{"uid":"Entry:6cecaf92-8ca1-48fb-ab3d-54c4623aced6","title":"Quick Recap: Grizzlies cook Nuggets in resounding win","dek":{"html":"The Memphis Grizzlies put together a massive win over the Western Conference’s top seed, Denver Nuggets."},"createdAt":"2023-02-26T01:20:21.000Z","url":"https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2023/2/25/23615255/quick-recap-memphis-grizzlies-cook-denver-nuggets-in-resounding-win-morant-tillman-nba","wordCount":777,"updatedAt":"2023-02-26T04:01:15.000Z","author":{"fullOrUserName":"Parker Fleming"},"authorProfile":null,"contributors":[],"communityGroups":[{"name":"Front Page"},{"name":"Quick Recap"}],"body":{"components":[{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"JvyufK","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Memphis Grizzlies returned to FedExForum for their first home game after the All-Star break, as the top-seeded Denver Nuggets rolled into town. The Grizzlies (Steven Adams) and Nuggets (Aaron Gordon) were both missing key players, but it still served as an anticipated bout on this Saturday slate of games."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"B6S8t9","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies and Nuggets started with a fast, back-and-forth pace. Xavier Tillman quickly scored 6 points off the bat. The Nuggets started off fine, but they cooled off significantly towards the end of the quarter. Ja Morant was pretty much able to get wherever he wanted on the floor, attacked the paint at will. The Grizzlies closed with a 28-20 lead after the first quarter."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"Dyiifk","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies made it rain from deep in the 2nd quarter — drilling 6 three-pointers in the quarter. Tyus Jones led the charge here, connecting on 4 triples, which really generated some flow in the offense when Morant sat. The Grizzlies used a 14-2 run to start the quarter to blow the doors open a little bit, generating a sizable double-digit lead quick. The Grizzlies finished with a 66-42 lead at halftime."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"kkc4wP","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies built their lead up past 30 points, and they didn’t budge. Their offense was still crisp, and they were going after 50/50 balls too — Morant included:"},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyEmbed","placement":{"id":"5chwY3","alignment":null},"embed":{"embedHtml":"

It's such a tone-setter when your star player goes after 50-50 balls this hard

And obviously the silky finish from Ja Morantpic.twitter.com/TazQjeT6Up

— Grizzly Bear Blues (@sbnGrizzlies) February 26, 2023
\n\n","provider":{"name":"Twitter"}}},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"Su2lAZ","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies closed with a 94-62 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"FGXpeu","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Nuggets pulled Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. at the start of the 4th quarter. Nothing totally eventful happened in the quarter. Luke Kennard and Tyus Jones hit a couple of 3’s to bring their totals to 4 and 5, respectively."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"06FwYI","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies ended the game with Kennedy Chandler, Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. The fans got treated with some good Jr. moments."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"TABBqq","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"Memphis Grizzlies close with a resounding 112-94 win."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyHeading","placement":{"id":"soyN84","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"Quick Takeaways"},"level":2},{"__typename":"EntryBodyList","placement":{"id":null,"alignment":null},"items":[{"line":{"html":"Stones back rolling. Tyus Jones went on an absolute heater in the 2nd quarter, and it was great to see him snap out of a funk lately. In his last 11 games, Jones has averaged 4.5 points and 3.6 assists on 33.9% shooting from the field and 14.3% from 3. He played with extra swagger and confidence on the offensive end, and when he’s doing that, the offense tends to hum and work its way around in the halfcourt. For the Grizzlies to officially navigate out of this weird month stretch of play, getting the “Tyus Stones” version of Jones will be crucial."},"placement":{"id":"BsqcVt"}},{"line":{"html":"X solid again. Xavier Tillman go the starting nod, so that the Grizzlies had a physical option against Nikola Jokic. He played rock-solid defense against Jokic, holding him to 15 points and 13 rebounds. The biggest difference was Jokic was minimized as a playmaker, only generating 3 assists. Tillman also was ready offensively, as he connected on all 6 of his attempts for 12 points, while also dropping 3 dimes. I don’t know his standing in the rotation once Steven Adams returns, but he’s reemerged as a good player to have in emergency situations."},"placement":{"id":"2u4lnp"}},{"line":{"html":"Sneaky Dillon game. We don’t need to delve much into the 2023 it’s been for Dillon Brooks, but he put together a sneaky steady game — probably his best in awhile. He connected on 5 of his 9 shot attempts, while making 2 of his 4 three-point tries. Everything he sought offensively came within the flow, nothing was forced. He was also instrumental in holding Jamal Murray into a 3-13 shooting night (1-5 from 3). It’s not the most eye-popping game we’ve seen from Dillon Brooks, but he doesn’t need to be on this version of the Grizzlies. He served as the perfect complementary piece within the system."},"placement":{"id":"4mfrlU"}},{"line":{"html":"Much-needed Grizz win. This is the kind of win that can turn the tide for the Memphis Grizzlies. From start to finish, they laid the smackdown on top-seeded Denver Nuggets. They minimized their star, made his supporting cast complete non-factors, and kept things flowing offensively. The Grizzlies have now won 4 of their past 6 games, but this one seems like it could be the foundation for a bounce-back into a massive month of March on the horizon."},"placement":{"id":"R5QTxN"}}],"ordered":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"Ocov0D","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Memphis Grizzlies will get a couple days off before they play the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Tuesday February 28th."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"2hiC3a","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"Grizzly Bear Blues will be moving to Bluff City Media on 3/1, and you can subscribe here for insider Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Tigers content. Use promo code “GBBLIVE” for 10% OFF an annual subscription. Follow Grizzly Bear Blues on Twitter and Instagram. For more Grizzlies talk, subscribe to the Grizzly Bear Blues podcast network on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and IHeart. "},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false}]}}
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Writer's pictureParker Fleming
Jul 25, 20234 min read

The Grizzlies have a championship-level Big 3

The Memphis Grizzlies have their own “Big 3,” and their elite fit together is the foundation of a title contender. Original Date: 2023-01-17


Since the Boston Celtics formed the Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the concept of building around a star-studded trio became a tantalizing phenomenon for the modern NBA.


Some teams have built it through the draft like the San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili) and the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green). Others have done it through trades like the Los Angeles Lakers (on several occasions with deals for Dwight Howard and Russell Westbrook). Then, the fascination of it hit its apex with the Miami Heat forming “The Heatles” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. This path have helped some franchises reach the primary objective of winning a championship — Heat, Warriors, Spurs — and others have (to be brutally honest) failed miserably — Lakers and Nets with Durant/Harden/Kyrie. When combining stars of this magnitude, especially with several players who have been the guy on good teams, it takes a special blend of fit and personality. It’s not totally bulletproof, but it’s ultimately a good strategy to win a championship, as a team will go as far as their best players take them.


The Memphis Grizzlies have shown something quite enticing through this 10-game winning streak: they have a championship-level Big 3. They’ve done it organically through the draft as well. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. finally shared the floor together for the first time all season on December 23rd, as Bane hit the injury report the day Jackson returned on November 15th. Since then, the Grizzlies are 7-2 when their star trio suit up together, and they blitz opponents by +19.8 points per 100 possessions (282 total) — per Cleaning the Glass. Though the Grizzlies’ young trio isn’t at the magnitude of the aforementioned players, they all possess elite traits into their games. Ja Morant has masterfully blended his elite paint scoring and playmaking even better than he did last season.


Desmond Bane is one of the 5 best shooters in the world. Jaren Jackson Jr. might have stolen the mantle of NBA’s best defender and is posting historic defensive numbers this season. It also fits with these 3 players. Morant is the offensive engine for this team, and he’ll handle the bulk of the responsibilities for them — posting a 38.7% usage rate, 97th percentile among guards in the NBA, per Cleaning the Glass.


Morant’s co-stars work off him perfectly. Bane is the ultimate kick-out partner for when defenses collapse on Morant’s shooting, but his budding skillset unlocks new dimensions for the offense. Because of Bane’s improved playmaking and live-dribble creation, Morant can play off the ball as a cutter, and the Grizzlies also have a clear go-to perimeter option when their star point guard sits.


One thing some star backcourts that fell short of a title recently — the Washington Wizards with John Wall and Bradley Beal, as well as the Portland Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum — is a star-level frontcourt player. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a transformative defender, swatting shots at insane rates and covering so much space on the floor as a legitimate switch big. He was already a defensive star, but his rising offensive efficiency (51.8 field goal percentage) grouped with his perimeter skills (37% from 3 on 4 attempts per game) and his ability to exploit mismatches make him an All-Star level big man. He’s the ideal big man to have next to a dynamic scoring backcourt.


The brilliance of the Grizzlies’ trio also stacks up well among other Big 3’s of other championship contenders. These teams are often considered “championship contenders”: the Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Dallas Mavericks — while giving asterisks to both Los Angeles teams for various reasons. Of those teams, the Grizzlies, Celtics, Nuggets, Bucks, Pelicans, 76ers, and Nets all have legitimate Big 3’s. (<em>Note: the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors lean towards more of a “core 4” rather than a “big 3” from a general standpoint. And Warriors fans should thank me for not using Jordan Poole’s numbers here). The Grizzlies have the best average catch-all metrics among these championship contending Big 3’s. A description of “catch-all” from Andy Bailey: If you sort every NBA player with 400+ minutes by the AVERAGE OF THEIR RANKS in 10 catch-alls (BPM, EPM, RAPTOR, RPM and GmSc/36, as well as the cumulative versions of each), this is the top 40.


Data notes: The Nuggets would be higher with Aaron Gordon (29th), but he isn’t in consensus Big 3. Khris Middleton hasn’t played enough games for the Bucks for their Big 3. Yes, Marcus Smart and Ben Simmons are that much of defensive stars to warrant “Big 3” consideration. If you also want to summarize by “points per game,” the Grizzlies have 2 of their “Big 3" averaging 20 points per game — a common denominator for all these teams in contention status.


The Memphis Grizzlies have the foundation of a championship team. They have their trio, and for a lot of teams, that is the hardest part of the journey. Once a team finds their Big 3, it’s about identifying fits around them. In the starting lineup, they surround them with physicality through the screening and rebounding of Steven Adams, and the point-of-attack defense from Dillon Brooks. Off the bench, and often staggered with these 3 players, the Grizzlies have a combination of reliability (Tyus Jones and Brandon Clarke), vertical pop (Clarke and Ziaire Williams), funk (Santi Aldama and John Konchar), and steadily improving outside shooting (Jones, Williams, Aldama, Konchar). Everything within the team fits is amplified through the great job Taylor Jenkins has done to help this team rise into the NBA’s elite.


As I said earlier this season when talking about the Grizzlies’ depth, teams go as far as their best players take them. Right now, as the Grizzlies’ Big 3 is getting more healthy, we’re seeing just how high of a level they’re capable of — one that could put them in the NBA Finals.

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