It’s zero coincidence that after the Memphis Grizzlies put together one of the best starts in the NBA, they’ve cooled a bit in recent weeks. Playing without their leading rebounder and third-leading scorer this season, Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies went just 4-5 over a nine-game stretch.
However, Memphis will return to full strength Friday when Randolph (sore right knee) makes his return to the court against the New Orleans Pelicans, his first game since Dec. 19.
Randolph practiced with the Grizzlies on both Tuesday and Thursday and was close to playing in Wednesday’s game at Atlanta. He had a double-double consisting of 15 points and 11 rebounds when the Grizzlies defeated the Pelicans on Nov. 3 in Tennessee.
“It’d be better to go out there and not have a relapse,” Randolph said of the thinking behind his cautious approach to returning. “It’s a long season, so you’ve got to take it slow, take care of your body and make sure you’re healthy.”
Pelicans fifth-year head coach Monty Williams on Randolph: “He doesn’t jump that high off the ground, but he ends up getting tip-ins, and he’s really physical on duck-ins. He’s a guy you may have to double-team at times. He can knock down shots as well. He’s done it for a long time and is an All-Star. That in itself warrants a lot of attention on scouting reports and your preparation for Memphis.
Other notes from Friday pregame:
- Williams on the impact of motivation of a player who’s been benched: “I tell the players all the time that (Gregg Popovich) used to motivate me (that way). Back in the day, you didn’t get to play through your mistakes as much as you do today. I don’t think it’s a purposeful motivation, but you hope a guy does get motivated when they don’t play as much. Anybody who’s a competitor, when they don’t play, it should be motivation enough.”
- Asked why it’s been difficult to pin down a Pelicans rotation, Williams said, “I think we did have one until Eric (Gordon) came back, and that kind of shuffled the deck a little bit. But I think with him being back and some changes that we’re making, we’re going to be able to get to (a consistent rotation). I don’t think it’s going to be a prolonged adjustment. It’s just a reshuffling of the deck and guys getting used to playing with certain guys again.”