Official Game Thread: Hawks at Grizzlies

[lethalweapon3]

“On second thought, LeBron… Watch MY head!”

 

Is a branch soon to fall from The Poplar? As the Atlanta Hawks fight through the tryptophan to tip off with the Grizzlies in Memphis (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL and MEM), former Popovich and Budenholzer acolyte Taylor Jenkins will have to make some lineup maneuvers to address a defense (NBA-worst 115.1 D-Rating; Orlando’s 111.6 ranks next-to-last) that has uncharacteristically, for this proud franchise, become as soft as Grits and Butter.

Memphis is 5-0 when holding teams below 110 points. But they’re 9-9, and the 4-9 side of this has become concerning. They were headed toward improving that mark on Wednesday when they held the visiting Toronto Raptors to 25 first-quarter points. Unlike the TVA, this edition of the Grizzlies have a hard time locking down the floodgates.

Grizzlie foes have buried nearly half of their corner threes (NBA-worst 49.2 opponent 3FG%), and over 38.4 percent of their treys above-the-break, also a league-worst. Gary Trent and Precious Achiuwa showed they read their scouting reports, going 7-for-8 from beyond Beale Street on Wednesday at FedEx Forum, along the way to 37 of Toronto’s 67 second-half points, as the Raps prevailed 126-113.

It's easy to point an accusing finger at Ja Morant (116.8 D-Rating, lowest among NBA players w/ 1000+ possessions). But Jenkins has Kyle Anderson and Brandon Clarke coming off the bench, is giving unready rookie Ziaire Williams way too much time in rotations, and has replacement center Steven Adams looking lost alongside Jaren Jackson, Jr.

Minnesota is surging well enough on their own. But when they beat you by 43 points and score 138 in regulation (four T-Wolf guards, incl. Pat Beverley, combining to hit 16 of 26 threes), as was the case this past Saturday, alarm bells ought to be going off.

Zach Kleiman and the Memphis front office are due for a bit of self-reflection, too, for their shallow roster construction. But Beverley was a Grizzlie for less than a week in this offseason, as the team unloaded Jonas Valanciunas and Eric Bledsoe in successive trades. The one tangible remnant aside from Adams from those deals, the struggling Jarrett Culver, is getting yo-yo’d to and from the G-League and hasn’t really found a role under Jenkins, not even as a defensive stopgap.

Coming off a 38-34 season in 2020-21 and a tidy first-round exit versus Utah in last year’s playoffs, Jenkins is challenged to demonstrate growth and a stronger, more playoff-competitive roster. If the defensive lapses continue and young players’ development continues to stall on his watch, Memphis’ coach won’t find himself challenged for much longer.

The Griz only give themselves a shot when they’re able to fight fire with fire, on multiple fronts. They upset the Jazz, 119-118 on Monday in Salt Lake (despite letting That Other Bogdanovic go 7-for-11 from deep) thanks to a big 28-point night from Desmond Bane to supplement Ja and Triple-J. Getting De’Anthony Melton (questionable, strained groin) back will boost the defense, but he’s not the panacea.

The team’s second-leading scorer, Dillon Brooks only recently returned fully from an offseason non-shooting hand injury and has been high-volume, low-efficiency on offense (19.3 PPG, 30.0 3FG% in last 4 games). He’s been a net-negative when unproductive on the other side of the floor.

Whereas the Hawks’ sixth consecutive win required pummeling the Spurs’ interior before breaking the game open in the second half with timely perimeter shots, stretching the win streak ahead of tomorrow match back home with the Knicks will necessitate an outside-in approach.

Open shooters like Kevin Huerter (69.6 eFG% during win streak) will be available off penetration early, and Adams is unlikely to abdicate the paint when John Collins or Danilo Gallinari have clear looks at three-pointers. Later in the contest, Atlanta (10-9) can work the paint and exploit Memphis’ wafer-thin interior, as Anderson and Xavier Tillman routinely find themselves overwhelmed.

The Hawks will need their bigs to remain patient and avoid foul trouble off of cheap hacks, particularly those that send the acrobatic Morant to the line for extra points. Boxing out on putback specialist Adams (5.3 O-Rebs per-36, 4^th among NBA players w/ 20+ MPG and 10+ games) will be a key to victory as well. The Knicks arrive in the morning after hosting red-hot Phoenix at MSG. Atlanta will likely do well if they put up pinball numbers, but they must remain focused on the task at hand to avoid a TILT before heading home.

Y’all be easy out here on Black Friday! Wrangling with strangers in a tug-of-war over the only 5G Bluetooth toaster oven left in Aisle 4 isn’t worth the hassle.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

My 2023 finals matchup predicted in 2019.  Awesome as usual lw3. (Hazily lookin up as I’m tryptophan’d out of my minnnnnnnd broh, you don’t even know 

Go Hawks! 

 

Oh, Grizz fav by 1.

[Spud2nique]

I like 7. It’s just a lucky number. Let’s F around and get it! 
 

[lethalweapon3]

On the most recent boo-boo report, Bogi's not-so-honey-baked hammy still has him questionable headed into this game, and Trae remains probable despite his minor ankle sprain.

Sam Merrill has been out for the Griz due to an ankle sprain over the past week and remains so, while De'Anthony Melton (DNP'd in last 3 games) remains questionable for tonight due to wishbone soreness.

 

~lw3

[kg01]

9 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

On the most recent boo-boo report, Bogi's not-so-honey-baked hammy still has him questionable headed into this game, and Trae remains probable despite his minor ankle sprain.

Sam Merrill has been out for the Griz due to an ankle sprain over the past week and remains so, while De'Anthony Melton (DNP'd in last 3 games) remains questionable for tonight due to wishbone soreness.

 

~lw3

Is the foul merchant b/k/a Dillon Brooks gonna play?

[JeffS17]

This team always plays their best ball against us, hope JC and Capela step up and take over this game.  Our guards are banged up and we need them full throttle tomorrow night at home.

 

[terrell]

@ATLHawks

·

17m

 

An

@emoryhealthcare

injury report for tonight’s game at Memphis:

Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring soreness): Available

Trae Young (left ankle sprain): Available

Edited November 27, 2021 by terrell

[hawkman]

Trying to get Clint in foul trouble early.

[Carmine]

Dillon "Hox Killer" Brooks getting going early. Good news ~ scoring on them relative ease. Bad news ~, not doing our job on the defensive boards & already giving too many second chance points.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Hawks defense is very active tonight.   Grizzlies normally put a ton of points on the board, but the Hawks are closing out in the paint well.

[hawkman]

Memphis may be screwed.

[Carmine]

Dang, hope Ja is alright.

 

* Wth Cam lol*

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I think Ja just banged knees with Collins.  It didn't look like he hyperextended anything.

He'll ice it down and be back after halftime, if he isn't in pain or there is no swelling.

 

Hawks need to not let up though, just because Morant is out the game.

[Dnice]

Atlanta messing up easy buckets

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Trae is LOCKED IN tonight.   He has that killer in his eyes.

[Dnice]

Get a shot off trae.

[RandomFan]

Cam on D tonight lookin like 

[hawkman]

Let it go Lou.

[RandomFan]

Refs...

[Carmine]

Just now, hawkman said:

Let it go Lou.

Dude is selling hard, looking like the worst player on the court.