On the one hand, no Ja Morant, suspended for 25 games by the NBA. On the other, Zion Williamson is there, after a last season still rotten by an injury. With Marcus Smart at the helm, the Grizzlies started the game and their season with enthusiasm at 3-point range and defending well near the rim.
A desire to hit behind the arc which results in 14 attempts in the first quarter, therefore five for Desmond Bane. It’s a lot, but as the Pelicans are struggling, Memphis takes control.
Brandon Ingram scores a few baskets to blow New Orleans away. Then, after a few minutes, he and his teammates manage to get ahead. There is waste, but efforts are being made. The proof with Dyson Daniels, who misses two shots under the circle but twice takes the offensive rebound to score.
The Zion Williamson show in the last quarter
The Grizzlies are clumsy and suffer from the presence of Jonas Valanciunas. Near the circle or at 3-points, the interior is present and the Pelicans take a fifteen-point lead. There is certainly a 10-0 for the Grizzlies, but at the break, we feel New Orleans better settled in the match (47-57).
In the second half, the Pelicans relied more on Zion Williamson in the low post. This hardly works because Willie Green’s players lose too many balls (21). Ammunition exploited by Marcus Smart and his gang, but the gap does not really budge, with twelve points ahead at the start of the last quarter (70-82).
That’s when Zion Williamson begins his show. He scored 12 points in this last act, with a mid-range shot, a basket after an offensive rebound, a penetration with the foul and an alley-oop. The interior brings a little light to a technically poor match, with a lot of waste, which is logical for a first match. The Pelicans logically won 104-111.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The clumsiness and stubbornness of the Grizzlies. With an ugly 12/43 at 3-pts (28%), the Memphis players did not find the target from afar. If we remove Desmond Bane’s figures (5/10), we even drop to 21%… Above all, they insisted from the start of the match, without giving the impression of wanting to do anything other than shoot, again and again. Except for taking advantage of lost balls, which they did quite well.
– The “Big Three” of the Pelicans still developing. If Zion Williamson shone in the last quarter, he had been very discreet before. Brandon Ingram lost five possessions and was not always fair on the shot. With 24 units and a 6/11 behind the arc, it was CJ McCollum who was the most consistent of this trio, who finished with 66 points.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
