The team’s positives include the strength and mid-range shooting of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph; Tony Allen’s adhesive defense and ability to score in the shadow of the hoop; Mike Conley’s outside shooting, lane penetrations, and quick-footed defense; Darrell Arthur’s pivotal scoring and mid-range jumpers; and Rudy Gay’s creativity.
Still, the Grizzlies have multiple flaws.
Their bigs are so late in making the proper rotations that San Antonio’s dive cuts resulted in numerous uncontested layups. Likewise, Gasol and Randolph are inordinately slow getting back in transition defense—allowing both Duncan and Splitter to beat them to the rim on several occasions.
The Spurs alert double-teams virtually negated Randolph’s presence in the low post—for the game he scored only five of his 11 points down there.
Gasol failed to get a single opportunity to venture into the low-post, confining his offense to taking jumpers and setting picks—both of which he did well. Still, his interior scoring was (and has been) wasted.
Although Rudy Gay is the only wingman who can consistently create his own shot, both his passwork and the decisions he routinely makes on defense are abysmal.
Neither Conley nor his backup, Jerryd Bayless, are bona fide facilitating point guards. This is a serious team deficiency.
Off the bench, Arthur’s post-up defense is subpar; Wayne Ellington and Marreese Speights are talented but extremely erratic.
Forget about the numbers.
The Grizzlies’ passing and pick-and-roll defense are simply not championship caliber. In a playoff showdown with either the Spurs, the Clippers or the Thunder, the Grizzlies will prove to be toothless.
(MARK HEISLER TAKES SHOTS AT GRIZZLIES, TOO, IN LATEST POWWER RANKINGS)
(RON TILLERY OF MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL-APPEAL SAYS “CORE FOUR” WON’T BE TRADED)
Charley Rosen is an American author and former basketball coach. From 1983–1986, he was an assistant to Phil Jackson with the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association. He also served as head coach of the Patroons, as well as the CBA’s Rockford Lightning, Oklahoma City Cavalry and Savannah Spirits. A native of The Bronx, N.Y., the 71-year-old Rosen is the author of 16 books about basketball. He is known for his in-depth analysis and caustic views.
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Always enjoy reading Rosen. And always enjoy the geeks who hate him in the comments thread. Charley is almost always right. However….I might argue that Memphis is more inconsistent than not championship caliber. At times they ARE championship caliber. Zbo phones it in at times, but when he’s on, he is great on defense…..of any kind. Conely is plus defender, and remember Pondexter is out right now. Of all the players in the league, Pondexter is among the most underrated. He is an excellent defender of three positions, and since he’s been out, Memphis lacks a stopper line up. He gave them good three point shooting (another over all weakness) and great smothering defense. Memphis can contend……if you watched the loss to Indiana, you saw they needed Pondexter. Now however, losing ellington, and speights for that matter, they better hope to find some D League guy to hit from outside. But I wouldnt write them off yet.
Did you list Diaw at 203 lbs? LOL!
Did you really list Diaw at 203 lbs? LOL!
Duncan never a good one-on-one defender and a shaky passer? Those might be some of the dumbest remarks I’ve ever heard in an NBA article.
Listed here are Marc Gasol and Tiago Splitter’s stats per 48 minutes.
PPG–REB–BLK–AST–STL–TO–FG%–FT%
21.2–11.6–1.8—3.1—1.7—2.4–.586–.746
18.5–10.4–2.6—5.1—1.4—2.5–.474–.882
Splitter is the one listed first. He averages more points, rebounds, steals and less turnovers per 48 with a higher field goal percentage. Splitter won the 2010 Spanish League MVP (Gasol won in 2008). Splitter is a much better player than people give him credit for, he simply has not received that much playing time since he’s been in the NBA–although he is finally in the starting line-up and beginning to get more minutes. Pop never liked playing him and Duncan together, but he has finally relented, and I imagine people will begin to see that he’s a serviceable starter in this league. (He had been a projected lottery pick, but was under contract when he finally became draft-eligible.)