Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies (04/09/2024)

When: 7:00 PM CST, Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN

How To Watch/Stream: BallySports Southeast

I’d say it’s safe to call this slice of games the ‘home stretch’ of the Grizzlies season right? They’ve only got four games left to go. Until the conclusion of another NBA—regular—season is in the books.

Tonight marks the first of the Grizzlies final three home games on the schedule. It’s a matchup seeing Pop, Wemby, and the Spurs come to the Forum. It’s a matchup….Well to be frank Memphis has handled all season.

Now it’s worth noting that the three times they’ve played each other this season… Well they were all before the first week of January. Well before Wembanyama’s latest stretch of generational play.

So whereas Memphis has the option of sweeping the entire San Antonio season series… The Spurs can play spoiler against the Grizzlies. And it’ll most likely be on Wemby’s back.

If it ends up being the numbers game and who has more NBA players? It better not surprise anyone to see the Spurs pull this one out. But the Grizzlies? It should go without saying…. But they have more grit and that’s propelled them over much stronger competiton of late.

We’ll see if they can do so tonight.

…So Who’s Playing?

The Grizzlies have released several rather long injury reports this season…. And then they’ve released whatever you want to call this short novella… And friends let me tell you… It’s a behemoth.

.@memgrizz status report, April 9 bs @spurs: pic.twitter.com/C8uCH8o4Ye

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) April 8, 2024

That list is two players short of fielding a full squad. A damn good one at that.

With each name added—game in, game out—the report poses the same question… “Who is available to play?”

It’s asked with complete sincerity to boot. All humor has fled from the question as we ponder who’s left. Who’s left on the team to play.

And guess what? The answer is most likely no one. Because the Grizzlies were signing guys to new 10-days like it was going out of style. The entire season.

I’m talking signing guys the days and nights before games. Look no further then Memphis’ latest 10-day signing as an example. They signed Timmy Allen yesterday and the probability that he plays tonight…

Well it’s high. Like Pineapple Express levels high.

Out of necessity these guys have had to play almost instantly. It seems that every single game of late, has at least one guy. One guy in a Grizzlies’ jersey who you will not recognize. You won’t know their name, and should only commit it to memory if you want.

What do I mean by that? Well with three games remaining on their schedule… Odds are Memphis wrapped their 10-day auction on the year. I could be wrong but— What’s that?

…I am wrong?

During the time it’s taking to right this article… The Grizzlies signed another 10-day guy. Named Jack White?! That’s made up… It’s really not made up…?

The @memgrizz today announced the team signed Zavier Simpson to a second 10-day contract and Jack White to a 10-day contract. pic.twitter.com/BRlNWPUbwJ

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) April 9, 2024

Damn.

So let’s revisit… Tonight the Grizzlies will play two guys on actual NBA contracts. GG Jackson II and Brandon Clarke. Then they’ll have their three two-way guys… Scotty Pippen Jr., Jordan Goodwin, Trey Jemison. You know what? There’s your starters I guess.

And it’ll be the collection of 10-days serving as bench support. Two of which have been with the team for a combined total of less than what, 36 hours? And one of which is named Jack White.

So yeah. A series sweep. We’ll see.

Speaking Of This Timmy Allen Guy

You remember Timmy Allen right? From like a few sentences ago? Yeah that Timmy Allen.

So who is he? Other than a hooper with a name that reminds you of Tony Allen every time you read it. And you know what? That’s ok by me. The more I can remember TA at any given moment is a win, through and through.

So take his name aside… And who is the player the Grizzlies signed with their latest—and good lord I hope last—10-day? Who is Timmy Allen?

Well, for starters he’s a familiar player to Memphis. And—no shade directed Allen’s way with this—that may be the significant reason for this signing.

See with four games left to go in the season… You wonder if the team landed on signing another Hustle guy for convenience’s sake. To at the very least have someone ‘familiar’ on the court.

Because otherwise? I see Timmy Allen and I see a fine basketball player. A guy who does many things fine… Without particularly excelling at one single thing. Look at his stats with the Hustle last year and you’ll see where I’m coming from.

A BIG-TIME shout out to @MemphisHustle forward Timmy Allen, who earned a 10-Day Contract with the @memgrizz and promptly scored his first NBA basket later that night! Allen is the 79th #NBACallUp of the season. pic.twitter.com/PBAMpnD330

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 7, 2024

He put up the following numbers in 30 games at forward in the G-League…. 9.9 PTS, 3.4 REB, 2.4 AST, 1.1 STL in 27.7 minutes per game. That’s with 41.8/33.8/79.5% shooting splits.

I’m not sure about y’all… But none of the above jumps off the box score at me. And that’s especially true given his position—forward. I expect more production in that spot. And not to be rude but more height in that spot as well.

The Hustle lists Timmy’s height at 6’6. That’s a solid 0.5 of an inch lower than the leagues’ average height. Damn. This feels like it’s turned into a ‘gang up on Timmy Allen’ bit. It’s not.

I’m only hoping to have realistic expectations through these last four games. That my friends is important.

Photo Credit: (Matt Marton/USA TODAY Sports)