Memphis, Temetrius, and Grizzly Adams
The Grizzlies are rolling, and they've got the cast of characters to be much more than a one-hit wonder.
Memphis has quite the history: it was the capital of Ancient Egypt. The name Memphis means enduring and beautiful. American Memphis is a cool place. They've got decent BBQ (not as good as Kansas City, but still very good).
And, they've got a solid basketball team that has surged to 4th in the West. They don't get a lot of press, but they are a team to keep an eye on.
Are they in the conversation as title-contenders this year? No. But that shouldn't discourage you from checking them out. On December 1st, the Grizz were treading water, sitting at 11-10 with a hemorrhaging defense (ranked last in the league, per dunksandthrees.com). Of course, they were missing some key pieces early in the season, with two key starters — the unfortunately coiffed and disheveled Dillon Brooks and the universally acclaimed Ja Morant — both missing time. But the have a host of additional young guys (and some fun characters) that make this a team worth watching. Let's take a quick look at a few of the main guys in Memphis.
Ja Morant — One of the most difficult pieces to land for small market teams is top-tier talent. Well, Memphis can check that off their list. Ja Morant is the second coming of Allen Iverson (who was once called the second coming of Isiah Thomas). For someone as electrifying as Morant — who smart people have described as Iverson with a three point shot — I think he needs a lights out nickname. People are buzzing about Ja making his first all-star team, while teammates are asking if he's actually the best PG in the game. Did you know "Ja" is actually his nickname? Morant's given name is Temetrius Jamel Morant. Which, OK, I get going with Ja there, but Temetrius bears more than a passing similarity to Demetrius — a name that means "devoted to the goddess of the Harvest." And if anyone is bringing home the bread in Memphis, it's this guy.
Dillon Brooks — We've touched briefly on his looks, but Chillin' Dillon Brooks is in the Trae Young category for worst hair in the NBA. He's rocked a Ja/Justise Winslow inspired style some this year, but it still isn't working. Brooks has the kind of irritating game that you hate when he plays your team, but you love if he's one of your guys. He's physical and relentless on defense. He fights through every screen like his kidnapped child is on the other side. On offense, his shot isn't lights out, but he's not afraid to shoot it and that alone helps keep a defense honest. He's fierce. He's Canadian. What more do you want?
Jaren Jackson Jr. — Lots of alliteration here. Has a wrestler's name. He hasn't shot it well since his meniscus injury, and it would open up the world if he was able to reliably hit from distance. A lot hinges on Jackson. Moderate improvement from him would be huge for the Grizz. But even if JJJ doesn't develop or evolve much farther, he's a solid rotation guy.
Desmond Bane — He has the wicked game to match his villainous name. Don't worry about the shooting, this guy has you covered, knocking down over 41% of his threes this season. He's made solid, incremental improvements in nearly every area and will be a key piece of the Grizzlies success as he continues to develop.
Steven Adams — He's one of my favorite players. The transformation of his appearance from a straight-laced young web developer to a menacing lumberjack is a joy. He's probably the strongest guy in the NBA. He has a gold tooth (with a cool backstory). He's kind enough to let Westbrook harvest rebounds from his field and even-tempered enough not to retaliate when Draymond Green kicks him in the yams. He's from New Zealand, one of the countries I want to visit before I die and home to my favorite accent on earth. He appears comfortably himself and gives refreshingly natural and humorous answers in interviews. He's innocent enough not the know the racial connotation of calling Klay Thompson and Steph Curry "quick little monkeys." (He apologized when he was told of the associated troubles with said language.) And best of all, now that he plays in Memphis, he officially Grizzly Adams.
Tyus Jones is a great backup. If you throw in the syncopated slow-jazz of Kyle Anderson, the effective two-way play of De'Anthony Melton, and the occasional aerial assault of Brandon Clarke, you've got yourself a solid team.
More than anything, the Grizzlies stand as another reminder that small market teams with patience, intelligence, and some lottery luck can indeed compete in the modern NBA. And with a few more breaks and/or smart moves, who knows? Maybe they really can build something enduring and beautiful.
About last night…
This clip made the rounds yesterday. Let's watch, and then decide how we feel:
A couple things to unpack. First, is this the first time we've ever heard Savannah James talk? I know she exists, but she has not come into basketball consciousness ever since Mark Jackson, on live TV, told Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Breen, and America that "I'd hit her out the park. No question, with all due respect." Second, is it safe to say LeBron has been angling his contracts and team structure for the very moment Bronny makes it to the NBA? We've got at least three more years until Junior can make it to the league, putting LeBron at age 40.
Last, we know Bronny is good — but is he NBA good? He's listed at 6-3, 190, without any blue blood offers yet (though he's been linked to Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina). Evan Daniels of 247Sports wrote: "It’s still early in the process, and ultimately his upside will be determined by his physical and skill growth.” Thanks, Captain Obvious.
Cavs-Grizzlies was nonstop fun. Two over-achieving teams at near full-strength. The point guard battle between Morant and Garland will get a lot of the attention, but I'm incredibly fascinated by Evan Mobley's ability to break the game. These two blocks should not be possible:
What's a guy to do? Mobley must have a personal beef with Bane. Coming from the heavens to pin his shot more than halfway up the glass. He caught Bane's three point attempt at the apex. The partnership of him and Jarrett Allen makes for some of the most unusually awesome basketball in recent memory. The Cavs and Grizzlies have both become must-watch League Pass teams — and last night's matchup was the cream of the crop.
Alvin Gentry gave us the first great sports meme of 2022:
The phrase "OH HELL NAH" is reserved for the moments in which you've become your most bamboozled. And boy, was there some bamboozling going on at the end of Lakers-Kings last night:
Score and clock errors are disheartening. For three years of college, I ran the clock during practice for our school's men's basketball team. When you mess up, you're going to hear about it. But this operator, god bless them, didn't just mess up the time — they warped time.
The refs didn't have to be this annoying. "The rules are the rules" people are dumb. Sure, Fox didn't touch it — but it's so obvious that he has possession of the ball. All five Lakers are headed the other direction. Why can't it be Kings ball with the amount of time left on the clock when the whistle blew?
Bonus content, courtesy of the heartless John Wall:
Scores, stats & notes
Grizzlies 110, Cavaliers 106 — Two clutch plays from Ja Morant at the end sealed it for Memphis. It's probably between him and Donovan Mitchell for the other guard spot in the All-Star voting.
Raptors 129, Spurs 104 — VanVleet is amazing: 33 points on 12-23 from the field and 7-14 from three. Scottie Barnes remains a joy.
Knicks 104, Pacers 94 — Both Julius Randle and RJ Barrett went 12-20 from the field on the way to 30 and 32 points. Myles Turner with five points and seven rebounds. He seemed a little checked out.
Suns 123, Pelicans 110 — 33 from Booker, a rare 23 from Mikal Bridges, 15 assists from CP3, and brand new toy Bismack Biyombo checked in with a perfect 6-6 from the field on his way to 16 points.
Lakers 122, Kings 114 — LeBron at center is working. 31-5-5 from him. There's also this ridiculous stat, the perfect way to close this out:
