no doubt meant for civilians to consider as they welcomed home family and friends who'd fought for America's safety & freedom.
For character actors in the supporting cast, look for John Ridgely (who worked in "The Big Sleep" and "Air Force"), Rosemary DeCamp (from "Strategic Air Command" and numerous TV appearances) as a caring nurse and Dane Clark ("Action in the North Atlantic" with Humprey Bogart & "Hollywood Canteen"), among others.
I like World War II movies in addition to film noir. This film was good for its' time, and holds up in the present day.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
My Team - Grizzlies at Orlando
Coach Hollins was recently named Western Conference Coach of the Month for February. That is great news for the franchise. The ownership group must get him re-signed ASAP. He's a steady hand, and is doing a great job coaching based on the team's talents. In addition, when the league recognizes your team positively, it is a tribute to the organization's overall effort.
With that, back to the games. Friday's loss was encouraging in some aspects (James didn't go wild, as I expected), but a loss is still a loss. Moral victories don't help very much during a playoff push.
Orlando hosts the Grizzlies tonight, and it should be an interesting game. When the teams met in Memphis on 22 February, the Magic were short-handed, and somewhat dispirited after trading away deep threat J.J. Redick. Now, the new pieces are in place. Friday night, in a loss 110-118 to Houston, new acquisition Tobias Harris went for 27 and 10 rebs off the bench. Four Orlando starters scored in double figures, and the fifth starter (PG E'Twaun Moore) scored 9 with 11 assists and only one turnover. The Magic shot 56% from the floor, and had a 30/14 assist/turnover ratio. They also jacked up 22 3pt attempts, making nine of them.
Now the bad news: Houston shot 54.% overall, 15 for 32 on 3pt attempts, and went 28/12 on assist/turnover ratio. Houston was down 86-87 at the end of the third quarter, then went on a mini-rampage to pull out the road win.
For Memphis, which normally doesn't score that much, they have to keep doing what they do. Keep the game in the low-to-mid 90s. The Gasol-Vukovic matchup will again be a fun one to watch. Vukovic was plagued with fouls in the 22 Feb meeting, fouling out after playing only 25 minutes. He only scored four, but got 11 rebs in that short stint. Gasol, meanwhile, got 19, 13 rebs and 4 assists. I expect both post players to get double-doubles while matched up against one another. If you like titanic battles in the post, where two behemoths grapple for position & advantage, you'll like this matchup.
To me, Randolph is more of a key than usual. It appears he is either wearing down or the league is starting to counter some of his pet moves. It didn't help that he turned an ankle on the first offensive possession Friday night. It seems he doesn't have the lift in the post that he had before. He was never a high-flyer, but he was lighter on his feet than he is now. Memphis needs the "first name 20, last name 10" Randolph to win.
Another fun matchup is Tony Allen versus Arron Afflalo. Afflalo is one of Orlando's main scorers, and has a green light to shoot from anywhere. He's a competent 3pt shooter, and attacks the basket with determination. He's similar-sized to Allen, and just as ornery.
My guess: Memphis 97, Orlando 94. Orlando can win this game, and would cause Memphis trouble if that's the case. Memphis needs to hit mid-range shots early, something they haven't done the last few games.
After the Game: Memphis 108, Orlando 82. Those mid-range and point-blank range shots the Grizzlies have missed lately, they made tonight. Both teams emptied their benches at the start of the fourth quarter. Gasol had 11 assists in three quarters, and Ed Davis had 10 pts, 10 rebs.
Randolph's sprained ankle from Friday's game kept him out of this one. Good thing the team made up for his absence.
As you know, I love two stats in particular - assist/turnover ratio and assists to made FGs. Tonight, assist/turnover was 31/13. Those 31 assists (a season-high) aided in 44 made FGs. This team has to move the ball smartly to be competitive with upper-echelon teams. If/when this team bogs down with needless dribbling, the offense gets ugly in a hurry.
The next two Memphis games are home against Portland (Wednesday) and at Cleveland (Friday). The beat goes on.
It's Sunday evening, and I'm gonna put on some Art Garfunkel to soothe my nerves.
With that, back to the games. Friday's loss was encouraging in some aspects (James didn't go wild, as I expected), but a loss is still a loss. Moral victories don't help very much during a playoff push.
Orlando hosts the Grizzlies tonight, and it should be an interesting game. When the teams met in Memphis on 22 February, the Magic were short-handed, and somewhat dispirited after trading away deep threat J.J. Redick. Now, the new pieces are in place. Friday night, in a loss 110-118 to Houston, new acquisition Tobias Harris went for 27 and 10 rebs off the bench. Four Orlando starters scored in double figures, and the fifth starter (PG E'Twaun Moore) scored 9 with 11 assists and only one turnover. The Magic shot 56% from the floor, and had a 30/14 assist/turnover ratio. They also jacked up 22 3pt attempts, making nine of them.
Now the bad news: Houston shot 54.% overall, 15 for 32 on 3pt attempts, and went 28/12 on assist/turnover ratio. Houston was down 86-87 at the end of the third quarter, then went on a mini-rampage to pull out the road win.
For Memphis, which normally doesn't score that much, they have to keep doing what they do. Keep the game in the low-to-mid 90s. The Gasol-Vukovic matchup will again be a fun one to watch. Vukovic was plagued with fouls in the 22 Feb meeting, fouling out after playing only 25 minutes. He only scored four, but got 11 rebs in that short stint. Gasol, meanwhile, got 19, 13 rebs and 4 assists. I expect both post players to get double-doubles while matched up against one another. If you like titanic battles in the post, where two behemoths grapple for position & advantage, you'll like this matchup.
To me, Randolph is more of a key than usual. It appears he is either wearing down or the league is starting to counter some of his pet moves. It didn't help that he turned an ankle on the first offensive possession Friday night. It seems he doesn't have the lift in the post that he had before. He was never a high-flyer, but he was lighter on his feet than he is now. Memphis needs the "first name 20, last name 10" Randolph to win.
Another fun matchup is Tony Allen versus Arron Afflalo. Afflalo is one of Orlando's main scorers, and has a green light to shoot from anywhere. He's a competent 3pt shooter, and attacks the basket with determination. He's similar-sized to Allen, and just as ornery.
My guess: Memphis 97, Orlando 94. Orlando can win this game, and would cause Memphis trouble if that's the case. Memphis needs to hit mid-range shots early, something they haven't done the last few games.
After the Game: Memphis 108, Orlando 82. Those mid-range and point-blank range shots the Grizzlies have missed lately, they made tonight. Both teams emptied their benches at the start of the fourth quarter. Gasol had 11 assists in three quarters, and Ed Davis had 10 pts, 10 rebs.
Randolph's sprained ankle from Friday's game kept him out of this one. Good thing the team made up for his absence.
As you know, I love two stats in particular - assist/turnover ratio and assists to made FGs. Tonight, assist/turnover was 31/13. Those 31 assists (a season-high) aided in 44 made FGs. This team has to move the ball smartly to be competitive with upper-echelon teams. If/when this team bogs down with needless dribbling, the offense gets ugly in a hurry.
The next two Memphis games are home against Portland (Wednesday) and at Cleveland (Friday). The beat goes on.
It's Sunday evening, and I'm gonna put on some Art Garfunkel to soothe my nerves.
Friday, March 1, 2013
My Team - Grizzlies at Miami
It's March, the best basketball month on the planet. It's time for the NBA playoff push, and the Grizzlies are doing alright. The Grizzlies welcome the new month in Miami, taking on the defending champions. I love my team, but they are gonna get whomped.
For Friday night, my guess - Miami 107, Memphis 92. LeBron James is gonna do what he normally does (howzabout 27 pts, 8 rebs, 9 assists, a couple of steals, a block or two and a couple of plays that make you go "whoa").
Given that, Memphis will probably be 38-19 after tonight's game. That got me wondering: how many games do the Grizzlies need to win to keep the four seed in the Western Conference?
The last five seasons, the #4 seed had a regular season winning percentage of .651, which gets you 53.4 wins over an 82-game schedule (yeah, last year had 66 regular season games). With Denver 2.5 games behind Memphis, it's imperative that the Grizzlies have home-court advantage over the Nuggets in the first round. Memphis tends to run out of steam in Pepsi Center, and if a Grizzlies-Nuggets game 7 takes place in Denver, Memphis is gonna lose.
Looking at the schedule, I wonder where Memphis will get the next 15 wins...
1 Mar - at Miami (L) 3 Mar - at Orlando (W) 6 Mar - Portland (W) 8 Mar - at Cleve (W)
9 Mar - New Orleans (W) 12 Mar - at Portland (L) 13 Mar - at Clippers (L) 15 Mar - at Denver (L)
16 Mar - at Utah (L) 18 Mar - Minnesota (W) 20 March - OKC (L) 22 Mar - at N.O. (W)
23 Mar- Boston (W) 25 Mar - at Wash'ton (W) 27 Mar - at NY (L) 29 Mar - Houston (L)
30 Mar - at Minn (W)
March guess - 9 wins, 8 losses. Cumulative record - 47 wins, 26 losses
1 Apr - San Antonio (L) 3 Apr - at Portland (W) 5 Apr - at Lakers (W) 7 Apr - at Sacto (W)
9 Apr - Charlotte (W) 12 Apr - at Houston (L) 13 Apr - Clippers (W) 15 Apr - at Dallas (W)
17 Apr - Utah (W)
April guess - 7 wins, 2 losses. Cumulative record - 54 wins, 28 losses.
With my guesswork, they could just barely keep that fourth seed. Of course, there are so many variables in play. How many more wins will Denver get? How healthy will the playoff contenders remain? How many "should-wins" will each playoff contender give away, making the "probable losses" must-wins?
I look forward to seeing how this plays out. As I root for my team, it looks like the best chance for them to have a deep playoff run would be:
For Friday night, my guess - Miami 107, Memphis 92. LeBron James is gonna do what he normally does (howzabout 27 pts, 8 rebs, 9 assists, a couple of steals, a block or two and a couple of plays that make you go "whoa").
Given that, Memphis will probably be 38-19 after tonight's game. That got me wondering: how many games do the Grizzlies need to win to keep the four seed in the Western Conference?
The last five seasons, the #4 seed had a regular season winning percentage of .651, which gets you 53.4 wins over an 82-game schedule (yeah, last year had 66 regular season games). With Denver 2.5 games behind Memphis, it's imperative that the Grizzlies have home-court advantage over the Nuggets in the first round. Memphis tends to run out of steam in Pepsi Center, and if a Grizzlies-Nuggets game 7 takes place in Denver, Memphis is gonna lose.
Looking at the schedule, I wonder where Memphis will get the next 15 wins...
1 Mar - at Miami (L) 3 Mar - at Orlando (W) 6 Mar - Portland (W) 8 Mar - at Cleve (W)
9 Mar - New Orleans (W) 12 Mar - at Portland (L) 13 Mar - at Clippers (L) 15 Mar - at Denver (L)
16 Mar - at Utah (L) 18 Mar - Minnesota (W) 20 March - OKC (L) 22 Mar - at N.O. (W)
23 Mar- Boston (W) 25 Mar - at Wash'ton (W) 27 Mar - at NY (L) 29 Mar - Houston (L)
30 Mar - at Minn (W)
March guess - 9 wins, 8 losses. Cumulative record - 47 wins, 26 losses
1 Apr - San Antonio (L) 3 Apr - at Portland (W) 5 Apr - at Lakers (W) 7 Apr - at Sacto (W)
9 Apr - Charlotte (W) 12 Apr - at Houston (L) 13 Apr - Clippers (W) 15 Apr - at Dallas (W)
17 Apr - Utah (W)
April guess - 7 wins, 2 losses. Cumulative record - 54 wins, 28 losses.
With my guesswork, they could just barely keep that fourth seed. Of course, there are so many variables in play. How many more wins will Denver get? How healthy will the playoff contenders remain? How many "should-wins" will each playoff contender give away, making the "probable losses" must-wins?
I look forward to seeing how this plays out. As I root for my team, it looks like the best chance for them to have a deep playoff run would be:
- First round, over the Nuggets in 7 games, with game 7 in Memphis.
- Second round, matching up with the Spurs. The Spurs are the better team this regular season. Maybe the grind of 82 games takes a toll on the experienced Spurs.
- With the Thunder and Clippers possibly meeting in the second round, Memphis wouldn't have to play both. Perhaps the Thunder prevail in that matchup against the Clippers.
- Maybe, just maybe, all this results in a Memphis-Oklahoma City Western Conference Final. OKC is the better team, but Memphis can matchup in some areas fairly well. Tony Allen is willing and able to chase Kevin Durant around enough to make KD work for his 35 or so points.
Memphis has become an annual playoff participant lately. Now, it's time for the team to move up to become a team that consistently goes on deep playoff runs. A first-round playoff loss would be a huge step back for the franchise. They've made trades, they've gotten their financial house in order. Now, it's time to step to the forefront.
After the Game: Miami 98, Memphis 91. The Grizzlies again missed lots of close-in and midrange shots, but stayed in the game until late. They were down by one with 30 seconds left. All in all, good effort on the road.
James didn't shoot as normal (4/14 FG/A), but 18 pts, 8 rebs and 19 assists was a pretty good night. He spent most of the first three quarters setting up teammates. Wade led his team with 22, while Bosh added 13. Miami went 26/7 assist/turnover ratio.
Gasol went for 24 pts, 9 rebs, 4 assists. Allen and Prince combined for 4/13 FG/A. Conley scored 14, and added 8 assists with only 2 turnovers. He has looked even more poised after the recent trades.
On to Orlando.
After the Game: Miami 98, Memphis 91. The Grizzlies again missed lots of close-in and midrange shots, but stayed in the game until late. They were down by one with 30 seconds left. All in all, good effort on the road.
James didn't shoot as normal (4/14 FG/A), but 18 pts, 8 rebs and 19 assists was a pretty good night. He spent most of the first three quarters setting up teammates. Wade led his team with 22, while Bosh added 13. Miami went 26/7 assist/turnover ratio.
Gasol went for 24 pts, 9 rebs, 4 assists. Allen and Prince combined for 4/13 FG/A. Conley scored 14, and added 8 assists with only 2 turnovers. He has looked even more poised after the recent trades.
On to Orlando.
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