Grizzlies

By contrast, playing at Golden State on Monday was an early season showcase game for the Grizzlies, and their star center barely participated in the offense.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff shouldered some of the blame for that on Wednesday.

“We’ve got to get him the ball in his spots,” Bickerstaff said. “I’ve got to do a better job of calling plays to get him in his spots. Then when he’s in those spots, we’ve got to make sure we find him, and then he’s got to take advantage of it.”

A three-game homestand beginning Wednesday against the Nuggets — followed by a Saturday game against Philadelphia and a Monday game against Utah — represents a chance for the Grizzlies to get Gasol back on track.

Entering Wednesday night’s game, Gasol was shooting 57.6 percent from the field at home and just 33.3 percent on the road. Consequently, the Grizzlies entered the homestand 3-0 at FedExForum.

Most telling, perhaps, is Gasol’s winloss splits.

In the team’s five victories entering Wednesday’s action, Gasol was shooting 51.7 percent. In the team’s four losses, he was shooting 25.6 percent.

The Warriors also kept Conley out of sync on Monday. After scoring the Grizzlies’ first five points, Conley scored only four more the rest of the game.

“Credit Golden State,” Conley said. “They did a good job of putting a lot of length on us and switching the screens and forcing us to have to get off the ball. There were some times they would deny me the ball way out to halfcourt and they’d have to play four-on-four.”

Then, Conley offered a piece of introspection that might apply for Gasol, too.

“In a game like that,” Conley said, “sometimes I just have to be more selfish and find shots and find opportunities earlier in the shot clock.”

Gasol is averaging 8.6 rebounds, which would be his highest average since 2011-12.

Throw in his passing acumen and defensive prowess, and Bickerstaff and Conley both agree that the 34-year-old center is key to the Grizzlies, regardless of how many points he scores. They just want him to score, too.

“That definitely makes us better when he’s a facilitator,” Conley said. “But we need him to score. We need him to score. We need him to put the ball in the hole. It’s just how we’re built, and we need that from him regardless.”