Grizzlies focused on substance not spoiler label
Many NBA teams, including the Grizzlies, have used the role of spoiler to playoff-hopeful opponents as motivation when the season is lost and is this late into the schedule.
Not so for his troops, Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said.
The Grizzlies on Saturday snapped a 19-game losing streak by upending a Denver Nuggets squad desperately trying to slip into one of the final Western Conference playoff spots. But Gasol insisted that the Grizzlies are more focused on team building for a better 2018-19 campaign than helping knock off a playoff contender.
“We’re about building something solid going forward and understanding separating what the guys are willing to do for the team and what guys are not willing to do for team,” Gasol said before the Grizzlies embarked on a three-game road trip beginning Monday at Brooklyn. “Then separating the players that are willing to invest and bring stuff for everybody to share, enjoy and have a great time and win games, and guys who are here to do stuff for themselves only. You understand that what you’re trying to see is who is willing to join the team and produce for the benefit of the team.”
Rookie Dillon Brooks continued to provide a silver lining in the darkness of this season. He scored 24 points, including four 3-pointers, in the win over Denver. Brooks has 78
3-pointers this season. His productivity from long range as a rookie is the most since O.J. Mayo made 145 3pointers during the 2008-09 season.
Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff recently echoed Gasol’s thoughts by weighing in on player development and what’s important in terms of team building to close out the regular season.
How has Brooks come along during a tough season?
Bickerstaff: He’s grown. Obviously, he’s not where he will be two years from now, but you see from the beginning of the season when he just played this many games, the opportunity and exposure is so great that you see a lot of things more quickly. You play four games a week or three games a week instead of two in college or whatever it may be. You’re playing against better players, so the learning curve is a lot quicker, a lot steeper for guys who get a ton of minutes. Dillon has a ton of minutes for us.
What about how the young players have developed in general?
Bickerstaff: You look at the way that Jarell (Martin) has been playing, and he’s been consistently doing things that we need him to do to help this ball club and to help make him a NBA rotational player – a guy who can fit in and help a team win when it matters. Dillon Brooks is the same way. I think those guys have proven that they can help a team. I give Briante (Weber) a lot of credit. Just showing up with us and understanding what we were trying to do, going out and competing and being a part of it.
Does it help Weber being back because he has played with the team before?
Bickerstaff: It’s a little bit different. Obviously, our system is different and our style is different. But his attitude and competitive nature are things that haven’t changed. When you bring that type of intensity and that type of attitude, you can be a spark plug. Just watching him and paying attention to him defensively, he puts pressure on people. His speed allows him to get into the paint and put pressure on the goal, so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.
Why is it important to have Tyreke Evans back in the lineup?
Bickerstaff: He makes everybody’s job a bit easier because he’s a threat with the ball in his hand, and defenses have to key in on him and see where he is at all times. He can break down defenses. He can make plays for his teammates, so he makes everybody else’s job a bit easier.
What have you learned about Evans this year?
Bickerstaff: How good he really is. In the past when you look at him, you see his ability to score the ball. But after starting the year coming off the bench for us in kind of that benchspark scorer role when Mike (Conley) went down, and Tyreke had to become the starting point guard, he showed that he was a really good point guard. He had the ability to score, but he had the ability to organize and he had the ability to play-make. He’s been huge for us this year. He’s got a steadiness to him. Nothing bothers him. A tornado could be going on around him and he just keeps plodding along and doing what he has to do.
What positives can you take into next season?
Bickerstaff: Obviously, there’s a skill-set there. The veterans have proven that. Marc, obviously. JaMychal Green has been on a heck of a stretch. The way we’re playing in spurts, the ball movement, the body movement, the pace we’re playing with is what we can build on. What we’re trying to do is lay a foundation, and the foundation will carry you through and be the building blocks of what we’re trying to do here.