Grizzlies secure 1st home win against Jazz
The Memphis Grizzlies finally lock in a win at the FedExForum, fulfilling its standard in the system's points of emphasis en route to a 105-91 win over the Jazz.
Great to see the streamers? To hear “All I Do is Win?” I’m sure it does.
The Memphis Grizzlies finally got a home win, after dropping its first 8 games in the Grindhouse. In the process, the team applied force and played with urgency to lock in a win.
Taylor Jenkins went with another starting lineup change next to Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Bismack Biyombo. Derrick Rose and David Roddy replaced Jacob Gilyard and Santi Aldama in the starting lineup, providing a jolt with their offense and pace.
The first quarter felt fine, but the Jazz hung around to lead 25-24 in the opening period. A typical struggle for the Grizzlies, the second quarter belonged to them, as they outscored the Jazz 36-17. From there, the Grizzlies were able to sail smoothly through the 2nd half with their force and flow to score a home win.
Always good to see a win in the Forum. Anyways, 1-9-1.
1 Play:
The Grizzlies’ defense fit more to their standard, and this sequence encompasses it. Roddy, Bane, and Nowell defended with pressure at the point-of-attack. If their man got the advantage, the bigs rotated well.
Once Collins attacked the closeout, Biyombo cut the baseline to force an entry pass to Fontecchio. Jackson rotated and came away with an easy rejection.
It all felt connected yesterday, which was a welcoming sign for a team looking to get more in sync.
9 Players
Derrick Rose got his 1st start of the season tonight and brought so much flow into the offense. His pace triggered early offense, and he ran the ship efficiently with 9 assists (only 1 turnover). He’s continuing to provide a scoring pop as well, as his touch within the in-between (mid-range and floater zone) has been smooth,
David Roddy also had his 1st start of the season and instantly provided firepower with his 3-point shooting. He connected on a career-high 5 three’s in the 1st half alone. He set the tone defensively with his performance on Jordan Clarkson, face-guarding him and preventing him from getting into a rhythm. It wouldn’t shock me to see Roddy continue to be in the starting lineup until Ja Morant and Marcus Smart are back.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had his most imposing game defensively this season. He swatted a season-high 6 blocks, and he kept the Grizzlies defense on a string with his communication and presence on the backline. Offensively, the percentages would say otherwise (8/19, 42%), but Jackson progressed towards rediscovering his touch. He identified attacking points within Utah’s defense to get to the tin for clean scoring looks.
It felt like Desmond Bane didn’t have to do as much from a scoring standpoint, though it could’ve just been an off-shooting (7/17 from the field, 3/11 from 3). However, he co-piloted the offense well with Derrick Rose, as he also dished out 9 assists. In addition, he led by example with his hustle and urgency, as he corralled 6 rebounds and generated 3 steals.
Bismack Biyombo was a strong presence inside, primarily defensively. He tallied 3 massive blocks, rotating well to send shots packing. Offensively, he struggled with turnovers (5), mainly from moving screens. He did roll hard to the basket though when he was called upon to score.
Ziaire Williams put together one of his most consistent scoring outings. His 3-point shot was buttery, shooting a cool 3/3 from deep. He was also just everywhere on both sides of the ball with his hustle — crashing the glass, flying up the court for transition offense, and generating steals.
Santi Aldama was a bit more quiet than he’s been recently, though he identified scoring opportunities on the inside and didn’t force the issue with his 3-point shooting. He was great matched up on Kelly Olynyk, a frequent Grizz killer, as he prevented him from getting into a groove offensively.
Vince Williams Jr.’s activity is impeccable. He pressures the defense with his on-ball activity, while also cutting passing lanes for turnovers. He’s a big help on the glass with the committee rebounding approach — hauling in 8 rebounds in less than 20 minutes. He’s making a big impression to earn minutes for this Grizzlies team.
Jaylen Nowell didn’t get into a rhythm scoring, missing all 6 of his shot attempts. However, he plays with such a good flow — making quick decisions off the dribble and keeping the ball moving. His energy on both sides of the ball has been a nice shot to the arm for the bench.
1 Take:
The Grizzlies’ urgency was on point.
After some veteran rants the past 2 games, the Grizzlies responded quite well with a rather emphatic win at home — first at FedExForum this season. Their urgency was evident through all 48 minutes.
Their togetherness shined on both ends of the ball. Though the Jazz shot 41.0% from 3 on 39 attempts, the water was turned off inside the arc, as the Grizzlies held them to 35% (18/51) on 2’s. The rotations and point-of-attack defense was steadier, and you can hear the communication from the Pinnacle levels. Offensively, they kept the ball moving (26 assists), and there was better player movement as well.
In addition, they established their force and performed within the team’s barometers. They imposed their will inside with a 51-39 rebound advantage (6 players finished with 6 or more rebounds) and with 58 points in the paint. Coupling that with their event creation (10 blocks and 9 steals) helped fuel their transition offense, as they scored 23 fast break points.
Even in the closing moments, the Grizzlies and Taylor Jenkins were treating a 20-point lead like it was a close crunch-time game, calling timeouts to address play that didn’t fit to their standard.
All in all, you have to be encouraged with the manner in which they won last night’s game. Is there a consideration to opponent quality (a 6-12 Jazz team without Lauri Markkanen)? Sure, but the Grizzlies took care of business and hit all its systematic points to secure the win. The big test comes within the next 8 games, as 7 of their 8 next opponents all sport .500 or better records.
The Memphis Grizzlies travel to Dallas and Phoenix this weekend for a Friday-Saturday back-to-back against the Mavericks and Suns.
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