11/14 Utah vs. Memphis
7:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass
Opponent record: 4-5
Season series: Tied 0-0
While the Memphis Grizzlies have been long considered a staple playoff team, 2016-17 has seen them get off to a rough start. Under the leadership of new head coach David Fizdale, the Grizzlies hoped to improve beyond their reputation as just a tough, grind-it-out squad to a formidable Western Conference force.
So far, however, that hasn’t quite been the case.
Memphis’ schedule has been relatively easy overall so far, nevertheless they hold just a 4-5 record to start out the year. They’ve lost to the likes of the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and the decent but not spectacular Milwaukee Bucks. They also have yet to beat a team with a winning record, with their four wins coming over the Wolves, Wizards, Pelicans and Nuggets.
And that most recent win over the Nuggets came in miraculous fashion as Marc Gasol was able to tip in the winner with 0.7 seconds left on the clock.
Needless to say, by looking at the two teams’ results so far, the Jazz should hold the edge in this match-up. The Grizzlies rank in the bottom ten in the league in points per game (27th), rebounds per game (28th) and assists per game (22nd) and haven’t been the defensive force that NBA fans have grown accustomed to so far this year, ranking just 14th in opponent points per game.
Unsurprisingly, the Grizzlies have been led by point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol who are averaging 18.8 and 18.1 points per game, respectively. As those two go, typically so do the Grizzlies.
If Utah is able to keep that dynamic duo in check, then a win over Memphis shouldn’t be too tough to come by. Unfortunately, George Hill and Derrick Favors, two of the key pieces for slowing them down, are both questionable for Monday’s bout. Hill has now missed four straight games with a sprained thumb and Favors left Saturday’s contest against the Heat with knee soreness.
With the status of both of those key players currently up in the air, it’s really going make this whole predicting business tricky, but nevertheless given the Grizzlies’ slow start in adjusting to a new coach and style of play, I feel confident that their difficulty against teams with winning records will continue and that the 7-4 Jazz will be able to take care of business on their home court.
While it will be tough if Hill and Favors are not on the floor, regardless of who plays this will likely be a slow-paced, methodical and low-scoring game in which the Jazz ought to be able to come out on top.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 88, Memphis 81