Insider Insights: Grizzlies fall to Warriors 121-101

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Grizzlies welcomed the Golden State Warriors to the Fed-Ex Forum in a rematch of their previous matchup in Memphis on Martin Luther King Day. In that Game, both Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson each scored of 20+ points in a 116-107 victory. However, on Friday night, the Grizzlies unfortunately did not have a reliable source of offense outside of Jaren Jackson Jr. As a result, Memphis failed to score more than 110 points for the 9th time in their last 10 games.

On a positive note, both Luke Kennard and Derrick Rose returned from injury. Rose contributed 12 points, while Kennard hit a few threes in a fairly limited appearance. Jacob Gilyard had his best game as a pro, with five threes to go along with a memorable block of the legendary Stephen Curry. And while David Roddy and Vince Williams Jr. also contributed 15+ points each, the Grizzlies only shot 40.2% from the field.

After dropping their fourth straight game, a few things stand out that the Grizzlies are having to work through when it comes to their limited roster options

Fourth Quarter Struggles

Since the 116-107 victory over the Warriors, the Grizzlies have unfortunately faltered in the fourth quarter. When considering every NBA teams last 10 games, the Grizzlies are last in fourth quarter OFF RTG (100.00) and last in NET RTG (-23.8) in the NBA. Their NET RTG is 8.8 points worst than the 29th ranked team over that time frame. They have been outscored by 52 points in the fourth quarter over their past 10 games, the worst point differential in the league.

Fatigue is a likely factor in the struggles, as is the current offensive limitations of the roster. But Memphis is shooting only 41% form the field and 28% from beyond the arc over their past 10 games in the fourth quarter, so an adjustment in strategy could boost results. The return of Kennard and Rose could help in this area.

GG Jackson Cold Stretch

Over the past three games, GG Jackson is 7-31 from the field and 4-20 from beyond the arc. He did not play as much against Golden State due to being less effective on the court than he had been in previous games. He scored only one point and was 0-3 from the field.

The simple truth is that this is going to happen for the longest player in the NBA at times. Like the rest of the roster, fatigue is likely setting in a bit for Jackson as he plays more minutes and games more frequently than he has before in his basketball career. Furthermore, as he has success, the league will adjust to him to limit that success. This is an expected part of development and growth.

As a result, it is likely the the Grizzlies may limit his minutes in a game from time to time, but that should only happen on occasion. His development through reps and involvement should remain a high priority for the rest of the season for the Grizzlies. And a great way for his development to remain positive is working through times of struggle to once again find success.

Productivity Inside the Arc

When considering every NBA team’s past 15 games, the Grizzlies have made the fewest two point shots and second most three point shots in the NBA. Though Memphis has improved in their three point accuracy over that stretch of time, they remain near the bottom of the league in two point accuracy, as they all for the entirety of the season. While the quality of players that are injured certainly have played a part in the two-point struggles, Memphis must prioritize scoring as they look to make roster upgrades over time.

Getting Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke, and Ja Morant all back before next season will help improve in this area once wins and losses matter again. But with Memphis likely looking to add another big in time to their front court equation, shot efficiency has to be a strength of that player. If Memphis can find that type of player, offensive balance can become more consistent.