On paper, the Memphis Grizzlies are among the most interesting of squads.
While they rank 7th in the NBA in scoring and have three players averaging at least 20 points (O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph), they are 30th (that’d be last) in the NBA in points allowed (115.2) and 29th in both opponent field goal percentage (50.5 percent), three-point percentage and assists per game. Translation: they don’t play good defense.
There’s a reason, after all, that Memphis is 1-4 on the season.
Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw put it like this: the Grizzlies play offense downhill and defense up hill.
Yet that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous, particularly in the likely absence of starting center Andrew Bynum (elbow) and power forward Pau Gasol (hamstring), both of whom are listed as doubtful.
For more on the matchup, check out our (above) pregame video with Shaw.
Lakers.com’s Ty Nowell had the camera rolling during Pau Gasol’s post-practice workout on Thursday afternoon, which shows the nimble seven-footer to be moving quite well.
Over on the main website, we took a closer look at Gasol’s hamstring and Andrew Bynum’s elbow, with video from the two seven footers, plus Phil Jackson and Lamar Odom.
After Monday’s practice at L.A.’s facility in El Segundo, Phil Jackson provided an injury update for his three players on the MASH list:
Lamar Odom: The small forward, who suffered a bruised shin against Sacramento on Thursday in Las Vegas, participated almost fully in practice and is probable for Tuesday night’s game in Ontario, CA, against Golden State. Odom confirmed that he was feeling better after a few days of ice and stim.
Pau Gasol: Gasol, who tweaked a hamstring and first missed practice on Tuesday, Oct. 13, was a limited participant in practice but is listed as doubtful to face the Warriors.
Luke Walton: Like Gasol, Walton first missed practice last Tuesday, and is also doubtful for the Ontario game.
The next chance for Gasol and Walton to play will be on Thursday in Anaheim when the Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets, though Jackson has said that team’s priority is getting each Lakers’ player ready for the Oct. 27 season opener.
It’s quickly becoming the running theme of the 2009 preseason, but here’s another big dunk by Shannon Brown, this time on the breakaway against the Clippers on Sunday night.
That L.A. managed to go 3-2 in Las Vegas with just one player assured a spot on L.A.’s regular season roster, the lowest of any team at the Summer League, was an impressive feat for SL Head Coach Chucky Brown and assistant Rasheed Hazzard. We spent a few minutes with Brown prior to L.A.’s final game to talk about Adam Morrison’s week (Morrison missed the final game with the stomach flu), Hazzard’s help with implementing the triangle and Brown’s pride regarding his team’s effort.
As we saw during L.A.’s fourth Summer League game in Las Vegas, each NBA franchise sending a squad to Sin City has a different goal, depending primarily on that team’s roster heading into the 2009-10 season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (0-2) - a team building for what looks to be a bright future - falls among those squads eager for a first look at their first-round picks (James Harden and B.J. Mullens in this case), looking for an early indication of how they’ll fit in with the senior squad.
The championship-winning Lakers (3-1), on the other hand, sold their first two picks and, based on the minute distribution and the way the offense was run, were primarily interested in the health and form of signed-through-next-season Adam Morrison.
Morrison, who came into the game averaging 22 points in his previous three, again led the Lakers in scoring with 17 points, even though he needed 18 attempts to get there (5-of-18) in a come-from-behind 74-68 win.
“I wasn’t happy with how I played tonight, but I’m glad we got the win,” said Morrison, who added five boards, two assists and two steals. “Overall I feel pretty good and am glad to be getting some good minutes on the floor.”
Morrison, who said his health is no longer an issue, moved quite well in an active 34 minutes, and his stroke looked pure the few times he managed to find space against an athletic Thunder defense that keyed on him doggedly. At least six players on OKC’s Summer League roster will play for the big squad, which gave the Thunder a distinct edge in on-paper talent.
Still, the teams went back-and-forth through the first three quarters with the Thunder up five heading into the final period, but the Lakers outscored their opponents 23-12 in the period to steal the contest. L.A. turned it on in a big way in the final two minutes, highlighted by a 6-0 run capped by a Ben McCauley reverse lay-up with 24 seconds left that sealed the game.
“It was good to come out with a win using our team concepts,” said Lakers Summer League Head Coach Chucky Brown. “Adam is our best scorer, and we wanted to get him the ball.”
That they did, but OKC countered with Kyle Weaver - who started and guarded Kobe Bryant in the regular season - to chase Morrison all over the place. The former No. 3 overall pick out of Gonzaga saw frequent double and triple teams particularly when he got into the paint, resulting in a tough night from the field even as he kept his average at 20.8 per game in Vegas.
“They were doubling (Morrison), but I thought Adam did a good job,” said Brown. “I thought he got hit on the arm a few times … They just tried to take him away from us because he’s our biggest scorer.”
Though L.A. lacked OKC’s athleticism, they didn’t lack for effort, typified by second round pick Chinemelu Elonu’s game-high eight rebounds, plus 14 steals that signaled 23 Thunder turnovers.
“We wanted to turn up the defensive pressure in the second half, and we were able to do that,” said Brown, whose team opened the half on an 11-2 run and caused 12 of OKC’s TO’s in the second half.
That helped the Lakers overcome a poor shooting night all around (41.4 percent) even as OKC hit 52.8 percent of its shots, led by an excellent 9-of-14 for 23 James Harden points. Fellow rookie Mullens added 10 points, five boards and five blocks for the Thunder.
With that, both teams essentially got what they were looking for at the Summer League: A flash of young talent for OKC and a heavy dose of minutes for Morrison.
L.A.’s final game comes against Houston on Thursday evening.
We didn’t let Josh Powell do too many interviews at media availability on Saturday before pulling him aside … Not when we had his first career 3-pointer, Kobe’s snarl and Lil’ Wayne to talk about.
Ever wonder how that giant Larry O’Brien trophy gets applied to the center court of the Finals team’s floor? We set up a camera high above the STAPLES Center floor and let it roll to show everyone just how they do it… all in 47 seconds.
