This Is NOT What We Expected… | Daily Grizzlies News & Rumors

This Is NOT What We Expected… | Daily Grizzlies News & Rumors

Welcome back to this edition of Grizzies Daily. I’m your host Malik and we actually got a pretty good topic to talk about today. Uh really wanted to touch on these teams because as you know the schedule has come out and it’s very important to really get an outlook now with the season ahead and obviously one thing that needs to be touched on is the fact that the Grizzlies are in one of the most evolving young divisions out right now with the Southwest division. You got the Spurs up and coming. You obviously got the Rockets with Kevin Durant. Um, you got the Dallas Mavericks with Coopa Flag, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving who was currently out on injury. And then you got the Pelicans who made some moves in the offseason, but still kind of at the bottom of the barrel. So, really just have to kind of look out for those teams. But one thing that I really wanted to touch on was the fact that with this evolving division, the Grizzlies are definitely going to be competing with a team like the Houston Rockets who, you know, moved on from Jaylen Green and Dylan Brooks and Kevin Durant. They still have Fred Van Bleed, obviously, Alvin Sunungon, and then you have other guys on the team that can help like Jabari Smith and just play players like that. And I definitely do think the Grizzlies need to definitely look out for teams like that. Obviously, if you look at last year, the Rockets were the second seed and then in the Grizzlies head-to-head, they were one and three against the Rockets. One of those games really being a blowout, but other than that, the rest the other three being very, very close games. So, it’s very, very, very, very What am I trying to say? Sorry, y’all. I got a bit of a cold, but it’s compelling to see these teams improve dramatically. I definitely do think the Rockets got a little bit better with having Kevin Durant. I don’t think it puts them above other teams necessarily, but I definitely do think it makes them a little bit better because obviously if you look at the Rockets, Jaylen Green did not play good in the playoffs. Uh went very cold. Uh Shenon had some had to basically kind of carry the load. Even Fred Van Lee was called carrying the load sometimes. So definitely have to look out for things like that. But as far as the GR is, I think as long as they stay healthy, they keep keep, you know, the offense going, especially incorporating guys like Zack Edy because in those matchups, you weren’t able to incorporate Zack Edy or at least Taylor Jenkins, who was the coach at the time, didn’t know how to. So, you definitely have to look out for that. You got guys like Jiren who’s steadily improving when it comes to his uh post paint presence. So, definitely got to look out for that. And then you obviously got John, Jaylen Wells, and whoever they decide to start the three, whether it’s Contavius Cowwell Pope, Cedric Coward, whoever it is. So definitely got to look out for those kind of things. But one thing I did want to say, uh, and this to me, I know we’ve touched on, you know, the offense, health, all these things with the Grizzlies, but I think over the course of time, and I’ve thought about it, you really have to think about the fact that defense is going to push this team further than anything. I have it pulled up right here, a stat that I saw. Um, it was it’s uh by NBA University. were the top 15 defenders faced by Giannis uh last season. And no surprise, number one, Jiren Jackson Jr., he let he uh held Giannis in 58 possessions held Giannis to 10.4 points uh average and about six assists and two and basically three turnovers. And the true student true shooting percentage was at 40 and a half%. So when you we look at that and this is counting stats per 75 possessions of course. So um when you look at that you definitely look at how you know defense can go a long way. I mean we looked at we looked at uh when the Grizzlies played the played the Bucks and Jiren Jackson went for 37. Not saying he he, you know, locked down Giannis, but him composing Giannis and calming his game down definitely helped the team get the win in that game. I vividly remember that game because Jiren Jackson Jr. did everything on the floor. The only thing obviously he didn’t really do was rebounding, but in that kind of game, you didn’t really you didn’t necessarily you weren’t in a dire need for it. So, that’s one thing that really sticks out to me about Jiren. So, I do definitely think if he did touch up on rebounding, we’re talking a different game. But, um, Jiren Jackson Jr., he’s got to be the driving force in that defense. He is, but we have to really really think about, you know, going forward saying, “Hey, you got to you got to, you know, lead the defense, lead the team, and simply get everybody on the same page.” Because once everybody’s on the same page, that not only affects the paint, but it also affects the perimeter. Because one thing about the Grizzlies, they were not a good perimeter team last year. When it came to perimeter defense, they were not good. There were times where the Grizzlies let up at least I think at one point there were multiple games in a row where the Grizzlies allowed at least 15 threes a game. So, you really have to look out for that. And I think as long as you get the perimeter unlocked, we’re talking a different ball game. I mean, let’s be honest. If the perimeter was unlocked, who says that, you know, Steph Curry does what he does in the playin tournament or, you know, the OKC Thunder absolutely blow the Grizzlies out, I’m not going to say that changes the result, but who’s to say that they blow the Grizzlies out the way that they did in that first round series. you know, as long as that as long as that perimeter defense is on lock, guys are switching, guys aren’t leaving the man open because that was a bad tendency for the Grizzlies, guys leaving a man open and then leading the open threes or simply just not playing the pick and roll properly. That was one thing that I really have my concerns about with Zagi and it did come into fruition. That’s something that I hope they improve on, especially with him. But as long as they get the underass, I think we’re talking a different ball game with the Grizzlies. And we’re looking at a team that definitely can make some noise more than what we’ve seen in the past because that’s one thing that’s always stuck out with the Grizzlies is the perimeter defense always isn’t that good. And they have a bad tendency to play defense with fouling. I mean, they don’t usually play defense without fouling. Granted, that may be from the referees or just physical defense that’s not allowed. Who knows? But it’s definitely something that come this off season and training camp, the Grizz need to be in tip-top shape of. If not, we’re stuck in this plateau that we’ve been in since 2022. So definitely have to look out for something like that. Now, something that I wanted to touch on, um, obviously, you know, Grizzlies not expected to have Zack Edi at the start of the season and possibility of Jiren Jackson Jr. not being ready. Uh, I say possibility because we don’t have any real updates on him. And not to mention, he’s making very good progress. So, there’s good possibility that he may actually uh be ready by the beginning of the season. Who knows? But uh I really wanted to touch on who can take advantage of the opportunity to step in place or at least help the team more than what we already uh know. and one of those players that I think out of anybody, more than Cedric Coward, more than Jamaak, if he ever gets called up, more than a GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells, I think the one person that can absolutely step up for the Grizzlies is Cam Spencer. I feel like Cam Spencer is due for a breakout year. I’m very high on Ken Spencer’s game. He has great leadership for a young guy. He’s got championship pedigree obviously the ship for somebody at his uh young age. Then you have uh his ability to shoot which on display which was on display in summer league. Some games he shot heavy some games he didn’t. But if you remember summer league the team was very heavy on Ken Spencer shooting the ball a lot. So that’s something that with his men that’s more than likely coming off the bench, you really have to take into account because volume I think if as long as you’re a good shooter, volume matters because you don’t want a situation like Luke Canard where you know he is suddenly afraid to shoot the ball and that’s not good because the Grizzlies signed you to shoot the ball. Now, luckily, uh, Ken Spencer doesn’t seem to have that issue. And at least with Ken Spencer, his playmaking makes up for a lot of the things he can’t do on the court, which isn’t many, but it definitely makes up for it. And he’s a solid defender as well. Solid wing defender. So, that’s something that you really, really love to see from a guy like him. And especially with a team like this, as we said, perimeter defense, Ken Spencer is very, very good at that. So, can’t wait to see Ken Spencer. really hope he uh sticks out this year for the Grizzlies because I definitely think he can make a big impact and even last year in the games that he played, he made a solid impact, you know, the whole situation in the Suns game with KD and just going forward. So hopefully the team gets him the necessary minutes so he can truly develop into this breakout player that the Grizzlies can definitely take advantage of in a long-term run. And um speaking of Grizzlies, uh just a slight little thing before we head out, um did see a video on Twitter of Tai Jerome working on I believe his jumper more than anything in the offseason workout. And honestly, this is good to me. I believe it was with Chris Brinkley. But um love to see it because one thing about Taj Jerome is I’m very big on him being on on the Grizzlies. But one thing I heard from Cass fans that really really just stuck out to me was the fact that um obviously last year in the playoffs, Tai Jerome did had a very quiet quiet two series um for the for the Cavs and he did not shoot very well. But but in this video it definitely looks like he is working on shooting a little quicker which is something that uh you always love to see. You always love to see guys, you know, trying to shoot the ball a lot faster and efficiently. And one thing about Taj Rome is these are not tough shots. So, the fact that they’re working on this lets me know that they’re really prepared for anything and they’re trying to expand his game more than just that spot-up shooter role that he can play. He’s also a very good catch and shooter and he’s somewhat he’s always a good uh shooter off the dribble. I don’t really know how much to an extent that is. I mostly remember Taj back when he was in Virginia. So, um, you know, definitely just something to look out for, but I definitely do think Tajome is someone worth looking out for, especially coming off the bench and simply making an impact along a guy like Scotty Pippen Jr. cuz that’s more than likely going to be the one and two rotation right there. So, definitely got to look out for Ty Jerome. Definitely glad to see he’s expanding his game and hopefully he can consider excuse me hopefully he can keep that consistent shooting going on throughout the entire season and into the postseason if the Grizzlies make it which I do think they will. So definitely looking forward to Ty Jas what he can bring in this new era for him in Memphis. That’s for this edition of Grizzly Daily. That is a wrap. I appreciate y’all for joining in. Sorry about the silences if you keep hearing sniffling. We just got to make things work how they work. Uh, if you like this video, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe. Turn on post notifications so you get notified anytime we upload right here on Grace’s Daily.

Who do you want the Grizzlies to add to the roster? Let me know what you think in the comments section down below!

Grizzlies Daily is not endorsed, sponsored by, or affiliated with the NBA or its 30 teams. The content of our videos is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. All teams and players shown and covered in our videos are registered trademarks of the NBA and its respective teams. The use of any team names, words, trademarks, logos or photos have been used for descriptive purposes only.

Welcome to Grizzlies Daily – your ultimate destination for all things Memphis Grizzlies! Join lifelong Grizzlies fan Melek Robinson as he brings you daily content packed with the latest news, insights, and rumors surrounding your favorite NBA team. From game recaps and player analysis to trade rumors and exclusive interviews, we cover it all to keep Nuggets fans informed and engaged.

Hit that subscribe button and ring the bell for daily updates and join Melek on this exciting journey as we cheer on our Grizzlies together!! 🏀