| 23 December 2008
It is with great pleasure that I welcome Chip Crain from 3 Shades of Blue (bloguin Memphis Grizzlies blog) to opine on the game tomorrow, when Memphis host the LA Lakers. Take it away Chip!
It really isn't that difficult to beat the Lakers this season.
Sure they have a dominating interior game, some solid play on the perimeter and their bench is strong but it isn't that difficult to beat the Lakers if you can do one thing: get their starting bigs in foul trouble and force them to beat you on the outside.
Wait a minute.
We aren't talking about my son's fifth grade basketball team are we. We're talking about the real Lakers. That's a totally different situation.
For the Grizzlies to beat the Los Angeles Lakers takes a totally different set of circumstances. Sure they still need to get their big men in foul trouble but to do that they need to be the more aggressive team, something the Memphis Grizzlies have been sporadic doing. They also can't allow the Lakers perimeter game to get a good flow going because they can make the perimeter shots. Most importantly the Grizzlies need to get Kobe thinking he can beat them by himself.
Kobe is capable of beating the Grizzlies by himself but they have no chance of beating the Lakers if everyone else is involved. If Kobe does beat them then so be it. If the Lakers beat the Grizzlies then they have no one to blame but themselves.
So how do the Grizzlies stop the others from getting involved?
Most importantly the Grizzlies have to get Pau Gasol out of his game.
Pau is returning home in this game but he has been susceptible to the Memphis fans booing him in the past. If the fans get under his skin he might withdraw into his shell again.
Gasol is the missing link for the Lakers triangle offense. He is an excellent low post scorer, passer and a threat out to about 15 feet. He is nearly impossible to stop one on one and if you double him then that leaves Kobe open.
That is not a recipe for success.
This job should fall onto Darko Milicic. Darko has been a defensive stopper this season and is growing into a decent offensive player as well. It has taken Darko a long time to find his place in this league but he seems to be getting more and more comfortable in his role in Memphis. He has to be ready to bang Gasol inside. Pau has never liked being physical and Darko is best when he is getting physical with players.
The other major threat is Derek Fisher. Especially when Derek Fisher is playing in front of his family like he will be in this game.
The Grizzlies have seen how motivated Fisher can get playing in Memphis and in front of his family. He destroyed the Grizzlies last year with his three point shooting. If he is that hot again there is little Memphis can do. They need to shut him down and that means Kyle Lowry getting in his face. Lowry likes doing that so it shouldn't be a problem but Kyle has to stick to his man. If he leaves Fisher to help out elsewhere it will allow Fisher to get open looks and he will drain them all night.
Andrew Bynum is not exactly a dominant offensive player but he can score when allowed to set up around the basket. This will be Marc Gasol's responsibility. Gasol has frustrated many a NBA big man this year with his technical skill and physical play on the interior. So that isn't seen as a problem. The Lakers starters aren't exactly the slashing type of players so Gasol's foot speed shouldn't be that big of a factor either. Gasol would do well to use his offensive skills to get Bynum into foul trouble as well. Marc is more skilled than people realize and Bynum has been known to bite on a fake or two. Getting one of the big men out of the game with foul trouble would be very helpful and Pau isn't going to be that man.
That leaves the one weapon Memphis has that should be a strong advantage over the Lakers. Rudy Gay is too athletic for Luke Walton to handle and Trevor Ariza hasn't got the offensive game to expose Rudy on the defensive end.
If the Grizzlies plan on forcing Bryant to beat them by himself then Rudy will need to force the Lakers to double him if the Grizzlies want to win. He is capable of having that kind of impact on a game and he will need to do so tonight.
The bench play will be interesting. Quinton Ross has the speed and defensive intensity to harass Ariza. Conley is too fast for Farmar to stay in front of so he will need to be aggressive with the ball. Sasha has not been on his game all season so he shouldn't be a factor tonight either. That leaves Lamar Odom. Odom has been known to drift at times and he will need to be disinterested tonight for the Grizzlies. Hakim Warrick will get his points but can he keep Odom from getting his? So what do the Grizzlies need? They need Pau to be emotionally lost, Bynum to get into foul trouble, Odom to play like he doesn't care and Kobe to start thinking he has to do it all himself against O J Mayo who will be tough on him all night.
Is it possible? Yes.
Would I bet on the Grizzlies?
No.
Further thoughts from Chip on the game can be found at 3 Shades of Blue in his preview of the game...
