The Raptors have dropped four straight, and Memphis isn’t the place I’d choose to try to end a slump. Can Toronto find its shooting and end this pain?
The Toronto Raptors have flubbed their chance to gain ground on the Cleveland Cavaliers by losing to bad teams. They now must crawl out of their slump by beating strong ones. A chance to do so slipped away late last night against the Spurs – what will they do against the Grizzlies in Memphis?
The Grizzlies have slipped slightly from their surprisingly solid commencement to the season. They continue to be contrarians, playing grind-it-out hoops in the age of the 3-ball. Oddly enough, they take only .2 long balls fewer Per Game [PG] than the Raps, but their make rate is much worse, 34.6% vs 37.6%.
Memphis wins by playing solid defense, as you might expect from an veteran-laden team. Their roster isn’t glamorous, but it’s effective.
Marc Gasol is their center and best player. He can score inside and way outside, and will give Jonas Valanciunas all he can handle when our man gets the ball in the low block.
Coach David Fizdale has been given the credit for yanking aged power forward Zach Randolph from the starting lineup in favor of JaMychal Green. The eyebrow-raising move has worked so far; there’s no question Memphis needed to get younger players on the floor. Vince Carter still gets minutes, and he turns 40(!) tomorrow.
Chandler Parsons starts at small forward. He’s had enormous problems staying healthy during his career, though he’s smooth and skilled when he actually plays.
The backcourt is defensive-minded Tony Allen and the underrated Mike Conley.
3 keys to Raps victory
[20-second timeout: This part of the post is supposed to be a discussion of tactics, but all the Xs and 0s don’t mean squat if a team doesn’t connect on its open shots. Toronto is in a 4-game slide because their usually reliable shotmakers are ice cold. Kyle Lowry is 5 for 26 from 3-point range his last 3 games. DeMarre Carroll is 2 of 14 from deep in his last 4, and didn’t have a bucket of any kind against San Antonio.
Here’s the game plan: defend as well as we did against the Spurs, and make open shots.]
Jan 21, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the first at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Conclusion & Final Score
The Raps are overdue to rediscover their shooting skills, though I’m leery of predicting a big win against this opponent. We’re still without DeMar DeRozan.
When I have a coin-flip game, I take our team.
Raptors 101 – Grizzlies 97
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