After playing 3 games in 4 days the Cavs get a day off at home before hosting the Memphis Grizzlies. This will be their first game of the season against a Western Conference team. Memphis is 4-9 overall and has been in a tailspin recently, losing 7 of their last 8 with the lone win coming at home against the 4-9 Mavericks. The Grizzlies are 1-4 on the road. Their point differential is -7.9 which ranks 25th.
Ja Morant is averaging 19 points and 8 assists, but he’s shooting a horrid 35% from the field and 17% on 3’s. He’s only 26 and a perennial All-Star when healthy, but he’s only played in 59 games the last two years combined. I wonder if the injuries are starting to take their toll on the 174-pound point guard. He’s 14-for-52 from the field in his last three games and is 9-for-60 on 3’s this year.
Jaren Jackson Jr, 6’10”, 240, is having a nice year at 17 points per game on 51% from the field and 40% on 3’s. Cedric Coward, a small forward, has a slash line of 14/6/3 on 48% overall and 38% on 3’s. Santi Aldama, 7’0”, 215, averages 13 points and C Jock Landale, 6’11”, 255, averages 11 points.
The Grizzlies just don’t shoot well as they average 112.8 ppg, good for 25th. They make just 43.5% of their shots and an abysmal 33.2% from deep, which ranks 26th. They take a lot of shots, ranking 13th in field goal attempts per game, but don’t make many. They are 10th in 3-point rate but only 26th in 3-point accuracy. They might as well shoot 3's as they are 27th in 2-point accuracy.
They play with a fast pace, ranking 8th, and they move the ball, ranking 9th in assists per possession, but they just don’t shoot well. They’re 23rd in offensive rebound percentage so it’s not like they get a lot of putbacks from all those misses. In fact, they’re last in second chance points scored per missed shot.
Defensively they rank 22nd in points allowed per game, 25th in points in the paint, and 26th in opponents’ effective field goal percentage. They’re below average across the board defensively with the exception of rebounding where they rank 12th in defensive rebound percentage.
NBA.com has the Grizzlies ranked 22nd and the Cavs 5th.
Prior to Sunday, the Grizzlies were undefeated when they had shot the league average (35.8%) or better from 3-point range, but had done so in only three of their 10 games…Morant was 1-for-9 inside and over his last five games, he has an effective field goal percentage of just 29.3%, the worst five-game stretch of his career.
I guess we better hope the Grizzlies don’t shoot 36% or better from deep.
The Cavs will have Lonzo Ball back. Garland and Tyson will miss this game.
Injury Report
CLEVELAND
Darius Garland - OUT (toe)
Jaylon Tyson - OUT (concussion)
Max Strus - OUT (foot)
MEMPHIS
Olivier Maxence-Proper - QUESTIONABLE (quad)
Cedric Coward - DOUBTFUL (foot)
Javon Small - OUT (toe)
Scottie Pippen Jr - OUT (toe)
Ty Jerome - OUT (calf)
Brandon Clarke - OUT (knee)
Zach Edey - OUT (ankle)