A transition to a smaller lineup and quicker tempo is lifting the Grizzlies. But they still rely on their big man in the middle Marc Gasol. Memphis and Chicago square off in a battle of the Gasol brothers Wednesday with Pau’s Bulls riding a three-game winning streak.
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LOOK AHEAD
Things have taken a turn for the worse in Memphis. Coach Dave Joerger moved iconic players Zach Randolph and Tony Allen to the bench and changed three of his five starters after the Grizzlies were blown out at home by the Charlotte Hornets. The lineup change may have been a way to shake up a struggling team, as a response to changing styles of play around the league and his team’s inability to adjust. Joerger shifted Jeff Green to power forward and inserted Matt Barnes and Courtney Lee on the wings. The Griz lost at Miami on Sunday. They went small again Monday against the Wizards and the results were more favorable. Barnes scored 20 points on just nine shots. The Grizzlies shot 67 percent from behind the three-point line. Marc Gasol had 24 and 12 while Mike Conley added 18 and 11. It’s obvious the Grizzlies are better with Barnes and Lee as starters. It will be interesting to see how the experiment plays out because the Griz haven’t had a lot of experience with this pace or style. We will see if small-ball can change the direction of the Memphis basketball franchise.
INJURIES
Tony Allen sat out Monday’s game with a knee injury and is questionable to play when the Grizzlies visit Chicago. He hurt his knee in warm-ups prior to Sunday’s game against Miami and was a late scratch for that game.
After experiencing a setback in his recovery from offseason back surgery, Bulls guard Mike Dunleavy isn’t expected to resume on-court work for another four to six weeks. Dunleavy has yet to play in a game this season and there is no timetable for his return to the lineup.
KEY MATCHUP
No one ever doubted Doug McDermott’s ability to shoot and score the basketball. Since finding a regular spot in the Bull’s rotation, he’s shown more of the dead eye shooting that won him the National College Player of the Year award at Creighton. He’s in the top 10 in three-point field goal percentage and has shouldered the shooting load for the injured Dunleavy and struggling Nikola Mirotic. He’s been lethal on the wing and has knocked down shoots with minimal amounts of space. He’s been effective both in transition as well as coming off screens, and coach Fred Hoiberg seems intent on getting him open in whatever way possible. McDermott is thriving in the new coach’s scheme. His minutes have doubled and his points per game have tripled. Right now, the only flaw in his game, and what will keep him off the floor in crunch time, is his defense. But for offense, McDermott has delivered. He will have a big size advantage against the Griz and while he’s more of a perimeter shooter, he is taking the ball to the hole more. That could benefit his scoring number against Memphis.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
Bulls’ guard Derrick Rose has been unmasked and he’s happy about it. The shield that protected his orbital bone is finally gone and while Rose isn’t sure if his game will improve, at least his ego got massaged. And with the mask removed from the former MVP’s face, maybe his shooting eye will improve. That will definitely help Chicago. The Bulls have been wildly inconsistent this NBA season but they are riding a three-game winning streak heading into the Gasol Game. At 14-8 SU they are second in the Eastern Conference, but just 8-14 ATS. The Grizzlies are a team in transition right now. Moving away from the grind-it-out style that is all but extinct in today’s game. The small-ball era in Memphis got off to a rough start but a win over Washington on Monday is a step in the right direction. However, the switch will likely take some time and Chicago is better than the Wizards.
Chicago 105, Memphis 98
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