“ This is fucking embarrassing! » Marcus Smart’s rant, seeking to shake up his playing partners during the game, circulated a lot on the web. A speech which did not prevent the Grizzlies from losing heavily on their floor against the Wolves (97-119), but welcome all the same.
Entangled in a chaotic start to the season (3 wins with 16 matches), with a current series of three defeats in a row with at least 20 points behind, the Memphis players have communication problems.
“ I’ve been saying it from the beginning, but I don’t know when it will resonate. If we don’t talk on defense, there’s no chance we’ll win these games “, fatally delivered Derrick Rose. The team veteran’s observation echoes that of their coach, Taylor Jenkins, who calls for better communication between his players.
“ We talk about it all the time, it’s not one guy’s responsibility to be the focal point on defense. All five guys have to be on the same wavelength, we practice it in training “, notes the coach taking the example of an isolation situation with three defenders on the opposite side who must be ready to ensure rotations. “ Are they communicating with the player on the ball? When we do our rotations? Who are the shooters, the non-shooters… »
Everyone’s business
And this issue obviously does not only concern the players on the field. “ It’s the business of the backs, the interiors, the bench, the coaches. But there are only five players on the pitch, so we have to take responsibility and do it on both ends of the pitch. Communication is the first step to forming a good team », Also asks the team’s top scorer, Desmond Bane.
The latter is one of the last executives present in a private formation of Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, Luke Kennard and Xavier Tillman. That is three starters, and the 6th and 7th men of the team. So many absences that weigh on the fluidity of the Grizzlies.
Still in office, the reigning defender of the year, Jaren Jackson Jr., recalls that he and his teammates must be more “ on the same wavelength because everything is much more critical when players are missing. We can’t make the little mistakes that we could avoid. […] When you’re not at full strength, you have to be more precise, and the little things will count a little more. »
His team hosts the Jazz next night, before embarking on a delicate mini “road trip” (Dallas, Phoenix and Detroit).
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Desmond Bane | 16 | 34.1 | 44.2 | 35.9 | 87.1 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 23.6 |
| Jaren Jackson, Jr. | 16 | 31.3 | 41.1 | 29.6 | 81.4 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 6.1 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 19.4 |
| Santi Aldama | 10 | 26.5 | 44.6 | 33.3 | 58.8 | 1.2 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 14.6 |
| Marcus Smart | 11 | 29.9 | 42.9 | 29.5 | 81.0 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 12.5 |
| Derrick Rose | 8 | 17.8 | 44.6 | 50.0 | 84.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 9.6 |
| Xavier Tillman, Sr. | 7 | 25.8 | 42.2 | 35.0 | 44.4 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 9.3 |
| Ziaire Williams | 15 | 23.0 | 36.6 | 31.1 | 87.5 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 8.7 |
| Luke Kennard | 8 | 21.5 | 36.2 | 37.0 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 8.3 |
| David Roddy | 16 | 23.3 | 43.0 | 25.5 | 66.7 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 7.9 |
| Bismack Biyombo | 11 | 25.9 | 59.3 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 7.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 7.5 |
| Jacob Gilyard | 13 | 17.6 | 43.2 | 41.0 | 100.0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 4.2 |
| Jake Laravia | 5 | 12.2 | 35.0 | 16.7 | 50.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 3.4 |
| John Konchar | 13 | 18.7 | 34.9 | 32.0 | 50.0 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 |
| Kenny Lofton, Jr. | 12 | 7.7 | 40.6 | 25.0 | 46.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.8 |
| Vincent Williams, Jr. | 8 | 9.5 | 29.4 | 26.7 | 87.5 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Jaylen Nowell | 2 | 7.6 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Shaquille Harrison | 2 | 2.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Gg Jackson | 3 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
