Pistons vs Memphis Grizzlies

Game Breakdown

*SPECIAL SITUATIONS*

• After a really nice start to the game they find themselves down by 7 from a Marcus Smart takeover (he really has played well)....they need to respond ATO and snag the momentum back

  • Ivey drive and fouled, only makes 1 of 2

  • Smart (again) drive and kick to Pippen Jr. for C&S 3PM

  • Ivey with a solid process floater in the lane but misses

  • Pippen Jr. drives into the lane and knocks down a shot

  • They better get things under control soon or it has a chance to really get away from them

  • TOs are starting to pile up and the Grizzlies lead is into the double digits

• Have kept it around 10 or 12 for the majority of the middle portion of the 2nd quarter

  • They get a miss but can’t secure the reb, get another miss and then Aldama gets the putback….these are the types of possessions that often help you stop a run from the other team OR start a run yourself

    • And when you don’t make them, it’s usually the opposite that happens

  • The get 3 looks ATO and can’t convert any of them….this usually contributes to above as well

  • Lead gets to 18 by halftime

• Have cut the lead to 14 twice now, you have to make your run here to start the half if you really want to make it a game

  • Get a stop, another buck, another stop and get this thing below 10

  • Not getting stops BUT they get Ivey 1/2 from FT and then another 3PM and down to 13……GET A STOP….

  • And then just an awful passing decision from Ivey (he’s had multiple of those tonight after a really good passing game on Monday)

  • ANOTHER backdoor (see below) leads to a Clarke bucket and fouled

  • It’s up to 22 mid 3rd quarter and looks like we might have a blowout on our hands

• This game lost all intensity with a couple minutes to go in the 3rd quarter

Pistons

• Ivey, Beasley, THJ, Ausar, Duren

  • First ATO is a nice zoom action for Ivey to get downhill

    • Loved seeing this even though it didn’t end up producing a positive result

  • JB goes to the 2 big lineup for some extended minutes here in the 1st quarter

    • Believe they won these minutes

    • Also starts the 4th quarter with no PG at all, I am kind of cool with it considering the situation but I find it interesting and to see who initiates offense

      • Looks like Moore Jr.

      • Honestly, I would have given it to Ausar and just see what happens

  • Grizz are 5th in OREB%, something Detroit has struggled with against the best teams at it, and it’s showing up right from the start

  • Grizzlies get them on backdoors on back to back possessions that lead to 5 points

    • LaRavia layup, Kennard catch and kick to Huff for 3PM

    • I bet they have given up 5 in the 1st half alone

• IVEY gets an early C&S 3P and knocks it down, we have an almost 20 game sample (tonight) of this looking good

  • Him and Duren just aren’t on the same page in the PnR the way Cade and Duren are

• AUSAR athleticism stands out in a league full of incredible athletes

  • 10:40 1st quarter he has Pippen Jr. on him in the post, would really like to see him try and attack this…instead he tries to pass out and turns it over

  • You can also see how little teams are going to respect him as a shooter and floor spacer until he proves it

• DUREN drives from the perimeter look like they are here to stay

  • 10:45 1st quarter they run a true isolation for them to drive downhill with his right hand with only Beasley in that corner (to hold his defender from helping)

    • Has one in early offense a couple possessions later and gets to the FT line and makes 2, YAY!!! (for the 2 FTM)

    • Grab and Go no pass dunk mid 1st quarter

    • These have not been nearly as fruitful in the 2nd quarter, I just think they need to have a little more discretion with how much they are used

  • Continue to mention it but I do think it’s an important development with the drop behind on the DHO

    • This leads teammates right into shots or example from this game it allows Sasser to start his drive downhill

• THJ getting some buckets inside the 3P line to start the game, will this get his 3P game going?

• FONTECCHIO should get some legit minutes tonight with the injuries

  • Stay with that C&S, hits back to back, love it

  • Said this with him in a different game but MAYBE these buckets at the end of the game can springboard his scoring into the meaningful minutes ahead

• HOLLAND with a really nice HC drive and dunk

  • Would love seeing him translate more and more of what we have seen in transition to the HC

    • Nice move 9:30 4th quarter with an attack out of the corner and plays on two feet and shows some footwork….this is where these “garbage” minutes can be useful

    • Has another around 5:45 4th quarter where he is able to go to that euro step we have seen him use in transition

  • Even hits a couple C&S 3P

  • The game was “over” and the intensity was dead but I do think this stretch in the 4th quarter is the IDEA of what he COULD be on the offensive end

• SASSER has come in and got buckets and a few at the basket

  • Leveraging shooting into drives and some nice off the ball cuts

• BEASLEY continues to get some nice off ball actions run for him

  • Pays off two of them with makes tonight

• STEW looks like he has put quite a bit of extra arc on the jump shot

Grizzlies

• Pippen Jr., Bane, Wells, JJJ, Clarke

  • This team moves off the ball so well, you better be locked in defensively or you are going to give up a backdoor or relocation 3P

    • They move off the ball and keep as good of spacing as about any team in the NBA

  • They are so disruptive defensively

    • 15th in steals but they seem more active than that and 1st in blocks

• JJJ with some really nice left hand finishes to start the game

  • The offensive usage last season was too much for him but perhaps it will translate into this season and him being more effective offensively in a smaller offensive role

  • Make that 3 left hand finishes and has some nice stuff off the dribble

    • He’s so strong that it’s just hard to stay in front of him if he gets any sort of advantage

  • Idk how that jump shot ever goes in

• WELLS is not shy, playing with ultimate confidence as a rookie

  • Rightfully so as the %s are pretty good

  • Misses a few shots in the 1st half but stays confident into the 2nd half and knocks down his first two 3PAs including an ELITE off ball relocation weakside hammer

• BANE actually been hurting them off the dribble more than from the 3P line to start the game

  • Over 50% from 2P coming into the game

• LARAVIA has been playing extremely well for them

  • 48-39 shooting to go along with 5 RPG and 4 APG off the bench

  • Really good cutter has he has got them on backdoors twice already in the 1st half

    • ELITE off the ball mover tonight

  • Man, he is shooting with some insane confidence and efficiency right now

• SMART has changed the energy of the game as soon as he entered

  • Couple drive and kicks, 3PM, steal, great defensive possession vs Stew, OREB

  • Does this end up being his role for the team coming off the bench?

  • He has taken this game over in the 1st half

  • Not sure he is going to make a lot of these shots moving forward but he get on one tonight

    • 20% from 3P line to start the year

• PIPPEN JR. and HUFF have been awesome for them this year and they started the season on two ways

  • Pippen Jr. never seems like he is out of control or sped up

  • Has had some really nice defensive disruption at the point of attack as well