Mike Check

Michael Wallace Grind Cit

MEMPHIS – If Marc Gasol could somehow earn his team a victory for every time he’s stood in front of the media to address the Grizzlies’ struggles the past month, they’d be sitting comfortably among the top four teams in the Western Conference standings.

Instead, Big Spain’s 7-foot-1, 260-pound frame is bearing the overwhelming weight of a team that retreated to Memphis on Friday on the heels of another pair of road setbacks, with the Grizzlies (9-23) having now dropped 19 of their past 21 games.

Through it all, Gasol has stood tall in taking responsibility for his role in the slide while also seeking accountability from his teammates, coaches and front-office amid expectations the franchise takes an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to steer the season back on track.

But even the most optimistic side of Gasol had to admit after Thursday’s demoralizing 97-95 loss in Phoenix that time is quickly running out if the Grizzlies have any intentions of salvaging the season.

“We’ve won nine games,” Gasol said flatly as the Grizzlies shifted their focus toward Saturday’s game against the Clippers at FedExForum. “Obviously, we’re in a really rough patch, but we’re not that far. If you look, you get on a roll and you win 10 of 12, you starting thinking that way, like we normally would. I don’t think the people understand or that our guys here understand. But it’s got to be now. There’s a lot of season left, and we’ve got to be better as far as effort goes.”

Clearly, Gasol hasn’t bailed on this season, even in the face of the flaws, frustrations and flames that have engulfed it since that promising 5-1 start through the first two weeks. Now, there’s essentially no margin for error. No more patience for repetitive mistakes and miscues on the court.

No more room for excuses – via legit injury issues or some inexplicable stretches of selfish play that team members acknowledge have derailed the Grizzlies late in close games. Memphis is now a month removed from a controversial coaching change in which David Fizdale was dismissed 19 games into the season. The Grizzlies have since gone 2-11 and are still struggling to find answers as they remain without catalyst Mike Conley, who has been sidelined since Nov. 13 with an Achilles’ heel injury.

Less publicized is the fact that Gasol has been pushing through his own ailments, including a sore foot and ankle that has required regular treatment since midway through training camp. For him, for now, stepping aside for rest isn’t an option. Not when Gasol, who turns 33 next month, is as committed as he’s ever been to re-establishing the competitive foundation of a franchise hoping to regain its footing.

Gasol returns to the FedExForum court Saturday for the first time since he met with select members of the Memphis media for an hour earlier this week to candidly address his thoughts on Fizdale’s departure, the team’s constant struggles, trade speculation and his future with the franchise.

Here are the five most significant statements Gasol made on his past, present and future:

Gasol on his rocky relationship with Fizdale and why it ultimately faltered:

“We couldn’t make it work. That’s the truth. We couldn’t make it work. But that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t (have) made it work. I think we both wanted the best for the team and we were not figuring out how to be on the same page, obviously. It got to a point where things were getting out of control fast and they decided to go a different way.”

Gasol on when the issues with Fizdale started:

“As things started to go sideways, I believe after the Utah game (loss on Dec. 18) at home. That was really – that kind of was the beginning, I think. I think he blamed me and Mike for losing that game. And I thought that was not really fair when you lose, or when somebody has a tough game, you always got to help and figure out ways to help your players. And he just completely came into me and Mike. And I didn’t like that one bit. I told him and I told the coaching staff. But from that point on, things got a little rougher … After that, it was just factors that drove us apart, but I always figured that we could figure it out and work for the benefit for the team. Obviously, I don’t have to like everybody I work with. I don’t have to, but as long as we’re on the same page professionally, I don’t see why that shouldn’t work.”

2. Challenges to Regroup under Bickerstaff

Gasol on Grizzlies’ problems under J.B. Bickerstaff since the coaching change:

“Things don’t change overnight. I think it takes time and once you build up so many habits, you have to kind of like reset and reteach a lot of the things. But again, it doesn’t have that much to do with Xs and Os. I think what J.B. is trying to do today obviously have a relationship with things we were doing with Fiz and also cleaning up some things that J.B. wants to change. I really don’t think the success comes from a play here or a play there. It’s more about the things you need to do every day, how you practice, how you come to shootarounds, everything that prepares you for the game and how disciple and consistent you can be during the games, how you can apply those schemes for the game. And everybody needs to be trusted out there. It’s hard because of all the lineup changes and all the injuries and everything that create the instability. It’s hard to stay consistent through that.”

Gasol on his role, relationship and communication with Bickerstaff:

“He’s been great. He’s been with me since last year. He’s always been the guy they put on me to communicate with at all times. He was the guy that also, at the same time, he had a tough situation because he was in the middle of a lot of tension. So he always tried to do what’s best for the team and how to mediate with me and Fizdale. He was always so positive and has always been positive and always helped me understand that hey, just do your job and control what you can control and the rest will take care of itself. I think our communication has been really good. We both like to win. We’re both frustrated. But we’re both going in the same direction and that’s important. That’s a good feeling.”

“I think it’s simple. I’ve said it before. I’m not going to ask to be traded. A far as right now, as far as I see myself, obviously, I don’t know if everything changes with the franchise and they say, ‘We don’t want you to play this amount of games and we want you to rest, and we’re going to sit out Mike.’ But as far as their goals right now and what the team wants to accomplish, as much as I know, they’re trying to win, and that hasn’t changed. So my commitment to that will not change.”

Gasol on his mindset if the losing persists and this becomes a rebuilding season:

“In my mind, my job is not allowing that to happen. My job is not allowing anyone to throw away the season. Because at (age) 32, 33 next month, I don’t have seasons to throw away. I don’t have those. I don’t have that luxury. I’m not 23 or 24, where I can just say, well next year it’s going to get better. I have a sense of urgency and a desire to win that obviously as your career gets past 10 years and with a foot injury I had a couple of years ago, you know that at any time, this might be it. So I hope that during the next five, six weeks before the (All-Star) break, the situation has changed completely around and we are a much more consistent team going forward. Because that means we’re not talking (about my feelings on being involved in a rebuild) and you don’t have to ask that question down the line.”

Gasol on adjusting to moving on from the Gasol-Conley-Tony Allen-Zach Randolph core:

“It was hard for me to lose those two guys. I understand moving forward and getting younger and all of that. But I could always count on Zach and Tony to do their job and do their part. And both guys were always brutally honest, and I’ve always appreciated that. Me and Tony battled a lot of times over a lot of stuff, like coverages on the floor. He would get mad like, ‘Pass me the ball. Don’t pass me the ball.’ But our connection was bigger than sports, and we’ve shown that over the years. We could always count on each other. Not having that and having to rebuild that again, that trust is not overnight. It doesn’t have to do with talent. It’s about doing the right thing, doing your job over and over again, and that builds trust with your teammates. I can see your body language and know what you mean. We’re on the same page. We might not always agree, but we are always on the same page as far as what our goals are.”

Gasol on whether the Grizzlies broke up the Core Four too soon:

“Once they said they were going to move on from Tony and Zach, it was a hard thing for everybody. At the same time, you look at it as a challenge. And the situation we’re in right now, I never understood the ‘Why’ exactly, but they said they were going to move on. And you so say, ‘OK, what is the personal challenge?’ They’re not here, so what do we need to do, how does my job change? And obviously, I’m not getting it done right now the way I would like to. But yeah, missing those two guys is huge.”

Gasol on his place in the Grizzlies evolving future:

“I don’t know. When I dissect things down and I chop them down and put them under a microscope, I don’t see the whole picture sometimes. And that has been one of my problems during this rough stretch. I got so caught up with how to execute and how to do my job that I wasn’t able to (take a broader view). That might be a question for me for the summer, when everything is different and you’re not under the pressure of the season so much when you’re trying to figure out how to play better, how to defend better, how to create more trust within the team, how to give trust to guys and they’re more reliable on the floor on both ends. That might be a question for the summer. Maybe I’ll have to look into the mirror and say, ‘Well, what do you want?’ But as far as now, I’ll always look at what can I do? What can I bring to the table? What can I do to win? Instead of ‘What do I want for myself?’ I never ask that.

Gasol on whether he intends to retire with the Grizzlies:

“I don’t want to retire. That’s part of the plan, I don’t want to retire. I feel really blessed to play basketball. After the foot injury, a lot of things changed in my mind. I am human. I didn’t see myself as Superman, but I didn’t before thing about retiring. But after the foot injury, I’m like this is a possibility. I’m like, oh, that gives me the chills and I realize that day might come. And I want to look back and realize I gave it all I’ve got. Whatever that is, it might be good enough for some people and it might not be good enough for some people. I might be the player that some people wanted me to be, and for some people, I might not. But I gave it everything I had and I have no regrets about that. Whenever that day comes, when I look in the mirror, that’s what I can peacefully say.”

mikecheck-on-grizzlies-gasol-contemplates-past-present-and-future-as-memphis-franchise-center-aims-to-get-grizzlies-back-on-track

MikeCheck on Grizzlies: Gasol contemplates past, present and future as Memphis’ franchise center aims to get Grizzlies back on track

MEMPHIS – Two takeaways from last night’s 89-74 victory at FedExForum over the San Antonio Spurs and a look-ahead to Wednesday’s home game against the Phoenix Suns.

Before anyone dismisses the Grizzlies’ win over their biggest potential postseason obstacle in the conference because the Spurs were without MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard and Big Spain’s big brother, consider that this was the very kind of circumstance Memphis regularly squandered earlier this season.

That very fact underscores the progress the Grizzlies (32-22) appear to be making in recent weeks as they moved 10 games above the .500 mark for the first time this season. It’s a distinction they haven’t achieved since the Grizzlies held a 41-31 mark last March just as a rash of devastating injuries, including season-ending setbacks to Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Mario Chalmers, began to derail the season.

No, Monday’s win over San Antonio’s cast of role players doesn’t send any sort of signal to either team as to what a possible Western Conference playoff matchup might look like. But it certainly was a good look on some level for the Grizzlies, who took care of business against a team that rolled out an inferior lineup against them at FedExForum. Memphis beat a team it was supposed to beat on its home court. That wasn’t the case against the Blazers, Heat, Hornets, Kings and Bulls at one stage of the season.

Marc Gasol says the Grizzlies are showing signs of being a consistent threat among the West's top teams.

Memphis has now won six of its last eight games and improved to 8-2 this season over the current top four teams in the conference standings, and has beaten every team in the West at least once.

“It’s nice to catch the Spurs without Kawhi and Pau, so I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves,” said Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, whose team faces the Spurs three more times over the final 28 games of the regular season. “But you’ve got to play the games that are in front of you. I was really happy with the way we played the game and our approach to it. I’m really happy with what we’re starting to do. We haven’t seen what our best basketball can be. Not even close.”

However, Monday was the clearest indication yet the Grizzlies are finally getting close to a preferred playing rotation for the first time this season. And Brandan Wright most definitely will have a place in it.

The Grizzlies might not make a significant move by the trade deadline later this month, but Wright’s recent emergence has provided a much-needed, midseason jolt to the lineup all the same. Now in his second week back from November ankle surgery, Wright’s impact has been both obvious and immediate on a team that was desperate for frontline athleticism and rim protection on the second unit.

In fact, Wright’s instructions to playmakers Mike Conley and Toney Douglas have been simple.

“Just throw it up – I’m going to make you look good,” Wright said after he made all four of his shots, including three dunks, and added three blocks in 14 minutes against the Spurs. “It’s going to either be a foul or a bucket. Having a guy you can throw it above the rim to is always good.”

Injuries have limited the 6-10 Wright to being mostly a tease well into the second season of a three-year deal with the Grizzlies. After dealing with issues in both knees last season and the ankle injury this season, the nine-year veteran played in just his fifth home game Monday against the Spurs.

Wright had a plus-minus ratio of plus-11 in 14 minutes on the floor, which included stints at different stages alongside both Gasol and Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies haven’t thrown lobs all season, but they’ve been a staple in the past week since Wright has been in the lineup.

Now, it’s all about keeping the oft-injured Wright healthy and available as Fizdale finds minutes for him in a power rotation that also includes starting power forward JaMychal Green. At one point in Monday’s game, Wright caught a lob dunk and forced the Spurs to call a timeout. As he landed, Wright sent a scare through the arena when he immediately reached down and grabbed his surgically-repaired ankle.

“It was nothing, man,” Wright would later say. “I got clipped by somebody, and my shoe just came off, so I had to put it back on. I’m feeling good. I got my legs back. It’s going to be a good season for me. I don’t worry about the injuries. Not one thing. Just play every play like it might be your last.”

Conley the facilitator has been a bit more lethal than Conley the finisher this season. That bodes well for both Conley and the Grizzlies amid a stretch in which they face several up-tempo teams.

Memphis’ catalyst has finished with eight or more assists in consecutive games, and four of his past seven, entering Wednesday’s matchup with the fast-paced Suns. The Grizzlies are 13-6 when Conley has dished at least seven assists this season, but are 5-5 in the last 10 games he’s led them in scoring.

The trend is not lost on Conley, who believes he’s getting into a better rhythm as a playmaker the past two weeks as the Grizzlies’ primary rotation has gotten closer to full strength. With Golden State on deck Friday after the Suns, Conley looks forward to picking his spots as a scorer and set-up man.

“I’m just finally getting a real grasp of where guys are going to be, and we’ve gotten a better grasp of our rotation,” Conley said. “The more pieces we add the easier it is for me to understand where guys are going to be on the floor. When games get tight in the fourth quarter, I know I’m going to start attacking (as a scorer). But at the rate we’ve been playing and with the way the ball has been moving, there’s no need for me to get outside of that zone. So that’s what I’ve been trying to balance.”

Conley said it’s all about mixing things up. He mastered that concept in last week’s 115-96 win in Phoenix, where Conley scored a career-high 38 points and also finished with nine assists.

“It allows you to have different spells in games, where you might have five minutes when the defense is keying on you and you’re making plays for others,” Conley said. “Then there might be another five minutes where you’re wide open or pushing the tempo and are ready to go. Either way, I’m just trying to be assertive and keep finding whatever works best for me to help our team.”

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

tuesday-mikecheck

Tuesday MikeCheck

DENVER – Warning: The following sentence contains five words most NBA insiders, analysts and fans never imagined they’d hear, considering how the top five picks from the 2003 NBA draft panned out.

At last check, the former No. 2 overall pick, better known for being one of the biggest lottery busts in NBA history, is working on a farm in his native Serbia. As homecomings go, Darko Milicic is free from all of the stress, mess and relentless NBA drama currently dogging the vaunted crop of superstars that immediately surrounded him in that class 14 years ago.

Darko, who had a brief stint with the Grizzlies during his five-team, underwhelming 10-year NBA career, is preparing for a fresh fruit harvest just as LeBron James reaps the backlash of his latest clash with Cleveland’s management and his latest crash with Hall of Famer-turned-pundit Charles Barkley. It all comes as the Cavaliers emerge from their worst month since King James returned in 2014.

All things considered, LeBron’s issues may be the most benign of all the turmoil swarming around the crew at the moment. Six years after forcing his way out of Denver to play for his hometown Knicks, Carmelo Anthony has already worn out his welcome in a franchise run (amuck, perhaps) by Phil Jackson to the point where the Big Apple might be better off it both departed.

February is also expected to officially bring closure to Chris Bosh’s bittersweet run in Miami, where the highs featured two championship seasons alongside LeBron and Dwyane Wade. But then came the lows that saw the versatile power forward’s career halted the past two years by recurring battles with blood clots and a nasty dispute with team president Pat Riley and Heat management. Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the last game Bosh played, and the Heat will be cleared to release him under a league medical provision that removes Bosh’s final two years and $50 million from their salary cap.

And speaking of Wade, who had his own bitter breakup with the Heat last summer after 13 years in Miami, the welcome from his hometown Chicago Bulls hasn’t exactly been warm in the Windy City. Even though many across the league rightfully questioned the basketball fit in Chicago, Wade’s addition was supposed to help stabilize a volatile locker room and buy the front office a couple of years of patience to retool the roster. But the Bulls seem to have a bigger mess on their hands than before Wade arrived. There are recent reports of private bickering with disgruntled point guard Rajon Rondo and a locker room divided between younger players who apparently have grown sick of entitlements afforded Wade.

LeBron was picked first by Cleveland in that 2003 draft, followed by Detroit’s disastrous decision to select Darko second. Carmelo was picked third, Bosh fourth and Wade fifth.

In recent weeks, the four that thrived in the league have all been controversially picked apart one way or another. Yet, at the same time, this month also marks the first time in a decade they weren’t all picked collectively to participate in All-Star Weekend.

As the old adage goes, home is where the heart is. But at least one thing this rough patch has proved for LeBron, Carmelo and D-Wade is that heartache resides there, too.

Meanwhile, Darko is back home somewhere literally cherry-picking.

unrest-at-home-for-cream-of-03-draft-crop

Unrest at home for cream of ’03 draft crop

DENVER – These were supposed to be the dog days of the NBA season.

Yet reluctant gunner Marc Gasol is dropping 40 in a game, mild-mannered Mike Conley is defying his coach’s plans for rest and responding with career-high effort and elevation-resistant Zach Randolph is dunking on people. Oh yeah, and did we mention that Z-Bo is dunking on people?

What’s gotten into these Grizzlies recently?

“I don’t know – maybe everybody’s getting younger all of a sudden,” Conley suggests. “It’s like we’ve been battling through things all season, and now we’re showing signs it’s starting to all come together. Each guy is doing a little more to be what we know we can be. And we’ve all been finding one another.”

And all of a sudden, Memphis appears to be finding two essential components that have been evasive all season: Continuity and consistency. And it’s only taken, well, 50 games. That said, the Grizzlies (29-21) have flirted with this kind of prosperity before and it’s always been short-lived. And that’s why making any declarations that this team has finally figured out the formula for sustainability would be akin to expecting two consecutive days of weather in Memphis to be exactly the same.

Most NBA teams typically reveal who they are and what they’re capable of through the first 20 or 30 games of the season. But the Grizzlies enter regular-season game 51 against the Nuggets (21-26) still mostly an enigma. But there’s now enough evidence over the past four games to believe that Memphis might finally be on to something.

The Grizzlies have regrouped from arguably – both literally and figuratively - their most frustrating stretch of the season by winning three of the past four games, including two in a row entering Wednesday’s game in Denver. They wrap up their season-long, six-game trip Friday in Oklahoma City and Saturday in Minnesota before returning home to face the Spurs and Warriors next week.

This is an opportune time for Memphis, which sits two games back of fourth place in the West standings – a coveted spot that would secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. And to a man, every key veteran has played recently as if intent on seizing this opportunity.

The current upturn began with a home win against Toronto last Wednesday, when a determined Gasol scored his team’s first 16 points on the way to a career-high 42-point effort. It continued when the Grizzlies quickly shook off a demoralizing finish in a controversial 112-109 loss in Portland on Friday with their most complete game of the season a night later in Saturday’s 102-95 win in Utah.

And that performance propelled Memphis to a wire-to-wire victory over Phoenix on Monday, when Conley scored a career-high 38 points to go with nine assists. But Randolph delivered the true milestone when for the first time in his 15-year career he had two dunks and two threes in the same game. It all equates to the most encouraging signs this season of Gasol, Conley and Randolph being in sync offensively. They’ve combined for 74, 69, 56 and 73 points over the past four games.

Grizzlies coach David Fizdale is finally starting to see consistency as Memphis looks to improve to 3-1 on the six-game trip with Wednesday's game in Denver.

“Obviously, I’m going to still find some flaws in the film, but I think a lot of it has to do with us getting in better shape and just a stronger commitment to consistent effort,” Coach David Fizdale said of the recent performances. “We have a chance right now to really put this thing together and really get on a run these next few weeks before the All-Star break. I think our key guys are sensing that, too.”

For the first time this season, the Grizzlies entered a game day with no players listed on the team’s official injury report. Considering how a slew of major injuries derailed the Grizzlies last season, it’s safe to say this is the healthiest the team has been since the fall of 2015. Memphis essentially crossed the threshold when Brandan Wright scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in five minutes during his season debut Monday in Phoenix after recovering from November ankle surgery. For the Nuggets, F/C Nikola Jokic (hip) is questionable after missing the past two games.

24. The Grizzlies’ historic and prolific stretch from three-point range now enters February with the team having already made at least 10 threes in 24 games. That breaks the previous franchise-best mark of 23 games of 10 or more treys set during the 2007-08 season. Conley (92), Troy Daniels (75), Gasol (72), Vince Carter (61), JaMychal Green (37) and James Ennis (33) have each made at least 30 threes through the first 50 games of the season.

Chandler Parsons.
Patience has been required throughout the Parsons process in Memphis, but there are some clear signs of incremental progress. Although the versatile small forward is playing under a soft cap of around 20 minutes a game as he rebuilds the workload on his knees, the Grizzlies have grown more flexible with how and when those minutes are distributed. Parsons saw action in the fourth quarter for the first time in six weeks during Monday’s win in Phoenix. Since returning from a left knee bruise that sidelined him for a month, Parsons had initially played all of his allotted minutes in the first half, then progressed to playing a quick stint to open the third quarter. Should the process continue as projected, barring any setbacks, look for another incremental increase in Parsons’ minutes as the calendar flips to February.

grind-city-gameday-grizzlies-at-nuggets

Grind City GameDay: Grizzlies at Nuggets

PORTLAND – Stretching Marc Gasol outside the boundaries of his comfort zone has been a season-long, team-wide operation for the Grizzlies.

The 32-year-old center has extended his shooting range beyond the three-point line for the first time and is producing the most prolific numbers of his career in that department. Having been appointed the Grizzlies’ sole captain by first-year coach David Fizdale, Gasol has been essentially forced to find his voice as a leader among a stubborn and prideful cast of veteran teammates.

But the one thing that’s taken Gasol the longest to adapt to this season has been the Grizzlies’ collective push to keep the NBA’s most versatile center aggressively establishing his offense.

Fizdale has even tried reverse psychology in recent days and criticized Gasol for being selfishly unselfish. Point guard Mike Conley, the only player on the roster who has been in Memphis longer than Gasol, insists he’s constantly in Big Spain’s ear pleading for him to keep shooting and stop fretting.

“If that’s what we need, then that’s what I’m going to try to do every game,” Gasol concedes. “Obviously, it’s going to require a different mindset. But I think the last few games, I’ve been trying to do that a little bit more. And I’m going to keep doing it.”

The Grizzlies (27-20) will need Gasol to maintain that selfishness as they embark on a season-long, six-game road trip that starts Friday in Portland and continues Saturday at Utah. Gasol, who earned his third All-Star selection on Thursday, is in the midst of the biggest scoring binge of his nine-year career. Having scored a career-high 42 points in Wednesday’s victory over Toronto, Gasol has amassed 154 points the past five games to set a franchise total scoring record for a five-game span.

Marc Gasol reacts to being selected as an NBA All-Star for the 3rd time in his career.

During that stretch, Gasol has averaged 30.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 41.4 percent on threes in 37.4 minutes. It hasn’t yet proved to be a formula for overall team success, with Memphis just 2-3 in those five games. But what’s clear is that Gasol has gotten back to the MVP-level form he showed earlier this season when injuries and other issues thrust him into a go-to role while playing alongside rookies and first-year rotation guys.

It was back in late November and early December when Gasol went on a similar tear as the Grizzlies went 7-2 while key veterans in Conley, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter, James Ennis and Chandler Parsons were sidelined. Gasol has been more erratic and the Grizzlies have been largely inconsistent since the team has gotten closer to full strength.

But teammates have seen a different approach from Gasol in the last two weeks. He’s taken 25, 20, 19, 16 and 21 shots from the field the past five games. The out-of-body experience came Wednesday, when Gasol scored the Grizzlies’ first 16 points on the way to a 101-99 win against the Raptors.

It’s taken a team-wide effort to ensure Gasol stays unselfishly selfish.

“It’s a big part of our job to keep him motivated to score,” Conley said. “He’s the best all-around big in the league, and he can do everything. So we want him to go out there and look for his shot first, then make plays second. If you keep giving him positive reinforcement, just constantly making him aware that I don’t care if I only shoot four times or finish with seven or 10 points. I’m constantly telling him, ‘If you’re hot, just keep shooting and shooting and shooting. We’re playing through you. And that’s fine.’”

Conley believes Gasol still isn’t completely comfortable with his recent uptick in offense.

“But you have to make him understand this is what we need from him,” Conley said. “Don’t worry about us. Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about Zach. Don’t worry about anyone needing touches just so they can feel like they’re involved on offense at any point. I think he’s seeing that.”

It’s also a message Gasol is frequently hearing from the coaching staff.

“We’re trying to build a habit,” Fizdale said. “So it’s constantly just reinforcing what I want, reminding him to stay aggressive, because when that’s not a guy’s nature, they tend to drift back to the unselfishness. So we just show him the film and encourage him to keep playing with reckless abandon. He knows good shots from bad shots. I don’t worry about him just jacking stuff up. I just want him to think ‘score’ and that will open everything else up for us.”

Fizdale said he’s also calling plays more often for Gasol to get early looks from the outset of the games. If Gasol takes pride in any part of this resurgence, it’s with how his body has responded through the midpoint of the schedule coming off season-ending foot surgery last February.

“It’s good that my legs feel good and my rhythm feels good,” Gasol said. “I’m in a very good place. I’m able to take a lot more of a load on my legs than I have in the past. That gives me confidence to know my body will take anything that I try to do. It’s getting better and better as we go through the season.”

Chandler Parsons (knee) and JaMychal Green (knee) both missed Wednesday’s game against Toronto but are listed as probable to play in Portland. Both went through shootaround Friday morning and Fizdale said he expects his starting forwards to be back in the lineup. Troy Daniels (knee) missed the past two games but also went through parts of Friday’s shootaround and remains questionable. Brandan Wright (ankle) is out but is progressing through conditioning workouts and remains hopeful to make his season debut during the six-game trip.

2007. The Grizzlies start their longest trip of the season Friday and will remain on the road over the course of 10 days, which also includes stops in Utah, Phoenix, Denver, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. That’s four time-zone changes along the way. It’s Memphis’ longest trip since March 2007.

Tony Allen.
Although it’s been relatively quiet and peaceful on the social media front for Allen in recent days, the Grizzlies’ perimeter defensive stalwart certainly won’t go unnoticed on the court against the Blazers. Portland boasts one of the highest-scoring backcourt tandems in the league in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who nearly average a combined 50 points and 10 assists. Add to the equation that both were snubbed when coaches selected All-Star reserves, and that provides even more motivation to come out with a vengeance. Allen got himself back on track in the win on Wednesday, when he finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds after he went scoreless the previous game against Houston. The Grizzlies will need Allen’s disruptive energy to spearhead the collective effort it will take to contain the Blazers’ duo.

grind-city-gameday-grizzlies-at-trail-blazers

Grind City GameDay: Grizzlies at Trail Blazers

MEMPHIS - Team captain Marc Gasol has a message for those who believe the Grizzlies are frustrated and embroiled in bickering as players and coaches nitpick amid Memphis’ worst stretch of the season.

Basically, Gasol confirms it’s all true.

Yet, perspective is also essential at this stage.

“If I’ve got to address the media every time I cuss Mike Conley out or he cuss me out, we’ll be here only talking about that every day,” Gasol said. “Things are going to happen when there’s great intensity, a lot of passion and a lot of emotion. We want to do great for our fans, and when we don’t accomplish that, we get frustrated. We have to do a better job of all doing (well) at the same time.”

In many cases, problems among teams arise or worsen when the conversations - even some yelling at times - cease. But the Grizzlies (26-20) are still talking through even the tantrums. So to suggest they are a completely disgruntled bunch would be a bit of an overstatement. But to say they’ve been testy and disjointed for a prolonged period is well within reason amid a malaise that has seen Memphis lose 12 of the past 21 games. Digging themselves out of this rut doesn’t get any easier with a season-long, 10-day trip following Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Raptors at FedExForum.

On one hand, the Grizzlies have passed the midway point of the season still searching for some of the same answers they sought at the end of training camp. Memphis remains unsettled at the backup point guard spot behind Conley, seemingly having exhausted options that have included rookies Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin IV in addition to playing veteran Tony Allen out of position for stretches.

But the more pressing concerns require stabilizing a primary playing rotation that remains in flux despite relative health and fixing a defense that has cratered in recent weeks. After boasting the NBA’s top-rated defense in the month of the December, the Grizzlies have dipped to 18th in defensive efficiency for January after routinely giving up 100 or more points and allowing role players to look like All-Stars. Memphis is fourth overall in defensive efficiency for the season.

Tension flared from repeated breakdowns during a 24-point home loss to Houston on Saturday, when Gasol emerged from a timeout huddle demanding that Conley do more. Earlier in the game, coach David Fizdale lambasted several veterans during another break in action that did little to slow the Rockets on their way to a 119-95 victory. Conley and Allen have had repeated exchanges during recent games in an attempt to address blown defensive assignments and coverage schemes.

After Saturday’s game, Allen used one of his social media account to post a video in which he confirmed some of the agitation with teammates. But in a post largely intended to address his critics on social media, Allen also suggested those heated moments on the court are no different than what has gone on with elite teams such as Michael Jordan’s Bulls during their championship runs in the 1990s. Allen also denied there were any lingering issues within the locker room but has not spoken with the media since going scoreless against Houston, a game in which he did not play in the fourth quarter.

Conley believes the Grizzlies have always responded well to adversity, and pointed to how they’ve used road trips two other times this season to galvanize the team and get through difficult moments. Among their road wins have included victories over playoff contenders in the Warriors, Rockets, Clippers and Jazz.

“You just have to find a way to push through these times,” Conley said. “Everything that comes our way, we look at it as an opportunity. We have a challenge right now, with rotation changes and guys coming back from injuries. We’ve got to be pros about doing our jobs. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We’ve hit a stretch where we have to find ourselves again and figure it out, talk it through, work for it.”

And that’s what the past three days have been about for the Grizzlies – working to recalibrate. Wednesday is an opportunity to get their house in order before finding their way again on the road.

“We’ve had some much-needed practice time, just to rebuild some connections and point out and clean up things we’ve been doing wrong consistently,” Fizdale said. “We needed to reevaluate where we are, how to assess it and move forward. Guys have had good days of work. Let’s get back to what we do.”

Grizzlies center Brandan Wright has progressed through two straight days of practice but is listed as out for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors. Wright, who underwent an ankle procedure in November, is considered day-to-day and hopes to make his long-awaited season debut at some point during the upcoming six-game road trip. “I’ve felt good the past few days and I just hope to keep building from there,” Wright said. “You just have to deal with it, but at the same time not rush. I’m excited with where I am right now. It’s like I’m going through training camp again with my body.” Troy Daniels (knee) has done conditioning the past two days but will miss his second straight game. The Raptors will be without DeMar DeRozan (ankle), the NBA’s sixth-leading scorer at 27.9 points a game.

8. The Grizzlies have given up 100 points in eight of the 10 games they’ve played in January after allowing opponents to hit triple figures just seven times through 17 December games. Overall, Memphis is 9-16 this season when surrendering 100 or more points.

Vince Carter.
The career retrospectives, highlights and milestones continue to stack up for the future Hall of Famer, who celebrates his 40th birthday on Thursday. But first, Carter gets to face the team that acquired him way back in the 1998 draft and nurtured him through the first six years of his career. It’s always an emotional night when Carter plays the Raptors. Now in his 19th season, Carter isn’t taking anything for granted. Even while injured and knowing he wouldn’t play in the first meeting between the Grizzlies and Raptors, Carter still made the trip to Toronto and was greeted warmly by fans during a Nov. 30 loss. Carter enters the game needing just four three-pointers to become only the fifth player in NBA history to knock down 2,000 career treys. The NBA’s oldest active player has scored in double figures in four of his past six games and has played at least 20 minutes off the bench in seven consecutive contests.

Grizzlies Game Day Live for more on tonight’s matchup   Watch Now

grind-city-gameday-grizzlies-vs-raptors

Grind City GameDay: Grizzlies vs. Raptors

With the Grizzlies having crossed the midway point of their season, dejected point guard Mike Conley stood in front of his locker the other night in Washington and demanded his team face reality.

First, the process requires them to face themselves.

“We’ve got to look into the mirror, man, and we’ve got to get out of our own way,” Conley says of what’s clearly become the first step toward reversing a disturbing trend. “We’re getting too many mental blocks from too many guys at the same time, whatever it may be. We have to continually think about the big picture and not yourself. You have to get out of that funk and find a way.”

One of coach David Fizdale’s biggest challenges in his first season on the job was to help Conley, the franchise catalyst, find his own voice as an outspoken leader this season. That’s one area where the Grizzlies (25-19) have been excelling recently. Yet that’s not necessarily a good thing when considering Conley and the team’s other veteran leaders have been repeating themselves quite often amid a puzzling stretch of performances in recent weeks.

The Grizzlies open a critical three-game homestand on Friday against the Sacramento Kings (16-25) at FedExForum while taking deep inventory of a season that’s essentially reached a crossroads. At its best, Memphis has proved to be a team worthy of that 9-4 record against every other team in the West that entered the weekend in playoff position, which includes a 4-0 mark against Golden State and Houston.

But on the other hand, the Grizzlies have been an absolute enigma. Their best stretch of the season came during a demanding December in which half of their primary rotation players missed huge chunks of time. Now that they’re healthy, the defense, chemistry and consistency have all suffered over a period in which the Grizzlies have lost 10 of 17 games dating to a Dec. 16 home loss to the Kings that coincided with Conley’s return from a back injury.

The mission is to correct a defense that has gone from leading the league in overall efficiency a month ago to a unit that has routinely started slowly, given up 30-point quarters and has surrendered 100 or more points in 10 of the past 13 games. The search for answers left former defensive player of the year Marc Gasol and perennial all-defensive team stalwart Tony Allen recently huddled around an iPad in the locker room to watch film of games they just finished playing in moments earlier.

Their defensive breakdowns haven’t even been consistent, and it’s been role players – not superstars – who have done the most damage. In Sunday’s loss to Chicago, the Grizzlies allowed Doug McDermott to shake free on the perimeter for 20 of his season-high 31 points in the second quarter. And in Wednesday’s loss to Washington, the defense was torched for 66 points in the first half and Otto Porter Jr. drilled a career-high six three-pointers on the way to 25 points.

After that game, Allen suggested the Grizzlies – from the coaching staff on down – didn’t spend enough time scouting Porter Jr. and needed to pay more attention to detail regarding opposing role players.

“We’ve got to have more of a sense of urgency each possession; basically cherish each possession,” said Allen, who has fouled out of two of the past three games. “When you talk about coming in and being elite … we’re not supposed to give up plays that you can control. It’s the 50-50 balls, the careless turnovers and basically just (not) understanding the detail of your opponent. When we learn to (focus) for 48 minutes, I think we can get on a roll. We’ve shown signs of it. It’s just got to be more consistent.”

That consistency must also play out with Fizdale’s rotation. Although Memphis has maintained its starting lineup of Conley, Allen, Chandler Parsons, JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol for nearly a month, the extended rotation has been in flux throughout that time as Fizdale and his staff look for combination that work well together. After last week’s win in Houston, Fizdale said that having almost his full roster available has created “a good problem to have” when sorting through effective options.

But the constant juggling hasn’t been a formula for steady performance.

Indeed, these are shaky times for the Grizzlies, who hope to regroup at home against the Kings, Rockets and Raptors before departing late next week on a season-long trip with six games over nine days.

“There’s always urgency to it, but I’m also going to be patient and see how things work out,” Fizdale said of addressing rotation concerns. “The results will take care of themselves, but I’m looking big picture in terms of what’s going to get us over the hump. Whatever that takes, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The Grizzlies continue to be the healthiest they’ve been all season, with only Brandan Wright (ankle) listed as out for Friday’s game against Sacramento. Wright has been with the team on the road and is progressing through his rehab from November’s ankle procedure. For the Kings, former Grizzlies’ standout Rudy Gay will miss the season after tearing his Achilles on Wednesday.

17. The difference between beating the Kings and losing to them so far this season has been determined by Memphis’ ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc. During the New Year’s Eve win in Sacramento, the Grizzlies set a franchise record by making 17 threes on 35 attempts, with a season-high seven different players drilling at least one from distance. But in the Dec. 16 loss to the Kings in Memphis, the Grizzlies shot just 5-for-25 from three-point range.

Troy Daniels.
The Grizzlies’ resident sharpshooter has missed 11 of his last 15 attempts from three-point range over the past four games, but that lack of rhythm can be attributed to sporadic playing time the past two weeks. As Memphis has prioritized getting Parsons more acclimated, particularly in the first half of games, Daniels has gradually become the odd man out of the primary rotation. After playing 22 minutes in last week’s thrilling comeback against Houston, Daniels saw just seven minutes of action during an 0-for-5 night in Sunday’s loss to the Bulls. Then, he didn’t play at all in Wednesday’s setback in Washington. Daniels’ improved defense gave him a shot to stay on the floor the past two months. But the larger problem now is that Fizdale is struggling to find a solution at backup point guard when Conley rests, and Daniels hasn’t shown he can run offense in a crunch. Regardless, he’s the team’s best shooter and a must-have on the floor. Exhibit A: His team-best, plus-minus ratio of plus-85 on the season.

Grizzlies Game Day Live for more on tonight's matchup   Watch Now

grind-city-gameday-grizzlies-vs-kings

Grind City GameDay: Grizzlies vs. Kings

OKLAHOMA CITY – Grizzlies’ coach David Fizdale says he maintains an open dialogue with Zach Randolph to discuss any challenges the veteran power forward has in coping with a full-time role off the bench for the first time since his initial NBA seasons.

“I try to be open with him, totally open with him,” Fizdale said of his communication with Randolph. “But I don’t feel like I need to hold his hand through this process.”

Fizdale’s comments came as the Grizzlies (24-16) prepared for Wednesday’s nationally televised game against Oklahoma City (23-16), and also with Randolph coming off his best two-game stretch of the season. Managing Randolph's transition to a reserve role has been a delicate process for the Grizzlies, especially amid the injury issues that have forced the team to use nearly a dozen different starting lineups.

Throughout those changes and adjustments, Fizdale has been steadfast about bringing Randolph off the bench to ensure the second unit has a viable scoring option for extended stretches. However, Fizdale has used Randolph alongside starters Marc Gasol and Mike Conley on the five-man units that have been on the floor at the finish of close games.

Although Randolph hasn’t necessarily embraced the transition, he has remained professional about the change and has been one of the biggest supporters of JaMychal Green, who took over as the starting power forward from the outset of Fizdale’s first season in Memphis. Both Fizdale and Randolph have maintained communication about the role throughout the season.

Randolph was disappointed with playing just 19 minutes in last week’s loss to the Clippers, a game in which Green sat out with an orbital fracture, but has seen his minutes increase the past two games. He had 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes during an overtime win at Golden State, and followed up with 13 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 27 minutes in Sunday’s home victory against Utah. It was the first time this season Randolph has posted consecutive double-doubles.

In an interview with ESPN.com after Sunday’s game, Randolph said opposing players have told him the Grizzlies were taking pressure off defenders by not playing him alongside Gasol as often as Memphis has in previous seasons. “It’s just coach wanting to play different and do a different style,” Randolph was quoted as saying to ESPN.com after the game.

That’s the closest Randolph has come to publicly criticizing or questioning his move to the bench. Fizdale said he understands the pride factor that comes into play when a career starter moves to the bench. While the Grizzlies have outscored opponents by a margin of 25 points in the 278 minutes Gasol and Randolph have been on the court this season, there are other numbers that strongly suggest Randolph is thriving and far more efficient in the role he’s adjusting to in his 16th season.

While Randolph’s 23.2 minutes a game this season are the third-fewest of his career, his 29.8 usage rate percentage is the second-highest mark of his career. In other words, the plays in which he touches the ball and has a direct impact on the offensive result in his time on the court is the best it’s been in Randolph’s eight seasons with Memphis. His assists and defensive rebounding rates this season have never been higher in his career, and his turnover rate has never been lower.

Fizdale points to that level of efficiency and effectiveness and suggests the move is not only working, but that Randolph should be considered a legit candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. On the other hand, Randolph believes the production should warrant a more consistent role on the court, especially in the deciding moments of close games. He’s scored in double figures in all but five games and is averaging 13.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in 33 games this season.

Both player and coach have been open to listening and applying the other’s suggestions along the way.

“That’s huge, but at the same time, I don’t think it needs to be overkill,” Fizdale said of his talks with Randolph. “He knows what his role is. He knows what I expect from him. He knows it’s not going to be perfect for him every game from a matchup standpoint, from a finishing standpoint.”

Fizdale also admits he’ll make some mistakes with handling Randolph at times, but that both are ultimately on the same page in terms of what’s best for the team overall.

“If he feels like there’s something that can help us, he doesn’t hesitate to come to me – and it’s not in a negative way,” Fizdale said. “He just says, ‘Coach, let me talk to you.’ And we talk. We’ve had two or three of those this year. It’s just two guys talking it out, because we’ve got the same agenda. We want to win. If he thinks there’s more he can be doing, or I think there’s more he can do, we communicate.”

Rookie center Deyonta Davis has been upgraded to questionable heading into Wednesday’s game after missing a month with a plantar fascia injury in his left foot. Davis has participated in practice for two weeks, gradually increasing his workload. He last played in a Dec. 13 loss in Cleveland and has averaged 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.9 minutes over 21 games this season. “It’s super encouraging to think of what he can add to our basketball team,” Fizdale said. “It’s a tease to see him sitting over there.” Brandan Wright (ankle) is out. For the Thunder, both guards Cameron Payne and Victor Oladipo have returned from injuries since the teams met two weeks ago in Memphis.

54. That’s the number of career triple-doubles for OKC guard Russell Westbrook entering Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies. It’s also the most among all active NBA players and fifth most in league history behind Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), Wilt Chamberlain (78) and Larry Bird (59). Since the start of last season, the Thunder are 32-3 in games when Westbrook posts a triple-double. However, he’s never had one in 27 career games against the Grizzlies.

Mike Conley.
The Grizzlies’ catalyst flat-out admitted that he tried to do too much too soon as a scorer when he initially returned last month from a near three-week absence from a back injury. A three-game losing streak coincided with Conley’s return, and the Grizzlies are just 6-7 since that Dec. 16 home loss to Sacramento. But Conley shifted his approach slightly, has focused more on facilitating from the outset and has gradually looked for scoring opportunities as games progressed in the past week. Over his last three games, Conley has averaged 21 points, 11 assists and 4.3 rebounds. He’s attempted 17.6 shots a game from the field during that stretch, but there’s been a clear motivation to get other teammates going first. With backup Andrew Harrison seeing reduced playing time in recent games, Conley’s minutes are also increasing at the point guard spot. His continued production will be key in these next two games against Westbrook’s Thunder and James Harden’s Rockets this week.

grind-city-gameday-grizzlies-thunder

Grind City GameDay: Grizzlies @ Thunder

none

<a href="https://fedexforum.com/arena-policy-updates" target="_blank">CLEAR BAGS ONLY: FEDEXFORUM NOW REQUIRES CLEAR BAGS FOR ALL GAMES &amp; EVENTS!</a>