Grizzlies establish force, entertain in preseason opener win
The Memphis Grizzlies score a thrilling win in Sunday's preseason opener over the Indiana Pacers.
The Memphis Grizzlies are back, as preseason opened last night with 127-122 overtime win against the Indiana Pacers.
There was expected preseason rust, as they shot 8/38 (21.1%) from 3. However, there were some cool flashes in this outing — ones that could eventually manifest into promising production into the regular season.
Early on, we got a glimpse of some of the new tweaks the Grizzlies have been trying with their system. They spiced up their offensive running spots — alternating between the high post and dunker spot for their bigs. While spacing didn’t parlay into good outside shooting, the outputs were enticing — more on that in a moment.
All in all, this game served as a solid first impression for the 2023-24 season, and provided a ton of entertainment value for a preseason game.
(Note before starting: I’ll have 2 formats for postgame recaps: Core 4 and 191. I’ll trade off the layout every so often, as the game fits. Recaps will happen for most home games, and any big road games.)
So alright, Core 4 of this game:
Derrick Rose looking fresh
Last night, Derrick Rose had people rubbing their eyes and wondering if the Grizzlies snagged the former MVP from a time machine. Though not as explosive as before, Rose scored at ease — getting to his spots seemingly at will and showing excellent touch on his floater.
Rose finished with 13 points on 6-8 shooting from the field in 14 minutes as the starting point guard in the preseason opener — only playing in the first half.
Rose may not put on a scoring display each game, but his downhill navigation and offensive initiation are encouraging — especially since his on-court impact seemed up in the air, considering his miles and his injury history. Nonetheless, Rose seems primed to lead the second unit through the 1st 25 games. From there, he could provide the Grizzlies with a spark and boost every so often, while giving everyone some vintage flashes.
Cornerstones setting the tone
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane played with the amount of force necessary from your best players.
Jackson finished with 18 points on 8/15 shooting and 6 stocks, while Bane scored 17 points and made 5 of his 13 shot attempts.
Despite the paint presence from Myles Turner, Jackson and Bane were able to get downhill and to the rim whenever they wanted to. A bit different from years past, the Grizzlies found Jackson near the perimeter with a head full of steam — allowing his downhill momentum to yield into an unstoppable bucket in the paint. As the Grizzlies try to emphasize space, while continuing to maximize Jackson, keep an eye on how they continue to utilize Jackson’s ball-handling and downhill pressure at his size.
Bane didn’t have it from 3, only connecting on 1 of his 6 triple tries. However, he managed to navigate inside the arc well and leveraging his rim pressure into free throw trips (6 attempts) and scoring opportunities for his teammates (4 assists). Attributing his off shooting night to preseason rust, Bane showed he’s ready to handle more playmaking responsibilities within the 1st 25 games and more.
Wing rotation watch
While there is a starting spot for opening night up for grabs, the Grizzlies have rotation openings on the wing as well. All 4 players competing for these minutes got a sizable amount of playing time in this one.
David Roddy probably had the most impressive outing. He provided some great rim pressure off the bench, utilizing his physicality and frame to generate separation when finishing. He looked the most comfortable for the 4 players because of his live-dribble attack.
Ziaire Williams showed upside as a creator, including a dish to Jackson off a DHO and a strong drive to the rim as well. He also generated defensive events with 2 stocks. There was still more to be untapped with him as an outside shooter and a defender.
John Konchar played a solid game, but didn’t do a ton to gain separation within this pecking order. He hit 1 of his 3 triple tries and came away with a couple deflections. He was the first player off the bench, which could say where he falls in Jenkins’ rotation plans.
Box-score watchers will balk at Jake LaRavia’s numbers. His misses came off drives where the lanes were rather clogged, and he tried to force it through contact to get trips to the lane (he got mauled on drives). However, he hit outside shots (2 of 5 from 3) and made good defensive plays (3 stocks).
There’s still a good amount of time for any of these 4 players to stand out in preseason with the goal of securing a rotation spot in the regular season. It’s going to be fascinating to see how they continue to perform, and how Taylor Jenkins tweaks his lineups with this group.
Play of the Game
I have to go with a Derrick Rose play here, obviously. Aforementioned, he provided a great amount of rim pressure and live-dribble juice last game. In this sequence, he navigated the HORNS set quite well. He sized up the switch and showcased his shiftiness and touch on his way to a tough contest from 2 defenders.
It’s so good to see Memphis Grizzlies back in action, and they will have another home game tomorrow against the Milwaukee Bucks at 7PM CST.
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