Time for Grizzlies to Hibernate

Ja Morant is out for the season, Marcus Smart is out for weeks, and the Grizzlies already had a bunch of other injuries. Sitting outside of the Western Conference’s final play-in spot, it’s safe to say that Memphis should be looking ahead to next year. Regardless, the team comes home with a three-game winning streak. Despite the injuries, Memphis is ninth in defensive rating this season. They have the fourth-highest turnover percentage along with solid defensive rebounding. The Grizzlies are the best team at defending the rim thanks to Jaren Jackson Jr., but struggle to stop three-pointers. They also send foes to the free throw line often. Let’s see if the defense can carry Memphis to another victory.

Now, the offense is Memphis is a mess. This team is last in offensive rating this season, mostly because Ja Morant only played in nine contests. They’re in the bottom third of the NBA’s rankings in turnover percentage, offensive rebounding percentage, true shooting percentage, and free throw rate. The Grizzlies are the worst three-point shooting team and second-worst at finishing at the rim. Their free throw percentage is 20th. Scoring is an issue and it gets worse at home (104.3 ppg).

Clippers Keep Rolling

Los Angeles is happy and healthy, with a 16-3 record since December began. Their latest victory came by six against the Raptors at home. The Clippers use a lineup that’s seventh in offensive rating, per NBA.com, to overwhelm opposing defenses. LA is fifth in true shooting percentage, led by the league’s second-highest three-point percentage. Their efficiency is strong from the other areas of the floor and the charity stripe too. The Clippers are middle-of-the-pack in turnover percentage and offensive rebounding percentage. There aren’t many glaring flaws in Los Angeles’ offense, and they will make defenses pay for allowing open three-pointers.

Quietly, the Clippers are 11th in defensive rating, which people tend to forget because of their offensive talent. Los Angeles is the eighth-best team at forcing misses at the rim and the eighth-best team at forcing three-point misses. They’re solid at forcing turnovers and keeping foes off the free throw line. The Clippers allow the ninth-fewest points per game, something that will be important for this game.