Insider Insights: Grizzlies’ Effort Falls Short Against the Defending Champs

The Grizzlies faced off against the defending champion Denver Nuggets for their second game of the season. They picked up right where they left off in their first game against the New Orleans Pelicans: with ice cold shooting.

This time, it was Desmond Bane who was cold as he began the game shooting 0-5 from deep, and the team began shooting 0-7 from three and 2-13 from the field collectively. Derrick Rose came off the bench to bring the team some much-needed energy, scoring 6 points in the first to help the Grizzlies cut an early nine-point deficit to two points before the Nuggets finished the first quarter on a 5-0 run to lead 25-18.

After the Nuggets extended their run to 10-0 to take a 12-point lead early in the second quarter, Desmond Bane returned to the game to spark a quick 6-0 run to cut the deficit back to single digits. The offense began to heat up for both teams as a balanced scoring effort led to an offensive uptick that ended with the Nuggets leading 61-56 at the half.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored more points by halftime of this game (12) than he did in all of the Grizzlies’ first game of the season (8). Marcus Smart also hit the double-digit mark in points with 11 in the first half. Further, the Grizzlies outrebounded the Nuggets 28-21 in that stretch. Rebounding was a big point of discussion as they severely lacked that in their first game.

Much better outing from Jaren so far tonight on offense. Need this consistently

— Parish Sharkey (@DaOne_PShark) October 28, 2023

The Grizzlies did seem to settle down in the third quarter by taking timely three-point attempts and attacking the basket more, but Nuggets had an answer for every run made. They got as close as a two-point deficit but couldn’t get over the hump as the Nuggets extended their lead to 10 at 89-79 to end the third quarter.

After Jaren picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, Taylor Jenkins decided to play a lineup that didn’t include Jaren, Smart, or Bane, but Derrick Rose made back-to-back huge three-point shots to cut their deficit from 10 down to four. Once Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart returned to the game, the Grizzlies finally took the lead, 98-97, after Bane’s first made three of the game, followed by a Rose pull-up midrange jumper with 4:28 remaining.

DERRICK ROSE MIDDY FOR THE LEADDDD pic.twitter.com/YTO5eRV8Mv

— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) October 28, 2023

The reigning NBA Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic, and secondary star Jamal Murray answered with back-to-back threes to put the Nuggets back up 5 points with 3:03 remaining. The Grizzlies cut the lead down to one point with 44 seconds remaining, but the Nuggets responded again with a dunk by Aaron Gordon and a defensive stop to secure the win 108-104.

Now for the main takeaway:

Xavier Tillman Can Hold His Own As A Starter

Xavier Tillman continues to be the ultimate utility guy. He plays hard and does whatever is asked of him while providing good value in a pinch. The need to find a starting caliber center might not be necessary and probably wasn’t even much of a question considering his positive playoff performance last season.

Tillman is a guy you keep on your team long term. Good character, plays hard, will be a great vet on and off the court.

— Savage (@MSavage901) October 28, 2023

After scoring 17 points to go along with 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the first game of the season, Tillman produced 13 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks against the defending champs while playing some of the best defense you’ll see all year against Nikola Jokic. The two-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic, had nine turnovers against the Grizzlies, and Tillman played a huge part in forcing him into tough situations. Tillman said that he loves the challenge of playing against Jokic to see how he stacks up and how he can improve his game.

I asked Tillman about his confidence from this point forward after his great start to the season, and he said that his confidence comes from his teammates as they always say they believe in him, so he has to believe in himself. He tries to hone in on the work he puts in and the trust that his teammates and coaches have in him, and it has shown in the beginning of this season.

Start, Stop, and/or Continue

Start: Playing more Rose and Smart lineups throughout the game. The Grizzlies played a lineup with those two that eventually brought them back to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter and it looked like something that could be sustainable. I asked Marcus Smart how much he is looking forward to playing in more lineups with Derrick Rose on the court with him, and he is looking forward to it a lot. He said they are excited to be on the court with Rose every time he is out there because they know he will bring everything he has to win the game. Taylor Jenkins mentioned that he liked the ability to have multiple ball handlers on the court at the same time who can all push the pace and be playmakers. He said it was a great sample size to see how they could use it.

Marcus Smart tonight:

20 points
7/13 FG (3/7 3PT)
5 assists
5 steals

Really liking what I’ve seen from him through 2 games pic.twitter.com/gyORrz94OJ

— Bryson (@BrysonWright3) October 28, 2023

Continue: Playing John Konchar, at least until the Grizzlies figure out their big-man situation after their first five games. If Konchar does not provide any other value, he at least brings terrific rebounding. After the Grizzlies got outrebounded 52-37 in their first game with no Konchar minutes, the 6’5″ Konchar produced six rebounds in 30 minutes of action last night, helping the Grizzlies win that battle 48-39 against Nikola Jokic and Co. Taylor Jenkins commended his effort on creating second-chance point opportunities and his ability to make intangible plays that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.

This is the first and probably only time I don't mind seeing Jitty lead the team in minutes 😅

— Parish Sharkey (@DaOne_PShark) October 28, 2023

Coming Up

The Memphis Grizzlies look to win their first game the season as they travel to D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday night at 6:00 PM CST.

Final Quote

“Shots didn’t fall, but it’s a make-or-miss league. We’ll make them” – Desmond Bane