Pete's Perspective

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MEMPHIS – What was already a packed summer for me got even more exciting with the invitation from the NBA to travel to Japan to present a seminar recently on NBA announcing to local commentators.

On top of a couple trips to visit family in Wisconsin, a trip to visit overseas family in Poland with a side expedition to Prague, a stop in Winston-Salem to accept the Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year award, a weekend in south Florida calling NWSL and USL soccer matches, a trip to Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts to see John Williams conduct his famous film scores, NBA broadcast meetings in New York and Fox NBA meetings in Los Angeles, I went to Tokyo.

Actually, I was first invited to present to sportscasters in Mumbai, India. But when that program failed to materialize, the destination changed to Tokyo. Rakuten, the Japanese corollary to amazon.com, has entered into a marketing partnership with the NBA. As a result, that’s bringing a large inventory of NBA games to Japan and necessitating a cadre of NBA-ready commentators.

Some Japanese commentators had worked NBA games in previous seasons, but more were needed to handle the increased game load. Japanese sports commentators are typically generalists in that they will call soccer, baseball, volleyball and other sports in addition to basketball.

Creating a presentation for this group posed several challenges. First, of the twelve commentators attending the two-day session, only two spoke English. Thankfully, the NBA has a great deal of experience in foreign relations and provided an expert translator who also happens to be very NBA-savvy (and is currently translating Ray Allen’s new book into Japanese).

Secondly, the commentators came to the seminar representing the whole spectrum of NBA expertise – from seasoned veteran to raw rookie. There were a few NBA vets, but the majority of attendees had basketball experience limited to local leagues.

The first challenge was addressed by carefully choosing words, avoiding idioms and figures of speech so that the translations would be easier and hopefully comprehended fully. On the latter issue, I worked to develop a syllabus that covered everything from the basics – key players on every team – to more advanced topics like the NBA’s continuation rule, instant replay triggers, where to find good statistical information and how to best prepare for a telecast.

One characteristic of the Japanese is that they are very reserved and are reticent to say much, let alone ask questions. Add that to the language hurdle and I had little feedback with which to work in real time. I noticed nods and furious note-taking, but didn’t get too many questions. So I asked them about their experience and their favorite players to get them talking instead of just listening.

Eventually the questions started to come, even though one of the producers attending chided his commentator for asking too many questions. I didn’t think two questions were too many; apparently his producer did.

What I can tell you is that there is a great hunger for the NBA in Japan, and it is growing with the signing of Yuta Watanabe to the Grizzlies as a two-way player. Most of the questions were about his prospects for getting NBA playing time. I know that they wanted to hear that he’ll be playing in Beale Street Blue on a regular basis, but I honestly couldn’t promise anything.

What we do know is Watanabe has been cleared for action and could make his preseason debut with the Grizzlies this weekend at FedExForum after being limited in training camp last week with a sore shoulder. The Grizzlies play the Hawks on Friday and the Pacers on Saturday.

I also was interviewed for the better part of two hours by the Japanese basketball magazine Dabu Dori (“double dribble”) by their editor-in-chief, Sohei Oshiba, nattily attired in an authentic Dillon Brooks jersey and Grizzlies hat. The interview was a wide-ranging affair, including queries about Memphis attractions, the funniest Grizz, if I brought my golf clubs to Tokyo and my favorite Japanese athlete (it’s Ichiro Suzuki, in case you’re wondering). They were recording the interview, so of course they asked me to say “Hammer, nail, coffin. This baby’s over!”

Oh, and they love pro wrestling in Japan, so that was a topic of conversation. I was proud to break the news to them that the Grizzlies will be hosting six such nights in the 2018-19 season.

There was more to the trip than a meeting room for three hours a day over two days. My wife, Johanna, joined me and we explored the Meiji shrine and took a combination of buses and trains to Nakone, a lushly scenic mountain region not too far removed from the jam-packed streets of Tokyo. The loneliest guy outside of the Maytag repairman is a Tokyo lawnmower salesman. Apartment and office buildings in central Tokyo are practically stacked on top of one another, with nary a blade of grass in sight.

The crush of people on the Tokyo subway system is remarkable. If you’ve ever been on Chicago’s Red Line just before or after a Cubs game, you’ve experienced a Tokyo-like subway crush. And it doesn’t matter what time of day – rush hour or off-hour – the trains are packed, so grab one of the handholds dangling from the ceiling and hold on for dear life.

On the subject of Japanese transit, the so-called “bullet trains” are no joke. Stand trackside at a station when one blows by and it makes NASCAR feel like a go-cart race in comparison.

All in all, it was a wonderful educational experience and the hope is that I was able to impart some useful knowledge to my Japanese counterparts. They seemed to enjoy the program and can’t wait to use their own version of “hammer, nail, coffin” when they put the headset on in a few weeks.

For me, the calls on the Grizzlies' 2018-19 season game broadcasts begin Friday night.

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Pete Pranica 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.

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Pete’s Perspective: Japan’s growing NBA appetite sparks fulfilling trip to train foreign broadcasters

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Las Vegas, NV - After playing lights out in their first two games in Utah, the Memphis Grizzlies have lost three of their last four games, including a 1-2 mark here in Las Vegas. Not coincidentally, the offensive slide has included the return to earth of Jaren Jackson, Jr. who burst onto the scene with one of the most impressive Summer League debuts in recent years.

Jackson was held out of Tuesday’s Sacramento loss. I’m not hearing that there’s any injury to report, only that the Grizzlies staff doesn’t want to overtax the 4th overall pick in the draft. Jackson, as is the case with the rest of the rookie class, isn’t used to playing this quantity of high-level games in such a short period of time. Welcome to the NBA fellas!

Here’s hoping that the Grizzlies can discover some offense before they take on Oklahoma City in the first tournament game Thursday at 3 pm PT/5 pm CT on NBA-TV. The offense dried up in a big way in the third quarter Tuesday against Sacramento. With the Kings up just three at the break, they rolled the Grizzlies in the third quarter by a 27-12 count before going on to win 94-80.

In that third frame, Sacramento shot 58% while the Grizzlies mustered a meager 29%. Ivan Rabb hit three of six tries while the rest of the team shot 3 for 15. Meanwhile, the Kings had eight different players score in the third quarter alone.

Grizzlies were also hurt at the line: the foul-prone Grizzlies sent the Kings to the line 23 times while attempting just eight freebies themselves.

I like what I’m seeing from Jevon Carter. He’s got a certain toughness about him which is something that you really want in your point guard. Obviously he’s got the defensive chops and will only get better with the tutoring of Nick Van Exel, Greg Buckner and Jerry Stackhouse. The pleasant surprise has been a good shooting stroke as well. The Grizzlies drafted Carter for his defensive acumen, so the scoring is a bonus.

Grind City Media mic’d up his mother on Tuesday for the Sacramento game. Afterwards, she wanted to make sure that any “bad stuff” would get edited out. Consider it done and keep an eye out for the next superlative edition of Beyond Grit, coming to a device near you.

Kobi Simmons has made good use of the off-season. On a Grizzlies team that has struggled to get buckets, he’s been able to create his own shot and is a willing and capable driver. As a one-and-done at Arizona, it might take a few years for Simmons to reach his peak, but I think it’ll be worth the wait.

I introduced myself to Chad Forcier, one of the new assistants on the Grizzlies staff. First order of business: “How do you pronounce your name? Is it “fore-sear” or “fore-see-a?” The affable Forcier told me to use whichever I want. Why? “Well, my parents go with ‘fore-sear’ and when I was with the Spurs, Pop always went with ‘fore-see-a.’”

That settles it. I’m a big fan of Gregg Popovich, so on our telecasts, it’s going to be “fore-see-a.” Also sounds a bit more elegant.

Speaking of former Spurs, Chris Vernon spoke very highly of new Grizz Kyle Anderson. “You’re going to LOVE this guy,” Verno gushed after the Sacramento game. He went on to opine that Anderson will be a great locker room guy. Anderson also has a high basketball IQ (which seems to be a prerequisite if you’re going to play for JB Bickerstaff) and is a capable distributor of the basketball. If you want to get Mike Conley off the ball for a few possessions, Anderson is more than capable of initiating the offense. If you haven’t dialed up Verno’s interview with Anderson, I strongly recommend it.

Had a chance meeting with Utah’s Grayson Allen in the hotel elevator Tuesday afternoon. I introduced myself and wished him well. I asked him about the biggest adjustment from Duke to the NBA (albeit at the Summer League level). He said the amount of detail that needs to be digested is much greater in the NBA and praised the Jazz organization as a whole. He also spoke of the volume of media demands, but allowed that he was used to that coming from a high-visibility Duke program. In a one-on-one setting he seems like a good guy, but I can see that his competitive spirit and chippiness on the floor will get under the skin of opponents. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares on this level.

Eric Hasseltine, Brevin Knight and I were honored to be asked by the NBA to do an alternate feed of Summer League games. Eric teamed with former Warrior Kelenna Azubuike on the Miami-Utah contest while BK and I did the Grizzlies game against the Kings. Seems that, particularly in Asia, there is a preference to watch games on mobile phones in portrait orientation instead of landscape. The NBA discovered this during their global fan research and wanted to experiment with what they call “vertical view.”

The actual call of the game didn’t vary from normal and we didn’t get much of a look at the finished feed; our monitors were set up normally in the 16:9 HD ratio. The feed was routed to a distributor (tencent) in Asia. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get it also routed to the Grizzlies website. Preliminary feedback from the NBA broadcast office was that they were pleased with the work we did. Vertical view is just one of the new viewing experiences the NBA is testing here in Las Vegas.

Follow Grizzlies TV Play-By-Play Announcer, Pete Pranica on Twitter @petepranica and on Instagram @petepranica. Stay tuned as Pete shares his perspective on the Grizzlies' performance at 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas right here on Grizzlies.com.

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Pete’s Perspective: Grizzlies’ 2018 Summer League

It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but the Memphis Grizzlies pushed their record to 2-0 in Summer league play with a gritty (what else?) win over the Sacramento Kings by an 81-75 count inside Cox Pavilion.

The Grizzlies took control of the scoreboard in the second quarter, outscoring the Kings 24-17 in the frame. In that period, the Grizzlies  hit 10 of 18 shots and dominated on the glass against the cold-shooting Kings.

Still, the Grizzlies nearly blew a 17-point lead, much as they did a 16-point advantage Saturday against Washington. But Wayne Selden and  Jarrell Martin rose to the occasion. Those two Grizz posted 17 of the team’s 21  points. Clinging to a 71-68 advantage with just under three minutes remaining,  Selden connected on two free throws, then saw Martin slam back a Baldwin miss  and next assisted on another Martin slam off a gorgeous press-break. That  picture-perfect execution slammed the door on the Kings.

Sacramento got 17 points and 4 assists from heralded rookie  De’Aaron Fox, but he had more turnovers than assists and more fouls than either  category. Justin Jackson’s shot went MIA as he clanked all eight attempts from  deep, finishing with four points.

Overall, the Grizzlies played with greater force and  precision than Sacramento. The Kings bricked shot after shot and if not for the  rebounding efforts of Skal Labissiere and Jack Cooley, the Grizzlies would have  won comfortably.

The vibe around Sunday night’s Summer League matchup between  the Grizzlies and Kings was an odd combination of family reunion and family  feudin’.

The most beloved played to wear Beale Street Blue, Zach  Randolph, is now a King and the most decorated player to wear the bear, Vince  Carter, will be his teammate in the California capital. The only constant is  change, but this was a stunner for Grizzlies fans.

There is no quick and concise way to summarize Z-Bo’s impact  in Memphis, except for this: Z’Bo is Memphis. He understands having to scrap and scrape and fight from the bottom  up. There’s no glitter on his game, just grit and grind. And despite the scowls  (he’s looking at you, Steven Adams) and shoves (hi there, Blake Griffin), he’s  smiles and sincerity to his people.

I’ve known Zach since he was a rookie in Portland. His  transition to the NBA wasn’t easy. He was young, impressionable and socially  out of his element in Portland. Surrounded by questionable associates, he  developed a less-than-sterling reputation. But Zach disproved F. Scott  Fitzgerald’s belief about there being no second acts in American lives.

When Michael Heisley signed Zach to the Grizzlies, he made  it clear that Zach’s tenure with the Grizzlies was related to his comportment.  A handful of NBA Community Assist awards, thousands of dollars donated and  smiles generated later the larger world has discovered what Zach Randolph has  always been about – being a big-hearted and loyal man.

And if the world had more Vince Carters, we’d all be better  off. Take away the dunking, the three-point shooting and the “rev it up”  celebrations and you still have a man in full. Thoughtful, engaging and earnest  in his desire to leave the world a better place, Vince Carter is a big believer  in education. Just ask Grizzlies Prep and its students and staff.

Forget about basketball for a second. If Vince Carter had  gone into business, he’d be the CEO by now. He’s a natural leader and loves  being among people. After what would turn out to be his final Grizzlies exit  interview, he came to the practice facility to meet the media. Unlike most  players, Vince didn’t immediately depart after those responsibilities. Instead,  he stayed and visited with a number of Grizzlies staffers who were just hanging  out, drinking in the last of a season just ended. Five minutes, then ten  minutes stretched to twenty or more. Vince stayed. He chatted, laughed and  reminisced.

If all you know of Vince Carter is dunking, you only know  maybe 10% of the man. Memphis was privileged to know 100%.

Grizzlies tangle with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, July 11 in Game 3 of the Las Vegas Summer League at 3:30 p.m. CT. Catch all the action on NBATV.

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Pete’s Perspective: Grizzlies earn 81-75 win over Kings

Pete’s Perspective – Summer League (July 8)

Las Vegas, Nevada – The NBA Summer League experience is unlike anything else in the basketball universe. You will see virtually every coach, GM, scout, agent or former player at either Cox Pavilion or the Thomas &amp; Mack Center. And all the media are here. Ric Bucher? Check. Amin Elhassen? Him too. Marc Spears? Yep, the fellow Arsenal supporter was taking in the action today as well.

For ten days or so, the blistering-hot desert is the capital of the basketball world. And it’s even more true with the debut of Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers. In past years, getting a seat reasonably close to the action in the cavernous Thomas &amp; Mack Center was pretty easy. This afternoon, the entire lower bowl was packed and the upper reaches of the arena were heavily populated. Afterwards, the NBA announced that a new attendance record (17,500) was set for the day.

Lonzo Ball and the Lakers were going to take on Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. Well, at least the Summer League versions of those two teams. Ball put up a triple double, Tatum’s Celtics got the come-from-behind win.

I think both will be solid pros. Will Ball be – as his father as predicted – the “greatest guard ever”? That’s a big statement and there are a lot of guys who could be already considered in that argument. I could see Ball as a future All Star and perhaps one-day a league MVP. Best ever? Um, can I get back to you in ten years?

You cannot imagine a greater disparity in personality: LaVar Ball literally was strutting around Thomas &amp; Mack Center during halftime of the game; his son is much quieter and lets his play do the talking. If Lonzo is unaffected by the (as Pat Riley termed them) peripheral opponents, he’ll have an outstanding NBA career.

At the bottom line is this inescapable truth: Lonzo Ball is now must-see TV. The national TV networks will plead with the NBA to schedule as many games with the Lakers on their air as possible. I put the over/under on national Lakers telecasts at twenty.

Speaking of national television, it’s been fun to call games for NBA-TV with Isiah Thomas. He’s sharp, personable and has great insights from his days as a player, coach and executive. But calling Summer League games is very different from a regular season game. Typically we have coaches or GMs in the booth during the game and that becomes the focus rather than the game itself. I’m part game-caller and part traffic cop. No matter, it’s been great fun and I’m thankful to the NBA for the opportunity.

Prior to Ball-a-palooza, the Memphis Grizzlies took down the Washington Wizards in their opener 91-88, thanks to a heroic effort from Wayne Selden, who made shots, ran the floor, stole the ball, rebounded the ball and hit the decisive shot after the Grizzlies almost gave up a double-digit lead

Again, dear readers, take this all with either a grain of salt or the knowledge that all this is from an exceptionally small sample size.

A few more random thoughts from a city where it’s still 100+ degrees after the sun goes down:

Guess I’m boring. Or I’m just here for the hoop.

But I’m not wearing a Chewbacca suit in 120-degree heat either.

Check out Grizzlies Summer League '17 Coverage for more exclusive stories.

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Pete’s Perspective: Summer League July 8

July 13, 2016, Las Vegas, NV – Back in the 80s when the NBA was ruled by the Showtime Lakers, they were coached by Pat Riley. He had the cool-as-Southern California look: the slicked-back hair, the perfectly tailored suits framing custom dress shirts with distinctive cutaway collars and fastidiously knotted ties.

With a roster featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper, it was presumed by most fans that it simply fell to Riley to roll the ball out to his superstars and then get the hell out of the way and model his Armani on the sidelines.

But that would be to dramatically shortchange Riley’s contribution to the game of basketball. After one particularly disappointing playoff series, Riley set about knocking out walls and building an area in his house in which he could do nothing but watch video and figure out what had gone wrong. Riley took the concept of video to an ever-higher standard, using game clips to not only point out shortcomings and areas of improvement to players, but also to motivate them.

Riley might also be one of the founders of the analytics movement in the NBA. Following the 1986 season, Riley developed a program that he called the Career Best Effort (CBE). His goal was to assign a quantifiable score to a number of categories and thus create a statistical portrait of the player when he joined the Lakers.

Jackie MacMullen described it thusly in her book When the Game Was Ours:

Push ahead thirty years and you’ll see David Fizdale standing in the middle of a high school gym in Las Vegas, urging his players to improve “one percent.”

“I’m so thrilled for him to have this opportunity,” says current Heat coach Erik Spoelstra during a recent interview. “He’s a first class individual. This business is tough and when you come across somebody that you can really trust, that is not only competent – that's a different bucket – but somebody who has great character, great integrity,” continues Spoelstra. “It’s not just coming from me or anyone from the Heat. If you ask anyone who knows him around the league, that’s what they talk about.”

The bond of friendship is strong between Fizdale and Spoelstra. In fact, Spoelstra is now coming to grips that for the first time, he’ll have to coach an NBA game without one of his dearest friends on the staff.

Their friendship derives in part from parallel histories: small-college point guards who weren’t good enough to play in the NBA, but through grit and hard work, caught the attention of one of the game’s legends – Pat Riley.

Riley’s razor-sharp appearance on the Laker sidelines was no mere affectation. It was a reflection of who he was and how he ran the Lakers. Practices were organized and efficient with little wasted motion. No detail was too small to escape his notice.

And when Riley came to Miami, he brought his devotion to video. Just prior to Riley’s appointment, Heat GM Dave Wohl had hired Spoelstra as the team’s video coordinator. Riley recognized Spoelstra’s work ethic – and let’s remember that Spoelstra was the video coordinator before the advent of NBA League Pass and when a video room was stacked floor to ceiling with VHS tape machines and computer-based editing was years in the future. Putting together edits was a tedious and time-consuming effort.

“Video guys around the league are the grunts, so you really learn early on how to put in a twenty-hour day,” recounts Spoelstra. “You get all the reps, all the information, all the preps, all the hours. You really learn the pro game very quickly when you’re working in the video room.”

After a couple of years, Spoelstra went from grinding out pick and roll edits on Heat opponents to scouting opponents in person and filing detailed scouting reports. When Riley handed Spoelstra the reins of the Heat, the Hall of Fame coach pointed out that, "This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative, and bring fresh new ideas.”

And the guy who hired David Fizdale to do the job that he once did? Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra saw in Fizdale the same qualities that Riley had seen in Spoelstra:

Part of that schooling for Fizdale took place during three previous NBA stops, but perhaps it’s his experience at the Heat’s video coordinator that gave him the most valuable insight into being an NBA head coach.

“When you’re the video coordinator, you’re probably the second-closest person to the head coach,” according to Spoelstra. “I would say the majority of coaches in this league, the person sitting next to them on the plane is the video coordinator.

First it was Spoelstra stepping into the position after working with Riley in Miami and now the wheel turns as Fizdale takes on a team after learning from Spoelstra. Now that Fizdale has stepped into the Grizzlies coaching job, you can already see that he has command of the gym. He has a plan: introduce a concept, reinforce it, practice it and then stack another concept on top. Don’t oversaturate young minds with too much information. Give them just enough to become proficient and then add on to that.

He’s also demanding accountability. Fizdale won’t hesitate to step in and correct a mistake. And when he corrects, he’s not yelling from the sidelines. He’s on the court, making eye contact with the offending player and demonstrating exactly what went wrong. He has the gift of being firm in his chastisement while demonstrating that he cares about his players as people.

And he demands that Riley-esque “one percent” improvement.

Check out Grizzlies Summer League Central for more exclusive stories.

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Pete's Perspective: Fizdale's roots

Tuesday July 12, 2016, Las Vegas, NV --- It’s Sunday afternoon at Thomas &amp; Mack Center and I sit down next a familiar face. Wearing a bright yellow polo shirt and peering over a pair of reading glasses, Joey Crawford watches the Kings-Rockets Summer League game with a trained eye.

He offers a smile (yes, Joey Crawford does smile) and a handshake, asking me about my recent trip to Switzerland. He knows because we’re Facebook friends. Stunning, I know.

Now officially retired as an active NBA official, Crawford is now in management with the NBA’s referee operations department. I ask him what he’s doing and he opens a folder to show me a sheaf of evaluation sheets.

You see, it’s not just players who are nurturing their NBA dreams during the Samsung Summer League. There is another group of young and hungry professionals who are also nurturing NBA aspirations.

Summer League games are assigned to D-League officials and younger, less-experienced NBA referees. The Summer League games are opportunities for both to enhance their careers.

For the D-League referees, it is an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of larger audiences, national television, and the keen eyes of senior NBA referees and front office personnel.

For the junior NBA referees, it’s an opportunity to get in more reps before the season starts and an opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a crew chief, which carries extra pressure and responsibility.

In the stands of section 103 at the Thomas and Mack Center and along one wall of the Cox Pavilion, members of the NBA’s referee operations department, assisted by current referees, evaluate the officiating of Summer League games.

Later Sunday afternoon, Zach Zarba, one of the twelve referees selected to work the NBA Finals this season as well as last, watches the Chicago-Philadelphia game unfold. He notes in a black notebook the times of particular plays that he’d like to look at again on video and discuss with the crew. He is not formally evaluating the officiating crew on a call-by-call basis, but is there to note certain items such as clarity and precision in hand signals, positioning and on-court presence.

When halftime comes, he walks down to the officials’ locker room and goes over the first half video with them. Meanwhile, in the row of seats behind me, three D-League officials quiz each other on the rules.

One of their conversations deals with what happens when a team is down to five eligible players and one is assessed a sixth foul that, under normal circumstances, results in disqualification. What do you do? That player has to stay in, but that sixth foul (and subsequent fouls by that player) is a personal foul and a technical foul. Even if a player has been disqualified by fouls and there are only four eligible players left, the NBA doesn’t let you play five on four.

These are the types of conversations that referees have, constantly reviewing rules and officiating the game from the stands. The longer you are around them, the more you understand how much they care for the game and how badly they want to make the right call.

And you understand that they’re human. Zarba tells me that the legendary referee Steve Javie (whose father was an NFL official) encouraged him to involve his dad in the important moments in Zarba’s career: first game, first playoff game, etc. Zarba’s first NBA game was in Orlando and so his father (a former baseball umpire) was in the stands. The younger Zarba was understandably nervous, but when he looked up and saw his father, “he was white as a sheet.”

His father can be more relaxed these days as Zarba has now worked his way into the upper echelon of NBA referees and now passes on his knowledge to a new generation of officials – and curious broadcasters.

Visit Grizzlies Summer League Central for more in-depth coverage, highlights, and more.

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Pete's Perspective: Summer League Officiating

July 9, 2016, Las Vegas, NV – Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale stood outside the curtained-off area that served as his team’s locker room inside Cox Pavilion and stared at the final box score.

“Wow,” he said. After a pause, another “wow.”

There were several reasons for disbelief after a 106-62 shellacking handed the Grizzlies by the Denver Nuggets.

Chief among them was the fact that the Grizzlies shot 2 for 26 from the three-point line. If you don’t have a calculator handy, I’ll save you the trouble – 7.7%. Or about the same odds as taking down the house in Vegas.

The other “wows” had to do with a second quarter in which the Grizzlies shot 21% and the Nuggets 62%, turning a 28-all first quarter tie into a 27-point halftime lead. Denver led by as many as 45 points and won all the hustle categories: fastbreak points 24-11, second chance points 26-12 and paint points 50-32.

Turnovers, which was a area of disappointment with Fizdale following Friday’s win, dropped to a very acceptable 12, but 32% shooting from the floor and 61% from the line gave the Grizzlies no shot against the Nuggets, who were led by Jimmer Fredette with 26 points on 18 shots.

Afterwards Fizdale pointed to a lack of energy in the second quarter, a sentiment echoed by Wade Baldwin IV who led the Grizzlies with ten points but shot just 2 of 10 from the floor.

The backcourt duo of Andrew Harrison and Baldwin, which had excelled against the D-League Select team on Friday, failed to duplicate their performance with a combined 4 of 18 shooting effort. Harrison and Baldwin tried to attack the rim, but their forays to the hoop were often out of control, resulting in wild shots that failed to fall. And unlike Friday’s game, they didn’t set up their teammates and the Grizzlies offense devolved into too much one-on-one play.

The Grizzlies will practice Sunday morning in preparation for their Monday game (1 pm PT/3pm CT) against the Milwaukee Bucks.  -- Pete Pranica

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Pete's Perspective: Grizzlies vs. Nuggets

July 8, 2016, Las Vegas, NV – Friday afternoon the Memphis Grizzlies dominated the D-League Select team in the first game played in the Thomas &amp; Mack Center in the 2016 NBA Summer League by a 99-79 count.

Afterwards, head coach David Fizdale was all smiles with a sense of relief just getting the first game over. And, for all intents and purposes it was over after the first period.

The Grizzlies ran out to a 26-16 advantage after one quarter and were never seriously threatened, leading by as many as 33 points in the second half.

Majority owner Robert Pera got a courtside view of two athletic and dynamic guards in Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin IV. Harrison drove to the hoop at will, racking up a dozen free throw attempts, converting them all. Baldwin struggled with his shot (4 of 13), but his reach and tenacity resulted in four steals. The SEC duo combined for 37 points, seven assists and six steals and just generally made their teammates better.

The activity level from everyone wearing a Grizzlies uniform was very high, resulting in good ball and player movement. While there was much to be encouraged by, there was one number on the stat sheet that troubled Fizdale. “Turnovers,” he said when asked about the prime area of improvement for Saturday’s game against Denver. The Grizzlies committed twenty while forcing twenty from D-League Select. Considering the Grizzlies have only had a handful of practices, that number isn’t terribly surprising, but Harrison’s five miscues took some luster off what was otherwise a noteworthy performance.

The Grizzlies return to action Saturday at 5 pm PT/7 pm CT against the Denver Nuggets.  -- Pete Pranica

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Pete's Perspective: Game 1

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