Grizzlies vs. Pistons preview
Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images
December 11, 2007
The Grizzlies have been struggling of late, dropping four in a row, and things don’t get any easier Tuesday night when the Detroit Pistons come to town. Here are a few storylines to watch in tonight’s game.
Put that one behind you…
The Grizzlies have had their ups and downs defensively this season, but their offense has usually been able to keep them in most games. But that was not the case Saturday night in Atlanta when the Grizzlies’ offense looked more pedestrian than prolific in their 86-78 loss to the Hawks. The most glaring stat from that game is the team’s 1-15 showing from three-point range, but the rest of the numbers are about as ugly: ten first quarter points, 28 first half points, 41.0% overall shooting, and nearly as many turnovers (18) as assists (19).
Whether it was a solid defensive showing by Atlanta, the product of three games in four days, or just an off night, the Grizzlies need to shake that one off.
Memphis is still one of the better offensive teams in the league, as the Grizzlies rank ninth in scoring (103.2 ppg), eighth in shooting percentage (46.6%) and third in three-point shooting (39.0%). The Grizzlies have to make sure those numbers from Saturday are just an aberration, because they can’t afford another performance like that tonight against an elite team like Detroit.
Needing Navarro
The recently-completed three-game road trip is one Juan Carlos Navarro would likely rather forget. In Houston he went 4-14 from the field for 10 points, but that would ultimately be his best showing on the trip. Friday in New Orleans he was held scoreless as he didn’t attempt a single shot while playing just 13 minutes. Saturday in Atlanta he played just 12 minutes, and went 1-3 for two points. This comes after a six-game stretch in which he averaged 14.8 points on 43.2% three-point shooting.
Part of his recent struggles may be explained by his move back to the bench with Darko Milicic’s return from injury, but whatever the reason, the Grizzlies need Navarro to get back on track. The team was 3-3 during his six-game scoring binge, and defenses are always on their heels when Navarro gets rolling.
The usual dominance
Detroit comes into this meeting having won six of their last seven games, and it’s hard to figure out where this team might be vulnerable. The lockdown defense that has been the franchise’s calling card this decade is as good as ever, as they’ve held opponents to an average of just 87.7 points per game during this seven-game stretch.
Their offense, which has become much more dynamic in the Flip Saunders era, is as good as it’s ever been, as they’re scoring 105.1 points over their last seven games, giving them an incredible scoring differential of +17.4 during this span. Each of their six victories since the start of this streak has been by double figures, with three coming by 20+ points.
While Boston and Orlando have been getting most of the press in the Eastern Conference this season, the Pistons look like a team set on making their annual appearance in the conference finals.