Game Preview: Los Angeles Lakers (1-5) @ Memphis Grizzlies (6-1)
By Harry Burden
After convincingly snatching their first win of the season on Sunday evening, the Lakers travel to Memphis in the hopes of providing back-to-back defeats to a Grizzlies team who are exceeding all expectations in the opening fortnight of NBA basketball.
The Line-ups
Lakers: Jeremy Lin, Kobe Bryant, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill.
Grizzlies: Mike Conley, Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
The Injuries
Lakers:
1. Ryan Kelly – sore right hamstring – OUT.
2. Nick Young – torn ligament, right thumb – OUT.
3. Julius Randle – tibia fracture, right leg – OUT.
4. Steve Nash – sciatic pain – OUT.
Grizzlies:
1. Nick Calathes – suspended – OUT.
The Tale of the Tape
It’s official: the kings of modern bully ball are the best defensive team in the NBA, so far this year. Allowing just 87.6 oppg, their physical brand of basketball, spearheaded by the mammoth Marc Gasol, allows them to control the posts, lockdown an opponent’s mid-range jumper and, with effective perimeter defenders in the backcourt, minimize a team’s use of the three ball. Just last week, the Grizzlies held the Phoenix Suns to 91 points, an underwhelming sum for a team who are running the league’s 8th most effective offense….
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…and who are at number 9? That’s right, the Lakers. However, the Purple and Gold find themselves firmly at the bottom of the league in their defensive efforts, sitting at 30th in the category of opponent points allowed with 112.7 per game, on average. Much like last year, we can expect a fierce culture clash when these two teams meet this evening, and with the victory against the Hornets still in the front of their minds, this Lakers team should be well rested and sufficiently motivated enough to give this contest a ‘good go’.
The fore-mentioned Marc Gasol will, without a shadow of a doubt, be Memphis’ go-to guy in this contest. Despite logging severe minutes in his opening seven games (36.5 mpg), Gasol has lead the Grizzlies’ offense, scoring 19.1ppg and grabbing 7.4rpg, too; this duty has primarily been delegated to Zach Randolph in their opening 7 ties. Gasol’s strong upper body and great touch around the rim give him the inside presence that he uses so freely, but his impressive low-post game and fine mid-range shot make him a handful for any frontcourt to contain. These offensive strengths are complemented by a great defensive skill-set, too. He is able to consistently and effectively use his frame in order to close down shooting angles for opponents, and despite being a mobile liability bounding along the floor, his intensity on both ends of the court more than makes up for his below average athleticism. On his night, this former ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ can be a nightmare to contain, and after an amiable start to this new campaign, defensive attention will be needed if there is any hope of quietening the all-star Spaniard.
The presence of Carlos Boozer in the starting five is starting to become a cause for concern for Lakers fans, not least because he continues to reduce the minutes of Ed Davis, the former Grizzlies man who is currently enjoying a highly efficient start to his career as a Laker. His averaging of 10.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game is impressive enough, but him doing so in just 22.7 mpg alongside an in-form Jordan Hill really is a feat to marvel. Few would disagree that he has been the best defensive presence in the Lakers’ frontcourt to open the season, and his efficient scoring of 71.1 FG% proves that he has the skills to support his acclaim on both ends of the court. His great length, energetic style and resiliency on the boards provide a breath of fresh air from Boozer who has, at times, looked severely disinterested during the course of the game. The Grizzlies have little to complain about this season, but losing Davis – and for such a measly salary – must be one of them. Now that he is on a unit who are committed to increasing his minutes, it’ll be interesting to see how he responds against his former check-payers.
Let’s hope that Sunday evening’s tweet isn’t the greatest gift that Ed will give us this week.
With a large chunk of their schedule to date having been played on the road, this Memphis team are sure to be energized after returning to Tennessee as ‘the guys’ to beat in the NBA. As the Lakers enter as complete and utter underdogs, let’s hope for an enthusiastic performance, some defensive attention (hey, a guy can wish) and an offensive showcase that’ll send this physical five crawling down the defensive efficiency charts.