NBA SIMS LEAGUE |
Memphis (10 - 21) | Expert Pick 0% >< 0% |
Oklahoma City (26 - 6) |
The Hopeful V The Best
The Grizzlies: The Grizzlies were one of the most hopeful teams going round
to start the season, despite their entire offseason strategy being about
getting out of salary cap hell, and into a much more manageable position for
now and the years to come. While doing so though, they rarely took much of a
step back on the whole and a team that could still post names like Jaylen
Brown, Jaren Jackson Jnr, Bam Adebayo and now Cam Thomas and Malcolm Brogdon
(but was PJ Washington, Ayo Dosunmu and Ziaire Williams), is a rock solid playoff
team you would imagine. Throw in top tier young talent like Stephon Castle,
Zach Edey, Ben Sheppard and potential in Scotty Pippen, Johnny Furphy and Bobi
Klintman, and it’s a well rounded strong team. But the results haven’t come to
date as they sit in 11th in the West, which is outside the Play-In,
and have only 10 wins in 28 games. Something has to give, surely, and the GM
has suggested that he’s probably the most hopeful yet for this week coming to
try out new ways to get the team to gel and get wins. So, how will it fair? And
will it make a dent on the current Best in the West? The Thunder: The Thunder are the team to beat in the West currently, and
maybe continually with a 4 game break out top for good measure. The growth of
Anthony Edwards, paired with the newly acquired big man down low in DeAndre
Ayton, and the star PG in Trae Young has been positively breaking the game this
year, and in quiet fashion too, with one of the quietest GMs in the land
running the show. Throw in quality role players who fill vital defensive roles particularly,
in Alex Caruso, Branden Clarke, DeAndre Jordan and Quentin Grimes, and floor
spaces around those in Jaden Hardy, Sam Merrill and Lindy Waters, and you have
a fair engine for offense going here that rounds out nicely, and the results
have shown. James you might never hear from in a year, but he’s clearly doing
something right over there as the team continues to grow and work together as
you imagine a team should. Will the Grizz muster enough change to ignore the
season standings and make a stand? The Projected Match-Ups: C: Zach Edey Vs DeAndre Ayton
The Grizzlies have made the move. Zach Edey is the starter,
trying to get the ball funnelling through less hands with Bam having free reign
off the bench. In 4 starts this year Zach has averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds,
3 steals and 3 blocks as a man mountain in the middle. And that’s all he needs
to be with this Memphis team. Ayton’s move to OKC has seemingly gelled quite well
as the big man is averaging 13 points and 14 rebounds with 1.3 steals and 1.6
blocks in 22 games, but the question with Ayton has always been that he’s being
paid massively for what a lot of role playing bigs can do, including one of the
assets he was traded in for. Anyway, he might have a little more impact than
Edey, but it’s not a guarantee as the size is always king in 2k and Edey wins
that battle. PF: Jaren Jackson Jnr. Vs Brandon
Clarke JJJ has had another season in which you wonder when he’s
going to turn the corner and be the man, and it isn’t this year. 12 points, 7
rebounds and 2 assists and he’s even been attempted to get started off the
bench, but that showed him to be even less effective than most bench bigs
around the entire league, and not utilising his defensive lockdown abilities.
He’s got a defensive match up in this one, so should be on top of Clarke who is
out there as a hustle guy and clean up guy around the big three and is
averaging only 6 points and 5 rebounds along the way, while solidly playing D
on the better players for the opposition. SF: Jaylen Brown Vs Anthony
Edwards Brown is the man in Memphis and
lining up at SG or SF, SF this week, is little or no difference to him by the
numbers. He’s going to lead the Grizz in scoring and he’s going to play
lockdown on the other end too, as long as he’s not put on a guy that will get
him in foul trouble. Edwards, if he’s the guy he’s sent to, is the guy that
will get him in foul trouble. He was always going to explode this year as the
ratings and tendencies caught up after his blistering NBA season last year, and
38 points is a hell of a corner turn. He’s the leader in this team now and he’s
going to have the biggest impact on this game in my opinion. Can the Grizz slow
him down? SG: Johnny Furphy Vs Alex
Caruso In a bid to space the floor and get the ball running through
other hands, while adding size to the court, the Grizz slotted 6’9 SG Johnny
Furphy in last week and again this week, despite the results being null and
void at 4 points and 4 rebounds on 39/20/0 splits last week. He’s not there to
be more than length and trouble in the lanes and bothering shots though, while hopefully
shooting better this week when given an open look. He’s got the uber defensive
guy lined up on him at SG this week in Caruso, and Caruso will undoubtedly be
sent elsewhere on defence as Furphy is an afterthought. If Caruso was shooting
just a little better he’d be the perfect guy for his role, not that he’s not
anyway. But 31/30/86 is not a good look even on low attempts. He will however
lock down and bother the #1 guy on the other team every night and Brown is
going to need to fight him all night. PG: TJ
McConnell Vs Trae Young TJ literally just
unpacked his bags in Memphis 2 days ago and hasn’t yet been seen at practice,
but here he is starting off the bat with Brogdon and Cam Thomas who were also
acquired in that deal, out for now. As a starter elsewhere this year TJ has
been solid with his strong defensive game and pass first mentality. 8 points, 5
rebounds and 5 assists with a steal is about what you’d expect and his role
will be simple in Memphis. He might even line up on Trae Young immediately who
is a fellow small guard and is all offence, to the tune of 25 points a night. Young
will impact, but the Grizz do have a handful of defensive guys and taller guys
to throw at him to at least make him less efficient, hopefully. Bench V Bench: Stephon Castle, Bam Adebayo, Scotty
Pippen Jr, Ben Sheppard Both these benches are strong it has to be said. Bam on the
bench is a real luxury and you see why it’s happening, too. Castle and Pippen
are strong options at the guard spots too while they have the likes of Merrill
and Grimes on the other side filling those roles, with solid big man Drew
Eubanks and the ever dominating, DeAndre Jordan. |
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| X-Factor |
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OKC is high powered and hard at it in all
aspects. They outrebound their opponents by 4 a game and shoot it 3% better,
while Memphis do the opposite. In fact, you look at the 2 teams averages and
they actually mirror what each teams opponents do against them. So the Xfactor?
Does Memphis’ changes to the system amend the misgivings that they have had so
far, and even if it does, does it do it enough to push the top team? #1 is slow
Edwards, but OKC has just as many weapons to slow Brown, too, and then who is
left if no Brown? |
| Injury Report | |
|---|---|
| Team is healthy this week Returning Players: Alex Caruso (returning from Hip) - 18 NBA Games missed this season Deandre Ayton (returning from Finger/Illness/Calf) - 10 NBA Games missed this season Sam Merrill (returning from Ankle/Injury Management) - 7 NBA Games missed this season Jaden Hardy (returning from Ankle) - 6 NBA Games missed this season | Injured Players: Malcolm Brogdon (Thumb/Hamstring/Foot) - 21 NBA Games missed this season Aaron Nesmith (Ankle) - 35 NBA Games missed this season Cameron Thomas (Back/Hamstring/Injury Management) - 23 NBA Games missed this season Returning Players: Jaylen Brown (returning from Hip/Illness/Shoulder) - 7 NBA Games missed this season Jaxson Hayes (returning from Ankle) - 19 NBA Games missed this season Ben Sheppard (returning from Oblique) - 14 NBA Games missed this season Zach Edey (returning from Ankle/Concussion) - 14 NBA Games missed this season Bobi Klintman (returning from Calf) - 26 NBA Games missed this season |
| Prediction |
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Head to Head Prediction: All signs point to the OKC juggernaut keeping on rolling
here against a team that while talented, might not actually be quite as
talented as the Thunder, and most certainly have not had the connectivity of
the Thunder. We might see a new look Grizzlies, or maybe it’s more of the same. Thunder by 10. |
| Comments (1) | |||
| Rootsey 01/21 08:03 am | Thanks for the write up. Hope to keep it closer than 10 | ||