By Michael Wallace
Grind City Media
SAN FRANCISCO – If timing is everything, then the Grizzlies couldn’t have stumbled upon a more inopportune moment or opponent to correct their recent defensive problems.
Just don’t try to explain that rationale to Memphis coach David Fizdale.
“I don’t think we’re looking at it like, ‘Oh man, we’ve got to play Golden State,’” Fizdale said as he shook his head, dropped his eyes and mimicked a saddened and overwhelmed expression after Friday’s shootaround in San Francisco. “I think it’s, ‘Hey, we get a chance to play Golden State! A win against Golden State heals a lot of wounds.’ So our approach doesn’t change.”
To take advantage of such an opportunity, the Grizzlies (22-16) must effectively address a porous defense that’s been a sore spot in recent outings. After starting the four-game California trip with a dominant New Year’s Eve victory in Sacramento, Memphis has faltered through consecutive demoralizing setbacks in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers.
A frustrating feast or famine trend continued for the Grizzlies, who made a franchise record 17 three-pointers against the Kings but then surrendered a combined total of 23 threes and 231 points in the back-to-back losses Tuesday and Wednesday at the Staples Center. After the loss to the Lakers, Fizdale said he was dealing with “a tale of two teams” regarding the Grizzlies’ puzzling inconsistencies after allowing Nick Young and DeAngelo Russell to perform like All-Star candidates for a 13-26 team.
A night later, Memphis squandered a double-digit lead in the first half, allowed the Clippers to take charge with a 36-point third quarter and then disintegrated as Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick and DeAndre Jordan executed a pick-and-roll clinic down the stretch. Those aren’t exactly the correct habits to build with the surging Warriors (31-5) waiting at Oracle Arena on Friday to close out the trip.
“Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford had a field day on us,” Grizzlies’ perimeter defensive stopper Tony Allen said in reference to necessary adjustments entering Friday’s game. “Our antennas weren’t up on the coverages. That’s something we have to fix in film because the Golden State Warriors run the same offense, and we’ve got to have our antennas up for that one.”
Both Allen and Fizdale admitted the Grizzlies are making the right reads in their initial defensive tasks when guarding the pick-and-rolls, but that teams have exploited their slow rotation on the backside and secondary assignments. At times, the scheme is designed for defenders to switch on coverages on the perimeter, although Allen has long preferred to work around screens and stay with his initial responsibility. A split-second lapse can lead to an open three-pointer or an uncontested lob at the rim.
“Losing always brings out frustration, because you can’t allow the same actions to beat you different ways,” Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said. “You have to stay on one thing and believe in it and accept you’re going to give up something on defense. But the whole team has to give up the same thing. It can’t be one guy, two guys or three guys. So, we have to be a little more connected. We have to get better.”
No team has more lethal firepower to exploit those minor mishaps than the Warriors, who possess the league’s most efficient offense and are led by All-NBA stars Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. But the Grizzlies can also draw from experience and know what it’s like to deal with major issues when facing the daunting task of playing the Warriors. Their most impressive victory of the season came on Dec. 10 back in Memphis when the Grizzlies were missing Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons, James Ennis and Vince Carter to injuries but still demolished the Warriors by 21 points.
Golden State has won 11 of 12 games since that loss last month at FedExForum and aim to avenge one of its most lopsided setbacks of the season. Still, Fizdale likes how his team responds in these moments.
“We hit a couple of bumps in L.A., but all of it is a learning experience,” Fizdale said of adjustments Memphis has made in preparation for the Warriors. “You watch film on it, then you address it in your shootarounds and walk-throughs. We know what our job is. So it’s not like we’re trying to reinvent the wheel. We just didn’t do our jobs. More than anything, we’re not making enough second and third efforts. That’s been pointed out and explained that it’s what’s required to be a great team.”
HEALTH REPORT
Grizzlies starting power forward JaMychal Green (eye) went through Friday’s shootaround and is officially listed as questionable against the Warriors. Green expects to be fitted for a protective mask before the game and is hopeful of returning to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers. He fractured the bones near his right eye in Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers, and missed his first game of the season the next night. Brandan Wright (ankle) and Deyonta Davis (foot) are out. For the Warriors, Thompson (illness) didn’t go through shootaround and is questionable for Friday’s game.
NUMBERS WATCH
111. The Grizzlies are 0-8 this season when giving up 111 or more points in a game, which has happened the past two games on this California trip against a Memphis defense that’s been ranked among the NBA’s top three for much of the season. The Warriors are averaging 117.5 points this season, but were held to a season-low 89 in last month’s loss to Memphis. Golden State has scored fewer than 111 points only 11 times in 36 games this season.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Zach Randolph. It didn’t go unnoticed to many, including Z-Bo himself, that Randolph played only 19 minutes in Wednesday’s 115-106 loss to the Clippers on a night when Green was sidelined with the eye injury. Randolph has remained completely professional and largely supportive of the coaching staff’s decision to bring him off the bench this season. But there are moments when Randolph struggles with the allotted minutes, although not necessarily the overall role. Fizdale has admitted there are times when he should have played Randolph for longer stretches and has committed to increase his playing time in recent weeks. Randolph has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games and is seeing more time alongside Marc Gasol in the rotation. He’s due for a vintage Z-Bo breakout game, and always seems up for the challenge when facing fellow Michigan State product Draymond Green.
GRIZZ-TAKE
Randolph on getting reconnected defensively as a team – We have to play our pace, play our game and play defense. That’s what we’re known for, getting defensive stops. We’re a defensive team and we just have to get back to it.
Listen to today’s Grind City Getup with special guest Eric Hasseltine
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