Grizzlies Annual MLK Day Game: Grizz vs Pelicans Preview

Who:  Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans

Where:  FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN

When:  Monday January 18^th at 1:30pm CST

How to Watch/Listen:  ESPN, 92.9 Memphis

 

*Grizzlies vs. Pelicans MLK Jr. Day Celebration Game

The Grizzlies come into this game at 23-19 on a 2 game winning streak.  The Grizz will be without the usual suspects (Jordan Adams-right knee surgery, Jarell Martin-left foot bone bruise, Brandan Wright-right knee surgery, James Ennis-on assignment with Iowa Energy, and more than likely without Mike Conley-sore left Achilles-upgraded Saturday evening to questionable).  Probable starters for the Grizz are Mario Chalmers, Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol.

The Pelicans come in at 13-26 and have also won 2 in a row.  The Pelicans have had a long list of injuries this season and now former Grizz Quincy Pondexter will need left knee surgery for the second time in a year and will be out for the season.  Probable starters for the Pelicans are Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Dante Cunningham, Anthony Davis, and Omer Asik.  The Pels are 5-17 on the road this season and 5-11 against Western Conference opponents.  This will be the first night of a back-to-back, as the Pels will travel back home to New Orleans and play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

 

*Keys to the Game*

*Aggressive Marc Gasol – The last time these two teams met back on December 1^st in NOLA, the Grizz came away with a 113-104 victory behind a monster performance from Marc Gasol.  That night, Gasol had a career high of 38 points on 50% shooting and shot 16-16 from the charity stripe.  On Saturday night against the Knicks, Gasol had 37 points on 51.7% shooting and went 7-8 from the line.  Gasol was aggressive and in attack mode.  The team goes as Gasol goes, according to Grizz forward Matt Barnes (read Grizz/Knicks post-game quotes here), and if this Gasol would show up every game the possibilities would be amazing for this team.

*Anthony Davis – Anthony Davis is a special player.  In that December 1^st meeting, Davis just missed having a triple-double, tallying 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 blocks.  Friday night against the Hornets, Davis had 22 points on 57% shooting.  Davis must be limited as much as possible, because you aren’t completely stopping him.

*Guard the perimeter – In Friday’s win, the Pelicans shot 44.4% from 3, with Ryan Anderson hitting 6/8.  This season, Anderson is hitting 38.7% from beyond the arc.  As a team, the Pelicans are shooting 35.1% from 3.  They have multiple shooters capable of knocking down the trey, so Grizz guards will have to keep their antennas up to prevent the barrage.

*Get to the charity stripe early and often – The Grizz currently rank 7^th in the NBA in free-throw attempts at 25 and 5^th in free-throw percentage at 79.3%.  In their last meeting vs the Pels, the Grizz hit 25-26 from the stripe.  They must convert these attempts at a high percentage while keeping the Pels off the line as much as possible, where they are right behind the Grizz ranking 6^th in free-throw percentage.

*Improving MLK game history – Memphis is 5-8 all time in MLK Games.  The last win in an MLK game was in 2012 against Chicago.  This is the second time the Grizz have played New Orleans on MLK Day (a 2014 92-95 loss).

 

The Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans game is the star of the Grizzlies 14^th Annual MLK Jr. Celebration Day, but not the only event.  Multiple events are connected to this celebration that pays homage to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  The basketball game is just an extension of the events intended to honor Dr. King.

MLK Celebration Events:

*My Brother’s Keeper

On Friday January 15^th Grizzlies guard and Grizzlies Prep Ambassador Vince Carter joined with Spencer Haywood and Grizzlies Director of Player Support Elliot Perry to host a My Brother’s Keeper Memphis Discussion at Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School.  My Brother’s Keeper is an initiative by the White House with these intentions:

“That’s what ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ is all about. Helping more of our young people stay on track. Providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future. Building on what works – when it works, in those critical life-changing moments.”
– President Barack Obama, February 27, 2014 

My Brother’s Keeper is focused on extending and ensuring educational opportunities for boys and young men of color.  Carter, Haywood, and Perry participated in discussions with young scholars from Grizzlies Prep about challenges currently facing urban youth.

*Discussion on the Intersection of Race and Sports

On Sunday January 17^th Grizz forward Matt Barnes joined host Mark Jones of ESPN, Spencer Haywood, Jalen Rose, and Tamika Catchings to discuss topics surrounding the intersection of race and sports.  Questions could be submitted online with #MLKGrizzChat.  Discussed were various topics including the Donald Sterling incident that happened when Barnes was a member of the Clippers.  Tamika Catchings discussed the responsibility of athletes in combating racism and how athletes can help to change things in society.   The panel discussed multiple areas that intersect in the realm of race and sports, how far things have come, and how much work is left to be done.

*Grizzlies visit National Civil Rights Museum

The team visited the National Civil Rights Museum on Sunday evening.  They were able to tour the Museum and reflect on the beginnings and the legacy of the Civil Rights movement.  #RememberCelebrateAct

*Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Sports Legacy Symposium

On Monday January 18^th from 12-1pm Grizzlies television announcer Pete Pranica hosts the 11^th annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Symposium at the Grizzlies Built Ford Tough Training Facility at FedEx Forum.  Jalen Rose, Spencer Haywood, and Tamika Catchings will share their personal stories and experiences related to civil rights.

2016 Honorees:

Jalen Rose is a sports analyst for ESPN.  He played in the NBA from 1994-2007. He established the Jalen Rose Foundation, which has given out over $1.3 million to programs that serve and assist underserved youth.  He founded the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit to help improve the educational experiences of students for high school students in the area.

Spencer Haywood played in the professionally in the ABA/NBA/Italy from 1969-1983.  He is an NBA Champion, 4 time NBA All-Star, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, among other professional honors.  Haywood challenged the NBA’s eligibility rule in 1970 and started the legal proceedings that would change the landscape of the NBA as it was known.  Kobe Bryant said this about him in 2011 on HBO’s Real Sports: “He pioneered this whole movement. He was the first one to fight for what he believed in. And it’s because of him. He’s opened up the doors for guys like myself, [Kevin] Garnett, [Tracy] McGrady, Rashard Lewis and Lebron James, etc., etc. It all started with him.”

Tamika Catchings is the first female honoree.  She has played for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever since 2002, as well as playing overseas.  She is a former WNBA MVP as well as 10 time All-Star and WNBA Champion among many other career honors.  Catchings works one-on-one with youth in central Indiana with the Catch for the Stars Foundation which serves underprivileged youth.

The public is invited to attend the symposium for free with a Grizz/Pelicans ticket, but space is limited so get there early to attend.

*Martin Luther King, Jr Day High School Classic

After the Grizzlies/Pelicans game on Monday at about 4pm, East High School will take on Haywood High School on the court at FedEx Forum.  Admission is free with a Grizz/Pelicans ticket.

*Visit http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/mlk-celebration-coverage-160115 to watch replays of these MLK Jr Day events:  My Brother’s Keeper, Discussion on the Intersection of Race and Sports, and MLK Jr. Day Legacy Symposium.*

 

Next Up:  Memphis Grizzlies vs Denver Nuggets

Where:  Pepsi Center, Denver CO

When:  Thursday, January 21^st at 8pm CST

How to Watch/Listen:  FoxSports Southeast, 92.9 Memphis