Friday, July 31 – 1:00 pm PT
Blazers injuries: Rodney Hood (outside)
Grizzlies injuries: Tyus Jones (out); Justise Winslow (outside)
How to watch on television: NBCSNW, NBA TV (outside Portland)
How to transmit: Blazer’s Edge Streaming Guide
Radio: 620 am
SBN Affiliate: Grizzly Bear Blues
I originally wrote a preview for this game in March before the NBA suspended the game. It was an important game for Portland’s playoff career at the time, but now with the condensed eight-game schedule, it’s as close to a win scenario as any non-elimination game. The Blazers sit 3.5 games behind Memphis, and need to stay within at least 4 games of them (while staying ahead of New Orleans, Sacramento, San Antonio and Phoenix) to force a play-in tournament.
Portland enters the NBA restart in Orlando, a very different team than the one scheduled to play on March 12. Both Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins have returned healthy, Trevor Ariza and Caleb Swanigan chose not to play, and Carmelo Anthony reinvented himself as “Flaco Melo”. Memphis will also recover some players from injury: Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke, who came out in March, are completely healthy. The Grizzlies will also have Grayson Allen and Jontay Porter to add to their rotation.
What to look at
- The shipowner confrontation. Friday’s point guard showdown will likely end up being a showdown between the Rookie of the Year winners. Ja Morant is the favorite for this year’s award, in part because Zion Williamson missed most of the season, but also because Morant has played well enough to win it. The former Murray State standout averages 17.6 points and 6.9 assists per game (similar to Damian Lillard’s rookie year of the year stats of 19 points and 6.5 assists per game). The Blazers expect Lillard to return to the level of MVP he had been playing at. The Portland All-Star point guard averaged 28.9 points and 7.8 assists per game before the season was suspended.
- The great rotation of man. Nurkic and Collins’ return gives coach Terry Stotts plenty of options on the front court. The Blazers could go big with two of their three big men (including Hassan Whiteside) on the court at all times or go smaller with Anthony out front. Portland’s size could be beneficial against Memphis. Center Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 14.9 points and 11.2 rebounds (sixth in the NBA; Whiteside 14.2 is 2nd) this season. Forward Jaren Jackson Jr., the team’s second-leading scorer, is a 6’11 “big man who can hit from deep (39.7 percent on 6.3 attempts).
- Shaking off the rust. It has been 144 days since Portland or Memphis played a significant game of basketball. That’s almost the same length as the NBA offseason, depending on how deep a team’s tiebreaker is (there were 157 days between Portland’s last playoff game in 2019 and their first game of the 2019-20 season) . The circumstances surrounding this breakup have been dramatically different than a typical offseason for many reasons. Some players did not have access to basketball courts or hoops for several months; The teams have also had less training time. The team that comes out fresher and better prepared will have a great advantage.
What they are saying
Grizzly Bear Blues ‘Joe Mullinax wrote about how the Grizzlies’ younger players, Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr., could have used the break to develop their games:
While Ja, Brandon, and Jaren are already pretty good in specific areas, there is certainly room for improvement. Any exquisite work of art takes time to create, mature, and maximize your vision. Between their time away working on their bodies and their time together with their teammates and coaches to develop their relationships and skills, we may well see that those steps forward turn into leaps sooner than expected.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe put Ja Morant in first place and Brandon Clarke in third place on his Rookie of the Year ballot:
Morant is not a default winner. He is one of the transcendent rookie guards of the past 20 years, combining dexterity, athleticism and bravado in a position that overwhelms most rookies. He leads by winning now. He raises teammates now.
Clarke is agile in defense and a malleable attack in attack. Deal damage by diving on the edge in pick-and-rolls with dunks and silky floats – your signature shot, and perhaps already the league’s signature float. She was making money around the arch. (Clarke is a cunning candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year.)
Grizzly Bear Blues’ EricTweetsNBA provided an in-depth analysis of Jaren Jackson Jr.’s three points:
Even if Jaren Jackson Jr. doesn’t get the shot the play is designed for him, his shooting ability opens up the rest of the floor for his teammates to get open shots. The defenses know they have to stay attached to him at all times and the attention he draws running from the screens can either open cut lanes for a guy like Brandon Clarke or he can open a passing lane for Ja Morant to find Jonas Valanciunas underneath. the basket. . Two defenders can miscommunicate and chase Jaren off-screen, leaving the examiner open for a shot. While Jaren may not have the seriousness of the league’s best shooters, his presence is enough to stress even some of the league’s best defenders.
