MEMPHIS – Four games into the season, the Grizzlies know they’re far from the finished product they hope to become as one of the NBA’s top contending teams.
Yet, it’s never too soon to take inventory when early issues arise.
That’s where the Grizzlies (2-2) find themselves amid a hectic start to the season that has produced erratic performances through their first four games. Already, Memphis is searching for solutions to what has quickly become a disturbing trend midway through contests.
The Grizzlies are eager to reverse their struggles coming out of halftime, when they have been outscored by their opponent in the third quarters of all four games this season. That costly 12-minute period proved especially problematic in Monday’s 126-123 home loss to the Bulls.
After pushing their lead to as many as 20 points, the Grizzlies allowed 39 points in the third quarter for the second time this season as the Bulls sparked a rally to the victory.
Memphis has been outscored 149-103 in third quarters this season, with the Bulls joining the Rockets as teams that used outbursts after halftime to storm back and eventually seize control.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins believes the team’s defensive drive has been “non-existent” to start the season, especially in third quarters after adjustments are made during halftime.
“We didn’t give one lick about defense, and that’s a problem for us right now,” Jenkins declared. “Our third quarters have been terrible, so we’ve got to clean this up and respond. I’d rather this happen now than during the middle of the season. We know what we stand for defensively. We’ve got to get better.”
The Grizzlies won’t have to wait long for a chance to get things turned around. They wrap up a season-opening stretch of six games in nine nights with a back-to-back set at home Wednesday against the Nets and Thursday against the Bucks.
A compressed early schedule and a handful of injury absences have contributed to an uneven level of play so far this season. With catalysts Jaren Jackson Jr. missing the first two games and Ja Morant sitting out Wednesday after playing the first three, Memphis has alternated wins and losses since last week’s opening-night win at Utah.
Amid the overall inconsistency has been one constant: third-quarter slippage.
The Bulls used a 25-6 run to bridge the third and fourth quarters, powered by seven made 3-pointers on a night they hit 25 from beyond the arc on a franchise-record 53 attempts. Even during Saturday’s home-opening win over the Magic, the Grizzlies surrendered a 21-0 run that started in the third quarter, a period Orlando won by 14 points.
And last Friday, the Rockets handed the Grizzlies their first loss of the season after they sprinted ahead with a 24-2 run that changed the momentum of the game in the third quarter.
Tuesday offered the Grizzlies a chance to collectively look into the cause of the issues.
“I’ve got to go back and study a little bit more and dive into conversations with the guys on why we’re not getting what we need in the third quarter,” Jenkins assessed. “We’re getting stops in the first half. When our defense is terrible, we can’t run (out on offense). So, we can’t run if we’re not getting stops. It gets really tough when you’re just giving up wide-open shots because they’re just penetrating and beating us one-on-one, with no help rotations.”
Jenkins has been persistent since training camp that the team’s new up-tempo offensive schemes would require just as much commitment and conditioning on the defensive end.
Already, the Grizzlies have set a pace at which they will score more points and shoot more 3-pointers than during any season in the franchise’s 30-year history. Offensively, the transition has been promising so far, with Memphis ranked second in the NBA in both pace and assists percentage, fourth in scoring and eighth in offensive rating.
The defense, literally, has lagged behind for Memphis, which ranks next-to-last in the NBA in third-quarter defensive efficiency. That’s been a trend during Jenkins’ first five seasons with the Grizzlies, who tend to struggle early on that end but gradually improve by midseason and typically finish as a top-10 overall defense in the league.
The Grizzlies don’t want to repeat that pattern and are aiming for a more balanced approach.
“I’ve said it time and time again, our offense is fueled by our defense,” veteran guard Desmond Bane said. “If we’re not containing guys and paying attention to the gameplan, it’s going to be hard to finish possessions. It’s a new style and we knew there would be some (adjustments) early on. We’re only four games and a week into the season, so there’s nothing to panic about.”
Part of fixing the early challenge is to resist some aspects of human nature. The Grizzlies’ woes in the third quarter have come on the heels of wonderful execution in the first half of games.
A team can’t squander a 20-point lead if they don’t play well enough initially to build those leads. So, the Grizzlies are having success early in games at setting the pace from the outset. Finding ways to sustain the requisite energy level and success calls for reaching another gear.
Especially after getting a chance to regroup and reset at halftime.
“We’re great in the beginning; we just have to keep doing what we’re doing in the first half,” Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama reasoned. “We’re pushing the pace, playing really hard. I think we’re getting tired, but we can’t use that as an excuse. We’ve had a good talk about it. It’s the NBA. It’s a long season. When you’re up by 20, you have to kill the game right there.”
To do that, the Grizzlies must kill their habit of third-quarter letdowns before things fester.