Insider Insights: Memphis Grizzlies vs Toronto Raptors

It was an ugly one, but a win nonetheless.

Last night the Memphis Grizzlies traveled up North to take on the 16-27 Toronto Raptors. This was the third game of a four-game road trip. The Grizzlies looked to find their first win during this road trip while getting revenge on the Raptors for the loss they gave Memphis on Jan. 3 inside FedExForum.

Memphis came out with lots of energy and aggressiveness as they jumped out to a quick 8-2 start in the first 3 minutes of the first quarter. After a Toronto timeout, the two teams traded buckets for the rest of the quarter which resulted in a 30-25 Grizzlies lead at the end of the quarter.

The story of the first quarter was Jaren Jackson Jr.’s domination in the paint as he had 16 PTS in the quarter. He also showed why he is the reigning DPOY with five steals in the quarter, which is a franchise record for the most steals in any quarter.

The second quarter was more of the same. The game was back and forth and very physical. There were a lot of hard fouls committed on both sides. There was also a lot of contact at the rim that didn’t get called, which had both teams complaining to the refs.

The Grizzlies found most of their success in the paint with 28 PTS inside in the half. Luke Kennard came alive in this quarter with 11PTS as the first half ended in a 53-46 lead for Memphis. Vince Williams Jr. pitched in with 11 PTS of his own in the half.

The 2nd half was all Memphis. The Beale Street Bears were able to hold the Raptors off as they were led by big games from RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. Memphis was able to put Toronto away with an overall team effort, led by Kennard, Williams Jr, and Jackson Jr.

In the third, Kennard continued his hot hand. He led the charge with 8 PTS in the quarter with two big threes within two minutes of each other. He was also making plays with his passing ability with 4 ASTS in the quarter.

sicko modeeeee @LukeKennard5 https://t.co/0Pk5RZRNhM pic.twitter.com/ELGnmUCABA

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 23, 2024

This quarter was filled with great ball movement and offensive rebounding by Memphis. 10 ASTS and 7 offensive rebounds in one quarter is a recipe for success. With two buckets each near the end of the quarter by David Roddy and John Konchar, the quarter ended with an 85-71 lead in favor of Memphis.

In the final quarter, Memphis extended their largest lead of the night to 19 with a Jacob Gilyard three at the 10:50 mark. Toronto could never get back in the game as Memphis closed out Toronto 108-100.

Memphis led from start to finish. This was a low-scoring defensive game that catered to Memphis’ style. They won this game by dominating the inside and hustling all over the floor. Triple J led the way with 27 PTS and a career-high 6 steals. Kennard finished with 19 PTS and a season-high 7 ASTS. Vince Williams Jr. continued his all-around play with 18 PTS and 10 RBS, the first double-double of his career. Konchar added 5 blocks as well.

Everyone that played contributed to this win and that’s how this team is going to find success with so many guys out of the lineup. Memphis ended the night with 30 ASTS and 58 paint points. A formula they hope to repeat as they face the Miami Heat next.

Now for the takeaways:

More Games Like This

Memphis is in a weird position. They have a championship-contending roster, but most of those higher-caliber players are on the injury-reserved list. They’re not going to win a lot of games with the healthy players they currently have, but they do have enough talent to be competitive almost every night.

Some think the team should tank, get a high draft pick, and head into next year healthier with mostly the same roster. Others think they should make a big move at the deadline to improve the roster to stay competitive.

The front office has a lot of decisions on their hands, but games like this can make those decisions easier or harder depending on who you ask.

If you’re a Grizzlies fan or front office member these overall team efforts can show what type of pieces the team has going forward. Guys like Jaren Jackson Jr, GG Jackson II, and Vince Williams Jr. continue to take a leap and solidify their spot for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, there are other players like David Roddy, John Konchar, and Santi Aldama. All guys who had good games last night, but the jury is still out on them. They don’t have solidified futures on this team, and games like these could potentially tip their fate.

These next 32 games are going to show us fans and the front office who they should keep and who they should let go or deal within a trade. For some guys, they may have only eight more games in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform until the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

We love to see big games like the back-to-back 20-point GG Jackson II performances or Aldama’s 28 against the Celtics in November. But frankly, those games are outliers and don’t show the average production you’re going to get night in and night out.

Last night, no one had an astronomically huge game and everyone did their part. These are the games we should want to see more of, so we as fans, and the front office can gauge the direction this team is going in.

Optimistic/Pessimistic

What to be optimistic about?: Jaren Jackson Jr. is continuing to play like an All-Star. His constant high level of aggressiveness is wonderful. Having the keys to the offense is allowing him to expand his skill set. The idea of this Triple J being a third option next year behind Morant and Bane is scary.

bink bink bink @jarenjacksonjr pic.twitter.com/V5Ajh6lYeN

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 23, 2024

What to be pessimistic about?: Besides the obvious injury woes, the guys on the bench still aren’t consistent. Most of them had good games, but there’s no guarantee they can repeat it on Wednesday.