Five Things to Watch: Grizzlies vs. Clippers - Jan. 20, 2007
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1: The Clippers have been one of the NBA’s biggest enigmas this season. After going 47-35 last season and advancing to the second round of the playoffs, they’re currently sitting below .500 at 18-21 and would not qualify for the postseason if the season ended today. Los Angeles employs an eight-man rotation, and the six highest-scoring members of that rotation are averaging fewer points this season than they did last year, including free agent acquisition Tim Thomas. In the last meeting between the two teams on Dec. 9, Thomas played 20 minutes off the bench and did not get involved in the offense, taking just two shots in that time and finishing with four points. Similarly, Corey Maggette played close to 25 minutes and took just four shots, while Cuttino Mobley started and played 30 minutes, and took just six shots. However, the Clippers came away with an 89-82 win, their second win of the season over the Grizzlies. The two teams first met in November, with L.A. coming away with a 105-90 victory. Saturday’s game marks the final meeting of the season between the Grizzlies and Clippers.
2: While the Grizzlies have given up 100 points or more in a franchise-record 16 games, they had their best defensive showing of the last few weeks against Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Kyle Korver carried Philadelphia with a season-high 30 points, but he was the lone Sixer to make an offensive impact. Samuel Dalembert scored their first eight points of the game, then scored just nine the rest of the way. Willie Green had 23, but got there on 10-23 shooting. Their leading scorer, Andre Iguodala, got off just four shots and finished with four points. Point guard Andre Miller took just six shots and had seven points, and his five assists was also three below his average. The Grizzlies outrebounded Philadelphia 38-31, and limited them to 6-17 shooting from three-point range. The Grizzlies will look for a similar defensive showing against the Clippers.
3: The Grizzlies have averaged 112.2 points per game since Tony Barone, Sr. took over as the team’s interim head coach last month, and only twice in that time have they failed to hit the century mark. That bodes well for them against the Clippers, as L.A. is just 2-15 this season when they give up 100 or more, tying them for the fifth-worst mark in the league when opponents reach the century mark. The Grizzlies averaged just 86.0 points per game in the first two meetings, but each those games came before the coaching change. Furthermore, the Grizzlies were without Pau Gasol in each of those contests, and since his return from injury he’s averaging 18.8 points per game, and has scored 20 or more in nine of the team’s last 11 games.
4: Wednesday night against Philadelphia, Rudy Gay played the best game of his young career, tying a career-high with 23 points, while adding five rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. His 23 points came on 7-11 shooting, and he showed an aggressiveness in the paint not yet seen this season. He went to the free throw line a career-high 12 times against the Sixers, marking only the third time he’s gone to the line over six times in a game. His 23 points was the fifth time he’s scored 20 or more points in a game, but he has yet to do it twice in a row. In fact, the previous four times he scored 20 or more, he scored in single digits in his next game. Such inconsistency is to be expected from a rookie, but the team hopes he can follow up the best game of his young career with another solid effort against the Clippers Saturday.
5: While Elton Brand is one of the Clippers whose scoring
average has dipped this season, he still feasts against the Grizzlies. In the
first two meetings this season he averaged 23.0 points on 55.6% shooting from
the field and 88.9% shooting from the free throw line, along with 7.0 rebounds
and 2.0 blocks. Those numbers are a continuation from last season, when he averaged
27.3 points on 58.0% shooting, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the four-game
season series. The Grizzlies need to find a way to keep Brand in check, and
that responsibility could fall to Alexander Johnson. Johnson wasn’t yet
in the rotation in the first two meetings against the Clippers. He played just
38 seconds in the November game, which is exactly 38 seconds more than he played
in the December contest. Johnson will likely be called on to match up against
Brand on Saturday, and his performance will play a big role in the game.
