Lakers Will Try To Keep Memphis Off the FT Line

Tonight, the Lakers play the best team in the NBA, record wise at least. Memphis has lost 2 games this season. They lost by 2 points at Oklahoma City. And they lost by 4 points at Toronto.

Nov 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jordan Hill (27) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Wesley Johnson (11) defend a shot by Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Nuggets won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Despite their record, Memphis statistics are hardly overwhelming. They don’t score 100 points a game. Their assist average of 21 ranks sixteenth. They are the 15th best rebounding team. They shoot 45%, middle of the pack. They are last in blocked shots. They play a slow pace.

But they are 6th in three point shooting. They don’t turn the ball over. They make their free throws and more importantly they don’t foul.

The suffocating, energetic Memphis defense affects everything they do. The Grizzlies contest shots, rotate to shooters and out-physical the players they are guarding. Opposing teams score 92 points as they struggle with the Grizzlies post players, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. For their part, Mike Conley and Tony Allen shut down perimeter shooting.

The Grizzlies shoot 24 free throws a game. Nearly half of their free throws are taken by their big men, Gasol and Randolph. The size in the post reduces the productivity of opposing forwards/centers by getting them into foul trouble which further works to Memphis’ advantage.

The Lakers shoot 28 free throws a game, second most in the NBA. But their free throws are a result of Kobe Bryant’s penetration. He takes 9 free throws per game. Only James Harden takes more. Although Kobe’s free throws help the Lakers offense, they have little impact on the opposing team’s defense as teams use a variety of defenders to guard Kobe. He doesn’t foul anyone out.

Which brings us back to the Lakers #1 issue with the Grizzlies. Can Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis, Jordan Hill handle the physical bully-ball style of the Grizzlies without racking up fouls? The Lakers foul the most in the NBA. Teams take 29 free throws when they play them.

Another problem is Tony Allen. He is Kobe Bryant’s favorite player in the NBA. Gritty and tough, Allen is always up for the challenge. The last time they played, Kobe took 26 shots, twice as many as the entire Lakers bench. (The Lakers bench- Ronny Price, Ed Davis, Xavier Henry, Robert Sacre had a total of 14 points, outscored by 24 by the Memphis bench). Tony Allen took 10 shots.

The Lakers lost by 5 the last time they played. Expect a fight but a team unable to close.