Preview: Grizzlies vs. Trailblazers
This afternoon the Memphis Grizzlies will continue their home stand against the Portland Trailblazers after suffering their first home loss of the season on Friday. Hopefully things will go differently for the team this afternoon. Here’s the two biggest things I want to see the team do this afternoon to get the win: come out with intensity and play through adversity.
Come Out with Intensity
The Grizzlies are going to have to come out with intensity. Though fighting from behind has been rather commonplace for this team for years, it’s starting to become a hindrance. They have to get going early.
Fighting an uphill battle isn’t as easy as they can sometimes make it appear. The Grizzlies are facing a Trailblazers team that’s averaging 110 points a game, while they’re currently averaging 96 points a game.
The Grizz have to get ahead and stay ahead…early.
Play Through Adversity
If you’ve watched the first six games, you know the team has gotten some calls that leave you scratching your head. If you keep watching, there will be some more. It happens. They have to play through those calls though. They’ve got to play through the calls that seem unfair. They’ve got to play through the missed calls. They’ve got to play through the calls that they don’t understand or agree with.
They’ve got to play through their mistakes. They’ve got to get past the bad passes, haphazard turnovers and plays gone awry. They’ve got to play good defense when their offense becomes stagnant. They’ve got to stay composed through missed shots. If they get behind, they’ve got to remember they can only chip away at the lead one play at a time.
The Grizz have to keep that grit and grind mentality…from the opening tip to the final buzzer (hopefully with streamers and DJ Khaled).
Grizzlies vs. Trailblazers: Head to Head
Record: Both teams are 3-3.
PPG: Grizzlies are averaging 96 ppg, while the Trailblazers are averaging 110 ppg.
Avg Points Allowed: Grizzlies are allowing an average of 102 ppg; Trailblazers are allowing an average of 112 ppg.
FG%: Grizzlies are averaging 40.1%, while the Trailblazers are averaging 45.3%.
3PFG%: Grizzlies are averaging 35.7% to 37.8% by the Trailblazers.
Turnovers: Grizzlies average 16.7 per game to the Trailblazers 15 per game.
Leading Scorers: Mike Conley is the leading Grizzlies scorer with 21.8 points per game. Damian Lillard is averaging 34.2 points per game for the Trailblazers.
It’s game 7 of 82. This team is still learning and developing. As a fan base, we’ve got to go through the growing pains too. Today they’ll hopefully start to build on the chemistry and solidify some consistency as Chandler Parsons makes his long-awaited debut as the team’s starting small forward. You don’t want to miss it. Make your way to the Forum for the 2:30 p.m. tip-off.
- 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
