Grizzlies vs Pelicans recap

It was a rough day at the office yesterday for our heroes. Rumors swirled all day involving the trade of Tayshaun Prince to the Boston Celtics. The tension was palpable, with Prince arriving to the court unsure if he was supposed to warm-up, or sit. By the end of the game Quincy Pondexter had been added to the rumor mill, to be traded back to the team that just handed the Grizzlies defeat.

The silver lining to yesterday? The return of our big man, and heartbeat to Grit-n-Grind, Zach Randolph. Randolph had missed the last 9 match-ups, and his absence has been tough. He is integral to the Grizzlies ability to play in the paint, and the cross guard of the paint. In his return Randolph posted up yet another double-double. It seems we don’t know how to play with Randolph on the bench, and yesterday we forgot how to play with him on the court.

The Pelicans had FOUR players with 20 point performances. Let that sink in, 4. Our team essentially got pounded by 4 players. That signals a fundamental breakdown on our side.

The Grizzlies pride themselves in the ability to work phenomenal defensive play. That all but evaporated yesterday. The Grizzlies are having great difficulty playing man to man defense. We cluster in paint, trying to off-set the absence of Randolph, and leave the perimeter a playground to be dominated.

Let’s talk about free throws. Free throws are the only uncontested shot on the court. We are a team that doesn’t get many calls to the line. But that line counts, as much as the perimeter. I’m 5’5″, and can shoot free throws all day. There are no excuses for consistent misses at the line.

All of that being said, the Grizzlies are a band of brothers. They are as thick as thieves, and they bleed blue together. Yesterday was emotional, for the players as well as the fans. In a town where loyalty is earned, and family means everything, talks of trades interrupted our matrix.

The NBA offices are closed on the weekends, meaning any trade finality will have to wait until Monday. In the meantime, the Grizzlies play the Suns, at home, tomorrow. Let’s pack the Forum, and give Tayshaun, and Quincy, love.