New Look Grizz Take on Wolves – Grizzlies vs Timberwolves Preview

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Elizabeth Smith

Share the joy

Who: Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis

When: Wednesday, March 16 at 7PM CST

How to Watch/Listen: Fox Sports Southeast, 92.9 ESPN Radio Memphis

When your Memphis Grizzlies (39-28) take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (21-46) tonight, most casual fans won’t recognize the team. To be honest, most hardcore fans won’t recognize the team either.

The Grizzlies will again be without Jordan Adams (knee), Chris Andersen (shoulder), Mike Conley (Achilles), Marc Gasol (foot), Brandan Wright (knee), Zach Randolph (knee), and PJ Hairston (groin). Vince Carter (calf) and Lance Stephenson (wrist) are listed as questionable. The Grizzlies have added another new player (the 26^th this season to wear a Grizz uniform) in the form of Xavier Munford, who they called up from the NBA DLeague’s Bakersfield Jam on an injury exception due to the injury of PJ Hairston. Munford is the 4^th player the Grizz currently have on a 10-day contract. He joins Briante Weber, Ray McCallum and Alex Stepheson on the Grizzlies long list of injury replacements/placeholders this season. The Grizz are coming off a 103-81 drubbing at the hands of Houston on Monday in which Jarell Martin had 17 and Matt Barnes had 14.

The Timberwolves are coming off a 107-104 loss to Phoenix on Monday night. In that one, the TWolves Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine combined for 67 points. Ricky Rubio tied the Timberwolves franchise record for assists with 17 on the night (his 4^th time with 17 assists). Kevin Garnett (knee) and Nikola Pekovic (foot) are both out tonight for the TWolves.

Memphis has dropped 4 of their last 6 games. The injuries are doing nothing but mounting and making it that much more difficult to hold onto the 5^th spot in the West, especially with the difficult schedule coming up.

What can the Grizzlies do to come out tonight and get a much-needed win? Guard the perimeter (Ricky Rubio is now shooting 31% from 3 for the season and Zach LaVine is 9-14 from long range against the Grizz this season). They also must continue to play hard for 48 minutes. These Grizzlies aren’t used to playing together. They aren’t used to the plays being run and haven’t really had time to practice. They just have to rely on veterans on the floor like Tony Allen and Matt Barnes to show them where to be and listen to their advice.

This isn’t going to be an easy game, but come on down to The Grindhouse tonight to cheer on our guys…even if you don’t recognize who’s on the floor most of the time.

Tonight's #GrizzliesDen by adidas #ItemOfTheGame is set up! – $15 (Reg. $26) pic.twitter.com/yE2qCP0Kj3

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 16, 2016