In the second of five games on the Memphis Grizzlies summer league schedule, OJ Mayo's performance at point guard was again the headline story. After grading his performance in the first game an "F," Mayo vowed to do better the second time around. Did he produce? No.
While he was able to fall back on his solid offensive game two nights ago, nothing went right for the Juice Man last night. He played 32 minutes yet scored just 11 points on 3-10 shooting. He dished out a paltry 3 assists while turning the ball over 7 times and committed an astounding 8 personal fouls. The only positive from his performance last night was his improvement on the defensive end. After getting torched on Monday night, OJ responded with hightened defensive intensity last night, routinely challenging the Bucks' penetration and clogging passing lanes, coming up with 2 steals.
Due to a prior commitment to the U.S. National Team workouts, Mayo's summer league tenure is likely over, although there is a small chance he will suit up for the Grizzlies' next game on Thursday. Over just two games, it is clear that the OJ-at-point experiment has not worked. He turns the ball over too often, makes risky passes, doesn't create offense like a pure point guard should and plays average-at-best defense. Once the regular season begins, I'm sure OJ will see minutes at the point but Mike Conley can rest assured that his starting job is safe. OJ is more of an asset to the team at shooting guard.
Besides OJ, Sam Young and Hasheem Thabeet also scored in double figures for the Grizzlies. Young scored 15 points, including the game-winning 3, while Thabeet added 12. The Tanzanian also grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. He is still incredibly timid on the offensive end, however, and should not be counted on for any significant offensive production this season.
Although Young hit a 3-pointer to win last night's game, the Grizzlies have been positively putrid from beyond the arc during the summer league. Over just two games, the Grizzlies are 2-12 from downtown. It is important to note that sharpshooter Xavier Henry has not yet suited up for the team and Conley, who led the team in 3-point shooting last season, is not on the summer league roster. Their presence in the regular season will hopefully alleviate our 3-point woes.
The Grizzlies' next summer league game is on Thursday against the D-League Select team. Stick with GrizzLife for coverage.
Counting the days till the season starts,
Owen
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