Warrick adjusts to Grizzlies’ needs
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Right now, when you look at the Grizzlies’ bench during a game, it sometimes seems like there’s more players in suits than there are in uniform. The list of injures players is almost growing daily: Brian Cardinal, Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry, Mike Miller, Damon Stoudamire, not to mention the injury Pau Gasol spent the first part of the season recovering from.
But one player who has yet to join the ranks of the wounded is Hakim Warrick. And not only does he suit up every night, his role changes regularly to compensate for the absences of his injured teammates.
That role changed again recently after Gay went down with an ankle injury, as Warrick has slid over from his natural position of power forward over to the small forward slot. While it marks a change, Warrick just shrugs when asked about the adjustment he’s had to make.
“With a lot of people going down we have to play with what we’ve got so I’m trying to adjust and go out there and help the team any way I can,” he said.
The recent switch hasn’t affected his numbers of late, as he enters Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets having scored in double figures in seven straight contests, averaging 17.4 points 8.9 rebounds per game in that span.
Grizzlies fans have seen a vastly improved Warrick this season, particularly with his jumper, which has made the recent transition to the small forward spot easier.
“Definitely. I know it will open up a lot of things for me being able to go out there and knock that jump shot down, so it’s something I worked on (during the offseason) and continue to work on,” he said.
That jumper has given Warrick another facet to his game, which last year was based almost solely on his athleticism, as he tried to get most of his points last year driving to the hoop.
The jumper now forces his defender to respect him when he gets the ball away from the paint. As a result it opens up his game, and gives him greater options. His field goal percentage has jumped from 44.3% as a rookie last season to 52.4% this season, which ranks second on the team and 18th in the NBA. While additional minutes this season have allowed his scoring average to rise from 4.1 points per game last season to 12.7 this season, it’s not just because of playing time. His points per 48 minutes have gone up from last season’s 18.4 to 23.2 this season because of the adjustments he’s made to his game.
While his offense has been valuable this season, when he lines up at the three spot Saturday night against the Nuggets, it’s his defense that will be critical, as he’ll be going head-to-head with one of his best friends in the NBA, former college teammate Carmelo Anthony, something Warrick is looking forward to.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about,” he admitted. “I always look forward to playing against him, there’s always that extra boost of energy when he’s coming to town, so I can’t wait to get out there, I know he’s excited as well.”
Anthony has good reason to be excited. His Nuggets just clinched a playoff berth, not to mention the fact he’s torched the Grizzlies this season to the tune of 32.7 points per game on 50.0% shooting. Warrick knows he has his work cut out for him heading into the matchup.
“You’ve got to make him work, challenge him, and hope he’s not feeling it that night,” he said. “He’s one of those guys that’s going to get his shots up. You’re not going to stop him, you just want to make him work for everything he’s going to get.”
If Warrick can do that, it bodes well for the Grizzlies.
