In an unsurprising turn of events, the Memphis Grizzlies faced the Denver Nuggets on Monday night and lost 125-115. The loss comes after the Grizzlies finally won two consecutive games this season.
Let’s get into it.
If I were to sum up the Grizzlies’ season thus far in one word, that word would be: unfortunate. This team can’t seem to catch a break, or at least one that isn’t leaving a roster player on the injured list.
Starting center Zach Edey exited the game in the first quarter with a head injury and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game. As I am writing this, there has been no further update on his condition.
This is a devastating blow for Memphis and for Edey, who missed the first 13 games of the season recovering from ankle surgery.
In better news, Jaren Jackson Jr. returned to the lineup after being sidelined for the previous two games due to a right ankle sprain. He finished the night with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists, but with an uncharacteristic zero steals and zero blocks. He shot 7 of 16 overall but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 1 of 8.
The Grizzlies’ trend of shooting too many three-pointers continues. Of their 93 field goal attempts, 47 were from beyond the arc, and of those, they made 16. Currently, they are 28th in the league in three-point shooting (32.5%) and 9th in three-point attempts, averaging 40.1 three-point attempts per game.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the math ain’t mathing here. Would it be too much to ask for the team to shoot more of the kind of shots they actually make?
But if there is one thing that has been certain this season, it’s that Memphis is going to turn the ball over, a lot. Three things I can count on: death, taxes, and Grizzlies’ turnovers. In this matchup, Memphis gave up 15 points off 11 turnovers but managed to convert Denver’s 14 turnovers into 17 points.
More individual player stats:
Jock Landale was the team-high scorer and had his first double-double of the season, putting up 26 points on 10 of 18 overall shooting, with 3 of 6 from beyond the arc and 10 rebounds.
Landale is having a career year, averaging 11.2 points per game and shooting 44.7% from three-point range and 54.5% overall.
Jaylen Wells closed out the night with a season-high 22 points on 8 of 13 overall shooting and 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Cam Spencer brought a spark off the bench, adding 18 points on 6 of 10 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from three-point range.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are about to embark on a four-game road trip, with two of those being group-play games for the in-season tournament. Next up, the Grizzlies will be heading to the Big Easy on Wednesday to face the New Orleans Pelicans. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
