Game Preview: Grizzlies vs Wolves (12/08/2023)

When: Friday, December 8th, 7:00 PM CST

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN

How to Watch/Stream: Bally Sports Southeast

After a start to the season that discouraged even the most diehard Grizzlies fans, it appears now that this team has a pulse. With the aforementioned horrific start leaving the Grizzlies 0-6, all the team has done since then is scratch, claw, and fight its way to being 6-8 in its last 14, despite worsening injury luck and a terrorist dressed up as an NBA commissioner. 

The Grizzlies, now 6-14, are coming off of a win against the Detroit Pistons that was fueled by an excellent Desmond Bane performance. While it certainly would’ve been backbreaking to end up as the team that allowed the Pistons to snap their then-17 game losing streak, the Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth quarter and eased the minds of worried fans such as myself. While there were several notable rotation choices made by Taylor Jenkins, the team responded to adversity and was able to pick up a vital win.

This upcoming game against the Timberwolves marks the first of back-to-back home games, with Dallas coming to town on Monday. After that, the Grizzlies will have a pair of games against the Houston Rockets—one away and one home—before traveling to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder.

Chris Finch has been the coach of Minnesota since Ryan Saunders was fired after a 7-24 start to the 2020-2021 NBA Season. Since taking over, Finch has taken the franchise back to the playoffs in both the 21-22 and 22-23 seasons, now piloting the team to an NBA-best 16-4 record. Originally known for his havoc-inducing style of defense—filled with traps, pressing, and other methods of harassment—Finch has since pivoted to a more traditional defensive set after the franchise traded for center Rudy Gobert.

While the Timberwolves will be missing defensive stud Jaden McDaniels in today’s game, this is still a team that ranks third in Net Rating at +7 points per 100 possessions. Minnesota has leapfrogged into the tier of title contenders, and the Grizzlies will need a spectacular performance from several individuals—as well as a bumpin’ crowd—to get the W here.

Ant Taking the Leap

Just as the Memphis Grizzlies were blessed with a high-flying, must-see-TV superstar, the Minnesota Timberwolves found themselves one, and while the rest of the league has been sleeping on the impact Ja is going to have upon his return, they’ve certainly woken up to the level of play Ant has produced this season.

After a summer in which Ant impressed Team USA’s coaching staff and roster, forcing his way into the starting lineup, the former Georgia Bulldog has done nothing but double-down on that success. The shooting guard is second in the league in Plus-Minus, standing at +166 across the season. The eye-test backs up this impact, as Ant has looked more assertive and settled far less than he has in seasons past.

While he has always been a capable willing scorer, Ant’s biggest steps forward have come off the ball. The first of these developments has been his progression as a playmaker. It’s not uncommon for players of his style and pedigree to have to unlearn bad habits when entering the league, but Ant was a bit further behind in that regard than most.

Season after season, he has improved as a passer, going from 2.9 to 3.8, 3.8 to 4.4, and 4.4 to now 5.1 assists per game. While an increase of 2.1 assists per game over four seasons may seem minuscule, the number is a microcosm of his learning to become a more willing passer. This could manifest itself in an extra pass to an open teammate or identifying which player on the court has the premier matchup.

On the defensive side, he still has momentary lapses of concentration that must be a source of frustration for Chris Finch, but when he’s fully locked in, his ability to guard the opposing team’s best ball handler is legitimately amongst the best in the league. 

Two Top Defenses

As previously mentioned, Anthony Edwards has taken a positive step in terms of defense, but he is just one of the many cogs in the defensive machine that is the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is a team who is loaded with players who are adept at getting stops, and that manifests itself in Minnesota’s number one defensive rating in the league, allowing 106.3 points per 100 possessions.

There are several key individual contributors who have driven this defensive rating to the top of the league, but I would be remiss if I didn’t start with Rudy Gobert. A player who many—including myself—wrote off as a meaningful contributor has seemingly come back to life, putting in some monster performances for this vaunted Wolves defense.

The pairing of Gobert and KAT can result in a lack of fluidity on the offensive end, but on defense that size often overwhelms opponents and suffocates most attempts in the paint. Furthermore, they have supplemental size coming off the bench, with Kyle Anderson and Naz Reid being more than capable of coming in and being disruptive.

In addition to their devastating size, the Timberwolves also have fantastic point of attack defenders, such as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. If there is a weak link in this unit, it would have to be Mike Conley, who as Grizzlies fans know, is no slouch on the defensive end, either.

Meanwhile, with the Grizzlies’ recent improvement, their defensive rating has climbed to seventh in the NBA, allowing 111 points per 100 possessions. Between JJJ’s and Biyombo’s protection of the interior and some decent contributions from point-of-attack defenders, this unit has kept the Grizzlies reasonably above-water during this pre-Ja stretch of basketball.

Stylistically, this will be an interesting watch between two teams who would typically prefer to bludgeon their opponents on the interior. Between two former DPOYs in Gobert and JJJ, it’ll be telling which team adjusts first. 

Contributors off the Bench

It’s time to forget everything you knew about the 2023-2024 Memphis Grizzlies, because the bench has actually contributed to winning basketball as of late! I know, I know, shocking stuff, but I’m telling you the truth!

Starting with the bench lord himself, how welcome of an addition has Jaylen Nowell been for this team? For years, the shotmaking/self-creation abilities of Grizzlies bench players ranged from hopeless to below-average, but with Nowell, the Grizzlies have a player who’s capable of creating his own shot and who’s assertive enough that the opposing defense has to take him seriously in P&Rs or DHOs.

Ironically, the Grizzlies have the Timberwolves to thank for Nowell’s services, and after the Grizzlies just signed him to another 10-day contract, I would be extremely disappointed if he isn’t brought back for the entire season. To add even more incentive, Nowell is just 24 years of age, fitting in perfectly to the Grizzlies’ long-term planning.

Outside of Nowell, the Grizzlies saw more impact from the ever-improving Vince Williams. Williams is one of those players who will always find a way to make a positive impact on a basketball game. Whether it be rebounding, defense, hustle plays, or knocking down his catch-and-shoot opportunities, Williams has suddenly made himself extremely valuable for the Grizzlies.

In Aldama, the Grizzlies are fortunate enough to have a player whose talent is that of a starting level player who has to play behind an All-Star in JJJ. In typical Grizzlies developmental fashion, Aldama has come back from the offseason looking far more fluid than he has in the previous seasons. Suddenly, Aldama has the ability to not just be the screener in a pick-and-roll, but he can be the one operating it. Combined with a more-refined shooting stroke, Aldama looks extremely dangerous.

Between Aldama, Williams, Nowell, and X, the Grizzlies have four current bench players that I would feel comfortable seeing in a playoff setting.