At a certain point the Memphis Grizzlies will have shown us almost every conceivable way to lose. This one was the "injury induced and a lack of fire power down the stretch" game. JB Bickerstaff might classify this as the "referee botched 8-second call" game. Or how about Wednesday's game in Minneapolis? The "dagger 2-pointer game". Or Monday night? The "blow a massive lead at home with your star point guard dribbling the ball off his leg" game. We've seen it all. Final Friday night: Charlotte Hornets 100 Memphis Grizzlies 92
Friday night we had the chance to hear all the Grizzlies cliches rolled out once again. "We had our chances to win." Sound familiar? They didn't say it. They didn't need to. We all know it.
At a certain point you have to simply win games. This Grizzlies team was supposed to be assembled to win more (or equal to the number of their losses). It's not happening.
So that leaves us with a front office floating Marc Gasol and Mike Conley out there on the trade block as the trade deadline approaches.
Combine that with news that now Omri Casspi is out with knee surgery that apparently happened Friday. Dillon Brooks. Chandler Parsons. Oh, and let's go ahead and hold out Conley and Jaren Jackson Friday night. Worse off? You could say that.
But yes, the Grizzlies did....claw Friday. Ironically the best +/- performers were the clawing and scratching Joakim Noah, with a double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds), and a guy on a 10-deal (Bruno Caboclo). Caboclo will likely earn a second 10-day contract. Bruno played solid defense along with 7 points and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. But +/- isn't the whole story as we know. Justin Holiday had 15 points in 34 minutes. Wildly the most fire power the Grizzlies could offer was 19 points from Shelvin Mack. That's frightening.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 23 points and Marvin Williams chipped in 16. The Grizzlies simply couldn't match Charlotte's fire power down the stretch and they need help. Memphis will likely get it Sunday at noon (CST) as they play an awful Knicks team that's all in for free agency & the Zion sweepstakes this summer.
COVERAGE: Grizzlies Network Pregame Sunday at 11:30 a.m. LIVE on 92.9 FM ESPN. Tip at 12 p.m. with Eric Hasseltine on the call from Madison Square Garden.
