Report Card: Grizzlies earn another big win over the Warriors

The start of March was quite a roller coaster ride for the Memphis Grizzlies and their roster, with plenty of occurrences off the court that were less than ideal. However, the Grizzlies coaching staff and roster has done a tremendous job of keeping focus on the court, and they now have won five out of their last six games.

Two of those wins have come against the Warriors, and in the process, Memphis has continued to improve its 4th quarter performances. In the two wins against Golden State, Memphis has outscored the Warriors 61-36 to make close games blowouts. As a result, the Grizzlies are in a very good spot to earn a potential top two seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Let’s have fun handing out a few grades:

Jaren Jackson Jr: A+

Third straight game with 25+ points for first time in his career.

Only Grizzlies player with Pau Gasol to have 25+ points and 4+ blocks in consecutive games.

If you want proof Jackson Jr. is continuing to elevate his game, he right now is doing things he has never done before offensively. And he is doing it both efficiently and effectively. In back-to-back games, regardless of competition, Jaren Jackson Jr. played like a player who knew he was the most dominant talent on the court. And even more importantly, his coaching staff and teammates recognized it as well. The end result was Jackson Jr. producing the 7th 30-point performance of his career, ending what may be the best week of offensive basketball we have seen him play.

Dillon Brooks: A+

The villain vibes were loud, proud, and my goodness, were they immaculate.

Dillon Brooks has been quite productive through the media and with the mind games off the court over the past few weeks, but last night, he had his most productive games on the court in 2023. If Brooks can consistently play at this level (to be fair, hard to expect) he is the perfect compliment to Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Regardless of what may be thought of his antics, they having the desired effect they need to have at the moment. Brooks is locked in and ready to make the most of what lies ahead for both himself and the Grizzlies, and if he continues to play good offensive basketball, that could be a huge boost for Memphis in the postseason.

Desmond Bane: A

While quietly may not be the right word, with many other Grizzlies having great nights, Desmond Bane’s 26 points on 10-17 shooting may get a bit lost in the shuffle. But that could be a compliment, as with now scoring 20+ points in seven of his last ten games, it has come to be expected.

However, what is significant is the proof how Bane is becoming a truly complete scorer. Friday night, he scored 21 points with only one three. Last night, his shooting returned, and he made sure both Jackson Jr. and himself were the most dominant duo on a court that included Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Bane is back to being one of the best scoring two-guards in the league, and with the return of Morant in the near future, they once again could be one of the best offensive backcourts in the league.

Tyus Jones and Luke Kennard : A

Tyus Jones tied his career high with 14 assists and 0 turnovers.

Luke Kennard hit 4 threes for the third game in a row.

Both players player their roles in support perfectly, helping put together a complete team effort that was needed to get the job done. Jones continues to produce 10+ assists almost every other night, while Kennard is doing exactly what he was brought to the Grizzlies roster to do in making threes. If Memphis can continue to get this type efficiency from both players, it will be huge of the depth of this team to do what it needs to do to win in the post season.