I think this was the best breakdown I have read about why a team has to always play to their identity or keep doing what got you there. Nice.
Utah might be one of the No 1 seeds without a sure superstar on their team. (Mitchell is inexperienced enough)
The grizzlies might have cracked the formula for beating the three pointer or dead analytics. First, if you haven't noticed the grizzlies are not a three point shooting team. Their best player is a drive to the basket player, they employ a lumberjack at center and are starting a player they call slowmo. So what are the grizzlies doing that is so earth shattering? Well for one thing, all of the usual culprits are present: playing great defense, paint points and bully ball, a remnant from past grizzlies teams, but what they have added to that is a killer fast break scheme that relies on harassing teams into giving up the basketball. The grizzlies teams of the past were so unathletic that what they did to combat the 3 was to try to throw off your timing by slowing the game down. What this new grizzlies team is doing is to blitz you with fast breaks, which means that the grizzlies are not really that scared of your team's 3 point runs, because they can go on similar runs by turning you over and then running you into the ground. Usually all throwback teams are old vets, but the grizzlies are a 48 minute frantic team that will harass you from end to end. It also helps that Ja Morant might be as effective going to the basket as LeBron or Giannis is.
They won a close game against a team without its best player. Appreciate the insight, but let's wait a few more games before thinking the Grizzlies have done anything.
plus jazz shot a measly 25% from deep. if jazz shot at least 30% they would have won this game and if they shot their season avg of 39% they would have blown out the grizz by 15 pts
I was making a statement largely on a game that they lost: the last regular season game against the warriors. Basically Steph and the warriors came out in the third quarter and got the grizzlies into a 17 point deficit, then the fourth quarter started and the grizzlies erased that deficit and took a lead in about 7 minutes time. The grizzlies ultimately lost that game, but it also showed that the grizzlies, even without a robust 3 point game, can erase leads in a hurry with defense and fast breaks.
The Grizz would have lost if Mitchell played. You got away with it against one team for one game without their best player.
We got away with it also against the warriors and the Spurs, not to mention beating the kinds twice and several other teams. Last year the grizzlies blew a 12 point lead against Portland late in the fourth quarter. The fact is that the grizzlies have been losing games they should win for some time now. They had Dallas dead to rights a month ago before they let doncic hit a 3 on them. And I can't remember that other game, but a team, maybe Portland, hit a half court three on them to snatch the win from the grizzlies. So the grizzlies have been learning how to win games like this for some time.
Also Denver did it to them. The point is the grizzlies have been learning how to win and it started last year in the bubble.
