Clinging to 5th place by one-half game and desperate for a win the Cavs host the 27-52 Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are a crippled team with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Jaren Jackson, and Desmond Bane out with injuries. Those are their four leading scorers and they combine to average 86 points, 18 rebounds, and 20 assists per game.
In addition, Luke Kennard, Yuta Watanable, Lamar Stevens, Jake LaRavia, Vince Williams, John Konchar, and Santi Aldama did not play last night and are listed as game time decisions. In that game the Grizzlies only scored 87 points in a home loss to San Antonio. In their previous game they lost by 20 to Philly, scoring only 96 points.
Last night the Grizzlies started PG Scottie Pippen Jr and C Trey Jemison. Both are two-way players. Pippen has played pretty well in 17 games, shooting 50% overall and 47% on 3’s, averaging 11.5 points in 24 minutes. Jemison averages 7.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. He’s a 24-year-old undrafted rookie who has played in 21 NBA games. He’s 6’11”, 260, however, so he's got some size going for him.
They also started PF Brandon Clarke, a 5-year veteran who has played in only five games this year, averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes. They also started GG Jackson, a 6”9” forward, who averages 13.4 points in 25 minutes. Jackson is a 19-year-old rookie 2nd round pick.
Their last starter was 6’4” guard Jordan Goodwin, a second-year pro averaging 9.2 points on 37% overall and 32% on 3’s. If none of the players who missed last night’s game are able to play, this is the Grizzlies starting lineup.
Their bench last night consisted of Timmy Allen, a 24-year-old rookie playing his first game who scored 2 points in 26 minutes, Xavier Simpson, a 27-year-old point guard who has played in seven NBA games, and Jack White, former guitarist and lead singer for the White Stripes.
OK, just kidding, this is a different Jack White. He’s a 26-year-old rookie averaging 1.2 points in 4 minutes per game.
Bottom line is this is a pathetic Memphis team unless a bunch of these injured guys who were out last night recover in time for tonight’s game. This is no Seven Nation Army.
For the Cavs, Wade is out, Merrill is a game time decision, and Mitchell is not on the injury list.
Memphis ranks last in the NBA in scoring and with all the injuries they’re even worse. They scored 87 and 96 points their last two games. They are much better defensively, ranking 11th in points allowed per game, although they won't have shot blocker extraordinaire Jaren Jackson Jr, who has a DPOY to his name.
The Grizzlies played in Memphis last night so they are on the second night of a back-to-back with travel while the Cavs have been off for two days after gagging away a 26-point second half lead against the Clippers. The game is meaningless to the lottery bound Clippers but when guys who have been riding the pines or playing in the G League get a chance to start they tend to play like their lives depend on it. They know there are millions of dollars on the table if they can carve out a role in the NBA, even if they never start.
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