Nets at Grizz- Key to the Game

The Grizz haven't won at home in 5 weeks, and as weird as this is to say, the Nets have had success on the road as of late. Facing the Nets (7-55) would seem to be a good opportunity to snap that skid, but New Jersey has won three straight on the road. The Nets won 113-93 at New York on Saturday, and defeated Boston and Charlotte in their previous two road games. A loss Monday would give the Grizzlies their longest home slide since dropping a franchise-record 11 in a row from Feb. 16-March 31, 1996, when the team was based in Vancouver. All that I have written seems pretty negative, but let's remember that the Nets have only won 7 games and are the NBA's worst team.

The Grizz are favorites tonight and need every win they can get as the playoffs draw nearer. A loss tonight to the lowly Nets, and I don't see how the Grizz can bounce back. I think we win handily tonight, and here's how we get it done:

1.Rudy Gay vs Trenton Hassel- I follow the NBA every single night, and I have never heard of Trenton Hassel, the Nets' starting SF. Hassell is a defensive specialist who is 31 yrs old and losing a step. He's also very undersized to play SF and will very outmatched by Rudy Gay in almost every way. Rudy hasn't gone for 20 yet in March, but look for him to get above that threshold tonight.

2. Win the first quarter. Last game vs the Nets, the Grizzlies got off to a slow start and barely squeaked out a win. Tonight, the Grizz need to play well early, and put the Nets away. The Nets are used to losing, and tonight is no night to let them hang around and have their confidence build.

A couple side notes: Yi will not play for New Jersey tonight. Make sure you read Ron Tillery's interview of Heisley and Calkins' thoughts on Heisley in today's Commercial Appeal. Both articles are very insightful.

Grizz Straight!

Grizzlies Cruise on the Road

A lot has happened since we last spoke, Grizzlies fans. For starters, the boys in blue have won 3 of 5 games and just set a franchise record with their sixth straight road win. They have knocked off the Knicks, Hornets and Bulls and have lost to the Bobcats and Trail Blazers. Zach Randolph has scored 131 points and grabbed 71 rebounds. I have taken three midterms and written four papers, which explains my absence from the blogosphere. For that I apologize.

I would like to point out a few things from the past week in Grizz country. First, Randolph pulled in a mind-boggling 25 rebounds against the Knicks. That was the most rebounds in a game by a Grizzly since Lorenzen Wright hauled in 26 against the Mavericks on November 4, 2001. Second, the Grizzlies have moved to two games above .500, their best mark since after the loss to Minnesota on February 6. So we're playing our best basketball in a month; I like the sound of that. Third, Mike Conley had a career game against the Hornets last night. Let this stat line blow your mind: 26 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 4 steals and 11-18 FG. Is it coincidence that I put a bobblehead of him on my desk that morning? I don't think so. It was great to see a player who has struggled at times this season come out and play a great game. Hopefully he can continue to provide spark for a thinly-stretched team. Finally, a fan hit his head on the rim in a halftime trampoline stunt at the Forum. Check out the video here. Now there's a true Grizzlifer...

Great play the past week, Grizzlies. Let's keep the momentum up against the Spurs on Saturday. We're only 4 games out of a playoff spot. Anything can happen...

Go Grizz!

Owen

Grizz at Bulls- LJ's Keys to the Game

The Grizz have another back to back series and this one could be the most difficult they have faced since the All-Star game. New Orleans and Chicago are both fighting for their playoff lives right now and Memphis will have to give a maximum effort to avoid losing in front of our beloved owner Michael Heisley who still owns front row seats to the Bulls games. The win in New Orleans ended a long drought there and the Grizzlies are now looking to sweep back to back games for the first time since the 2004-05 season when both games were on the road. The Bulls have won their last five meetings with the Grizzlies (31-30) at the United Center, and the home team has taken the last nine games in this series

The Bulls have lost two straight games but are 12-11 against the Western Conference. The Bulls will be without Joakim Noah and could also be without Luol Deng and Derrick Rose, both with ailing knees. Rose has battled minor injuries all season and was held out of practice on Wednesday but is expected to play.

Last night was a huge win, but every night from here until the end of the season is an extremely important game. Needless to say, tonight is a must win. Here's how we get it done:

1. Rudy vs Deng. Deng is alot like Rudy. He averages 18.2 ppg and 7.5 rpg. He's an athletic freak with a long body that somehow doesn't translate into a good defensive player although the skills are there to be better. Rudy and Deng are very similar players in size and stats. The Grizz need Rudy to win the points battle with Deng tonight.

2. Confidence. After setting the franchise record for consecutive road wins, the Grizzlies look to extend that record tonight. They have an extremely high confidence on the road right now, and that confidence needs to continue and translate to the home floor where they face the Spurs this weekend. The Grizz think they can beat anyone on the road right now, and they can. They'll need that confidence to continue tonight to get the win.

If the the Bulls are without Noah, Deng, and/or Rose, the Grizzlies will have a large advantage. The Grizzlies need another huge road win tonight, and I'll believe they'll get it.

Grizz Straight!

Grizz at Hornets- Keys to the Game

In my opinion, tonight is the breaking point of the season for our beloved Grizzlies. We are currently 30-30 and 4.5 games out of the playoffs in the Western Conference. The Grizz match up against the New Orleans Hornets who are in a similar slide out of the playoffs. NOLA is 1-4 in their last 5 games and are 31-30, 4 games out of the Western Conference playoffs. Tonight is a must win for both teams if they want to continue a push towards the playoffs. If the Grizz lose tonight, we will be under .500 and headed for another lottery pick. I hate to say it, but tonight is do or die for the Grizzlies.

NOLA is looking for its 10th straight home win versus the Grizzlies while the Grizz are looking to set a franchise record with its 5th straight road victory. The Hornets will be without Chris Paul tonight who has missed the last few weeks with a knee injury. Road wins have come easier than home wins for the Grizz lately, but tonight will be as tough as any. Here's how I think the Grizz get it done:

1. Collison vs Conley. Collison had to step in the fill some big shoes that CP3 left when he went down with an injury, but Collison has done quite well. He has averaged 20.5 ppg and 9.2 apg since Paul's injury. Pretty stout numbers for the Western Conference's February Rookie of the Month. Conley has been up and down all season and especially lately. He's gone multiple games without turnovers then he'll have a game like Monday's with 7 turnovers. The Grizz need to limit Collison, but it all depends on which Mike Conley shows up.

2. Marc Gasol. During the home losing skid, Marc has played much better on the road. He was just 2 assists shy of a triple double versus the Knicks on Saturday. Gasol will match up against Omeka Okafor who has struggled this season to guard Gasol. Marc will need to defend Okafor well because in the last meeting, Okafor went 10-14 from the field with most shot's being easy dunks.

3. Desire. The Grizzlies must show up tonight with desire to win and get back in the playoff race. I think we'll see very early whether or not the team is ready to call it quits for the season, and grind on. They'll need energy, focus, and most of all a desire to not give up tonight in order to get the W.

On another note, watch out for NOLA's bench tonight. James Posey had a game winner on us earlier this year, and we all know of what he's capable. Also, rookie out of LSU, Marcus Thornton has played well lately averaging 26.2 ppg on 53.8% shooting in the last 5 games.

Tonight is make or break for the Grizzlife. Let's Go Grizz!

Blazers at Grizzlies- LJ's Keys to the Game

The 6 game home losing streak of the Grizzlies is a perplexing but important issue. That issue is extremely important tonight, especially because the Grizz haven't won at home in a month and the Trailblazers are coming into FedEx forum having won 3 of 4 on their current road trip and 6 straight at the Forum. Granted, the Blazers have faced New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto, and Minnesota on this current road trip which is not exactly top tier opponents. Regardless, the Grizzlies need to win tonight to end the home losing skid and gain a game on the Blazers in the playoff standings.

The Blazers are what many Grizz fans hope to be in a year or two. The Grizz and Blazers have a lot of similarities. They are both full of young talent and have tremendous upside. Also, both teams have a young center in Oden and Thabeet on whom they spent a top draft pick. Thabeet and Oden have underperformed, and both teams have taken criticism for taking them over picks like Durant and Tyreke Evans. The underperforming centers won't be playing tonight given Oden is yet again out with injury, and Thabeet is in the D-League.

If the Grizzlies want to make a push towards the play-off, they must beat times like the Blazers who are within reach in the standings. Here's how I think we do it:

1. Early confidence and momentum. The Grizz need to start well, and win the first quarter. The Grizzlies have struggled when they don't start well, and versus a equal or better team tonight, they have to get hot early.

2. Mayo vs Roy. In my opinion, Roy is one of the must underrated superstars in the NBA. I like every bit of his game and think he is a star. Mayo has scored double digits every game since the Lakers win and has provided defense and hustle stats all season. I don't think Mayo needs to match Roy point for point, but Mayo will have opportunities to score tonight and needs to fill up the rest of the stat sheet for the Grizz to win tonight.

3. Bench play. I know I have been harping on the bench lately, but they have been playing better lately. At the beginning of the season, the Blazer's bench was one of the deepest in the NBA, but with injuries (Oden and Pryzbilla) and trades (Blake and Outlaw), the talent on the bench is close to that of the Grizzlies. I think the Trailblazers have a small advantage because their bench play has been more consistent, but to win tonight, the Grizz bench needs to match the Blazers' bench.

Those are my keys to the game, but I think there are a few more points to notice for tonight's game. The Andre Miller vs Mike Conley match-up will be key because Miller is a bigger, physical point guard, and Conley has struggled versus that body type. Marc Gasol has had double doubles in the last 2 games versus the Blazers, but the Blazers traded for Marcus Camby who will be able to guard Gasol better. Gasol has struggled at home during the losing streak averaging only 9.1 ppg down from his 15 ppg average.

Go Grizz!