Memphis Grizzlies at Miami Heat Preview

Memphis Grizzlies vs Miami Heat 

WHEN: 6:30 PM CT

WHERE: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: Bally Sports Southeast/92.9 FM ESPN Memphis

Projected Starters:

MIA: Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, Bam Adebayo

MEM: Luke Kennard, John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr. Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman

The Memphis Grizzlies continue their road trip as they travel to Miami to face Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the Heat. The Grizzlies are still dealing with major injuries all around, missing four of five projected starters and key Bench pieces. However, they have also shown the ability to overcome this and grind out some wins in the last few weeks. For Miami, it will be their first game since trading Kyle Lowry to the Hornets for Terry Rozier, who has averaged 25 PPG in his last four matchups with the Grizzlies.

Here are some trends and players to watch as the Grizzlies continue their road trip.

Jaren’s continued development 

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been having one of the best offensive stretches of his career. With a lot of guys out, he has embraced the role of number one option and has relentlessly attacked mismatches in the paint. The most impressive part of his offensive improvement has come in his playmaking. Coming into the season, Jackson has only had 5+ assists twice in his career. He’s reached that mark four times in January and did so in each of the last two games for the first time in his career.

Tonight he will have another big matchup with one of the best defenders in the NBA in Bam Adebayo. Last time they faced off, Jackson was able to put up 28 points despite a loss for the Grizzlies. Expect him to continue to be aggressive when it comes to attacking that matchup, but also keep an eye on his passes out of double teams (especially to Luke Kennard).

Prioritizing GG Jackson

The GG Jackson has shown a lot of flashes over the last couple of weeks. The youngest player in the NBA has become an important piece for the Grizzlies both this season and going forward, his development should be one of the main priorities for the rest of the season. In the last matchup against the Raptors, Jackson played 21 minutes and was able to affect the game on both ends with seven points and two stocks. With Santi Aldama out the Grizzlies are even more depleted in the front court, it could be a good time to see what Jackson looks like with the Grizzlies current starters. 

Even if he doesn’t start, the coaching staff also needs to do a better job of encouraging GG to be himself and attack when he’s in the game. He will definitely make some mistakes but it’s important that he learns from them now instead of when the team is more healthy in the future. As he continues to get more comfortable in the Grizzlies offense we will continue to see why he was one of the highest rated recruits coming out of high school.

Road Warriors

The Grizzlies have definitely struggled all season, but they have been much better on the road than at home. After beating the Raptors, Memphis improved to 12-12 on the road while they are just 4-12 at home. They are currently the only team in the NBA that is under .500 at home and at .500 or better on the road. Playing in Miami is never easy, but the Grizzlies have shown that hostile environments is where they are most comfortable.

Every game will be a battle for this Grizzlies team dealing with so many injuries, but one thing you will never have to question is their effort. Even if it hasn’t always turned into wins their hustle on the defensive end has made it really difficult for their opponents. It will be tough to win against a Heat team that is mostly intact, but if they keep up their defensive activity the Grizzlies will always have a chance.