Dim the Suns Shine: Grizzlies vs. Suns Preview
Shortly the Memphis Grizzlies (11-9) will take on the Phoenix Suns (8-12) at Fed Ex Forum. The Suns have lost 8 of their last 10 games and are currently on a 3 game losing streak. The Grizzlies have won 7 of their last 10 games and are coming off of a tough loss on the home court on Thursday night to the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns started the season on fire, but their spark is starting to dim a bit. What do the Grizzlies need to do to keep the Suns’ shine dimmed?
Force turnovers and convert them into points. The Suns are averaging right at 17 turnovers per game. The Grizzlies will do well to keep them at their average and possibly push them above it if they can. At the same time, the Grizzlies need to stay below their average of 14 and handle the ball better than they have in recent games.
Guard the 3 point line. While the Suns are below 0.500, they’re shooting threes at almost 40%. They’re actually 3rd in the league right now on 3 point shots made. The Grizzlies are almost last in the league making just over 30% of their 3 point shots attempted. They’re not likely to beat them here; so, they do well to just make sure that the Suns shoot below average.
Rebound the ball. In the Grizzlies effort to join the league in playing a small ball, faster paced game, they’ve slowly gotten away from something that they’ve traditionally done well: REBOUNDING. The Grizzlies are 29th in the league with rebounding with 41 per game. Reminder…there are only 30 teams in the league, folks. So, the Grizzlies are next to last in rebounding with what used to be the most feared front court in basketball in Gasol and Randolph. The Grizzlies must rebound on BOTH ends. They need to prevent 2nd chance opportunities on missed shots on the defensive end (Phoenix averages 44/game), and they must work to create 2nd chance opportunities on the offensive end.
Both the starters and the bench must play aggressively. No one can be passive today. No one can pass up shots today. The Grizzlies must score on “good looks”. Assists are great, but if you’re open or you’re feeling hot, take the shots.
Trust each other and themselves. The Phoenix Suns are making about 45% of their shots and averaging 106 points per game. The Memphis Grizzlies are making about 42% of their shots and averaging 96 points per game. Match-ups are important. Defending your own man is important. Maintaining composure on both ends even if you’re weaker on one end is essential. Defense cannot collapse if offense is off. Offense cannot slack if defense is on point. The Grizzlies must play both ends of the floor for all 48 minutes.
If you’re planning on going to the game, put some foil on that Sunday dinner and put that remote down. Tip off today is at 2:30 p.m. Additionally, an annual halftime favorite, the Infie 500 is taking place today. Go Grizz!
**Stats from nba.com**
- Grizzlies dominate Hawks again in 118-101 victory - March 8, 2020
- Grizzlies rally too late, fall to Pelicans 126-116 - January 21, 2020
- Grizzlies win fifth straight, defeat Warriors 122-102 - January 13, 2020
