3 ways the Grizzlies could get rolling again, without a trade

Feb 7, 2023 - 3:50 PM

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Let’s put it out there: the last 9 games have been nightmarish for the Memphis Grizzlies.

After winning 11 games in a row, they’ve dropped 8 of their past 9 outings. The mojo and swagger of this team have been absent, looking like a young team rattled by poor shooting, outside forces, and their own losing.

The “outside forces” have also been by their own doing. This brutal stretch started with a halftime confrontation with Shannon Sharpe in LA. They come back to Memphis, and there was a conflict with the Grizzlies, Pacers, and people in Ja Morant’s inner circle courtside. Dillon Brooks hit Donovan Mitchell in the jewels on national TV, leading to a mini brawl. Then, Sunday it was reported Grizzlies/Pacers skirmish escalated — and regardless of the truth of the story, it’s still a tough image for Morant and the organization.

All of this has been a talking point against the Memphis Grizzlies — whether it’s on social media, talk shows, or podcasts. They are no longer the league darlings that everybody loves. The heel turn is here, and the Grizzlies aren’t doing themselves any favors right now.

The phrase “growth opportunity” has been thrown around since the inception of this era. The response to the past 2 and a half weeks could be the biggest growth opportunity for this franchise. How do they weather the storm when teams are fighting back to persevere for a win? Do they balance trash-talk and just playing? When do they decide to block out the external noise to just go out, hoop, and win?

The questions in the midst of this adversity loom equally as large as this Thursday’s trade deadline. People are using this stretch as evidence for Zach Kleiman to make a move to bolster their title chances this season — and now the rationale may be to snap them out of this funk.

My stance on trades is “cool if they do, cool if they don’t.” There are deeper problems that a trade may not fix — primarily with how they’ve weathered this adversity, the reliance of Steven Adams (who is even more important than we all ever thought), and late-game execution. However, simply consolidating some stuff into a bonafide playoff rotation player could help fix the Grizzlies’ offensive woes.

Regardless, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility for Kleiman to not make a deal at this trade deadline. Right now, the biggest prize out there is OG Anunoby, and inflation has had a say in the asking price. Kleiman tends to make sizable changes in the offseason, dealing 4 rotation players in the past 2 summers.

And at the end of the day, even though the Grizzlies are slumping, they are still 5th in NET rating, 3rd in Defensive Rating, and 13th in Offensive Rating. They have the semblance of a contender if they can get their swagger back and system plugging away again.

What are some things the Grizzlies could do to get rolling again, sans a trade?

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Dillon Brooks being the villain we know

It’s been a rough 2023 for Dillon Brooks. I already mentioned those moments with Donovan Mitchell and Shannon Sharpe, and many people were amused with him thinking he cracked the code on LeBron James by making him go left.

On the court, it’s been rough for Brooks the past several weeks. He’s averaging 11.3 points while shooting 35.3% from the field (12.8 attempts per game) and 21.3% from 3 (5 attempts per game). It all falls within the Grizzlies’ offensive woes the past couple weeks.

The biggest problem lies with his impact; the offensive inefficiency — as well as the recent antics — are shadowing his defensive prowess. It’s no secret Dillon Brooks has risen to become a prolific defender, one capable of stopping guards like De’Aaron Fox to big forwards like Zion Williamson. He’s the only perimeter defender on the team that can force a star into an off-night, and perhaps one of the league’s few wings that could do so.

However, his villainy defense hasn’t resonated much since the calendar year flip, aside from his game-sealing block on Darius Garland. It’s not like he’s getting cooked or anything, rather there’s just a lack of signature stopping moments he’s generated over the past few weeks.

The Grizzlies could use a bit of that right now, because that’s the best version of Dillon Brooks. The shooting efficiency should rise — though his mean is still not great. Adequacy in that department is fine when he’s a menace to the other team’s best player on their way to an off-night. Those performances also give the Grizzlies an edge, a proper channel of competitiveness preferred over what we’ve seen the past couple weeks.

When this Dillon Brooks shows up, the duo of him and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the pillars of the league’s best defense — a driving force in the team’s winning probability.

The impact of Dillon Brooks should be more positively felt when his defense starts to shadow his offense inefficiency, even as his field goal and 3-point percentages rise.

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

Start and play Brandon Clarke more minutes

When Steven Adams went down with his knee injury, Brandon Clarke got the starting nod. He filled in quite well:

• Golden State: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 8-10 shooting, 32 minutes
• Minnesota: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 5-9 shooting, 28 minutes
• Indiana: 13 points, 3 stocks, 5-5 shooting, 17 minutes

Xavier Tillman got the starting nod against Portland for the more physical option against Jusuf Nurkic, and Jenkins hasn’t gone back to Clarke starting. In addition, he’s only averaging 17.9 minutes the past 3 games.

Tillman has been solid, and this play the past month probably solidifies his NBA future more. However, when you’re missing your starting player — one that’s a glue for this team — they have to lean with best player available.

That player is Brandon Clarke.

The pick-and-roll is a staple with Ja Morant, and he has great pick-and-roll chemistry with Clarke — a springy roller that gives the point guard a lob threat. He’s 5th in pick-and-roll efficiency among roll men with a frequency greater than 20% — 1.88 points per possession. It’s amplified next to a floor-spacer and secondary playmaker like Desmond Bane. He’s always been great with Jaren Jackson Jr., as their defensive versatility stands out and their two-man chemistry offensively bode well for the Grizzlies’ success.

Clarke is also insanely productive when playing at least 20-29 minutes, as he’s averaging 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds on 76.5% shooting from the field. The Grizzlies are also 10-4 in those games.

While Tillman is playing solid, Clarke gives them a higher ceiling with the performances he’s capable of putting on. The Grizzlies need to roll with him in the starting lineup, or at least give him 20 minutes each night.

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

Desmond Bane shooting even more 3’s

Desmond Bane has been rock solid since his return, perhaps one of the lone bright spots of this slump thus far. Over the past 13 games, he’s averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds — while shooting 50.5% from the field and 52.4% from 3. Those are stellar marks, but there’s another level.

Bane should flirt with double-digit 3-point attempts. It’s a good formula for the Grizzlies’ success.

Prior to his toe injury, he was shooting 8.5 three’s per game in 12 games, and he converted them at a 45.1% clip. That number has dipped to 6.3 with only 1 game with 10+ three’s.

When Bane shoots 10+ 3’s, he’s averaging 25 points and 5.8 assists, while shooting 24-55 (43.6%) from 3 in those games. The Grizzlies are 5-0 in those games.

There are more layers to Bane shooting more 3’s. For starters, it should make him more of a focal point within the offense, perhaps adding more diversification to the team’s late-game offense — a major woe for them recently. It also opens up the floor so much. Teams latch on and closeout even harder, which creates advantages for Bane to create inside the arc or find his teammates for cleaner looks from 3.

Then, when he’s firing this frequency, a hot shooting night results in a higher volume of 3’s, putting less reliance on the supporting cast to catch fire themselves. It goes a long way for the team’s 3-point attack.

The Grizzlies’ offense — both from beyond the arc and in general — needs a jolt. Perhaps, an unleashed Desmond Bane can be the shot in the arm to get this team rolling once again.

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Granted, there are more than 3 ways the Memphis Grizzlies can escape this slump. The bench needs to elevate their play. The wing depth needs to rekindle some semblance of offense. They could close games a whole lot better. They could look less frazzled when a team punches them in the mouth with a run.

There’s a lot going on.

The Grizzlies may decide a trade is the best course to fix their problems. Or, Kleiman could gauge the market and not find a suitable acquisition to help this team capture their mojo again. It’s not inconceivable for the Grizzlies to bounce back without a deadline move. Reset at the All-Star break, get Steven Adams back healthy, find their shooting touch, and rediscover their swagger — and we could be talking about this Grizzlies squad as a title contender again.

Nonetheless, a trade may not fix everything. There are areas the Grizzlies need to clean up in order to get back to their winning ways. These ways here could be just a start in getting back into the win column while re-establishing their contention status.

Stats found on nba.com and basketball-refrenence.

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