Insider Insights: Grizzlies Went Back to the Grind in Win Over Bucks

Taylor Jenkins began the game with a new starting five, as Steven Adams and Marcus Smart rested. Luke Kennard went to the bench, and Ziaire Williams replaced him, while Xavier Tillman filled in for Steven Adams. Taylor Jenkins mentioned he would switch up the units throughout the preseason and has kept his word so far.

The Grizzlies began the game hot out of the gate, shooting 71% as a team, with all five starters scoring within the first five minutes of the game; they led 16-11 with seven minutes remaining in the first.

That hot streak didn’t last as the Grizzlies scored only 17 points in the next 14 minutes, and their shooting percentage fell to as low as 29% collectively. However, the Grizzlies ended the half strong, making six of their last nine shot attempts, led by Desmond Bane’s eight points in the final two minutes to finish the first half.

The starting five began the second half on the court and picked up where they left off in the first half, led by Desmond Bane’s shooting prowess. However, the shooting struggles returned shortly after when the Grizzlies went back to their bench rotation. Until Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama combined to hit three of the team’s final six shots to end the third quarter, the bench had shot just 4-25 from the field.

That spurt continued into the fourth quarter as the Grizzlies pushed their lead up to as many as 16 points on their way to a 108-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Now, for the main takeaway:

The Second Iteration of the 10-man Rotation

This will be a recurring theme as the Grizzlies search for their starting small forward to open up the regular season. The first preseason game saw Luke Kennard get the start to mixed results. Ziaire Williams received the nod against the Bucks, and he showcased some of his playmaking ability with an early dime to Xavier Tillman and several impressive passes throughout.

Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard were the first two players to come off the bench, but everything went downhill on the offensive end as the team could not buy a shot for the majority of the first half against the Bucks. Eventually, David Roddy, Kenneth Lofton Jr., and Jake LaRavia entered the game to round out the 10-man rotation for the night. The defense of this 10-man rotation did keep the Grizzlies in the game as the offense looked to garner some semblance of momentum throughout the game.

Ziaire Williams had the most impressive showing of anyone not named Jaren Jackson Jr. or Desmond Bane; he looks to have the inside track to begin the season as the starting small forward after two preseason games. The confidence Ziaire alluded to during Media Day comes to mind as he looks like a totally different player from the one we last saw in his sophomore campaign last season.

As the starting unit of Rose, Bane, Williams, Jackson Jr., and Tillman delivered for most of the night, the bench unit of Kennard, Roddy, LaRavia, Lofton Jr., and Aldama struggled until the latter part of the second half when they turned a three point deficit into a 10 point lead before Taylor Jenkins went deeper into the bench.

Overall, it was a mixed bag with this rotation, but mostly because of an off-shooting night. Whether that was because of shooting slumps or something deeper is to be determined, but for the majority of the night, they found the shots they wanted. The defense was fine for this group and continues to be the calling card for this team.

Start, Stop, and/or Continue

Start: I might be jumping the gun here, but Ziaire Williams has looked the most comfortable through two games out of the players vying for the starting small forward position, so the answer to who should be the starter might already be answered. Taylor Jenkins mentioned he wanted the winner of that job to be versatile defensively, fit into the offensive system by making timely passes, and make open shots. Ziaire Williams has displayed that the most of anyone and then some, and as quiet as it is kept, is probably the player the Grizzlies wanted to win that spot.

Continue: Let Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. COOK. This is obvious and will probably be the Grizzlies’ main game plan on offense anyway, but Jaren looks ready to come out of the gates on a high note after playing in the FIBA World Cup this summer. He has been energetic on both ends of the court and has actively been aggressive on offense, looking for his shot early and often. Bane will be leaned on to take on the lead scoring role on the perimeter this season, especially while Ja Morant is out. His three-point shooting is his calling card, but he also continues to find ways to score off the dribble as his handles and playmaking continue to improve.