Joerger pushing for fast getaway
Early games are challenging
A 5-0 record isn’t what has Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger content about the preseason.
He’s generally pleased with how the Griz operated en route to their undefeated record, and wants to see similar focus and energy in the final two exhibition games.
Aside from finishing training camp with healthy bodies, the main goal is to gear up for a strong start to the regular season. Not lost on Joerger each day is the Grizzlies’ early regularseason schedule, which starts with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 28 and includes games against 21 playoff qualifiers from last season in the first 32 games of this campaign.
“Now it’s a matter of you just don’t want to go out in games and say ‘I don’t want to get hurt’ or ‘I don’t want to get guys hurt.’ We want to be playing well coming into the season because our schedule is so difficult,” Joerger said. “Our first 31 games are very difficult. I think (it’s) the most difficult in the league as far as strength of schedule goes. So, we have to get off to a quick start and have to be tight on our stuff. It’s important.”
The Griz finish exhibition play with a pair of road games at Atlanta (Wednesday) and Orlando (Friday) and then will have four additional practice days before the 2015-16 season tips off.
Joerger has been judicious with preseason playing time for key members of what promises to be a 10- to 11-man rotation. The focus, though, has primarily been on installing offensive sets and executing principles in practice.
“We’ve been working,” Joerger said. “The practices have been good. The workouts have been good and our conditioning has improved.”
A few of Joerger’s other impressions during camp focused on role players.
On veteran center Ryan Hollins’ chances of making the team: “You always look out for what’s best for your organization and your team first. I know that he would add a lot to our team and I love him. It’s not as easy as finding a point guard. This guy with eight years of experience in the NBA, with the energy that he brings to practice every day, that he brings to the locker room, the joy he is to be around, he remembers plays, those things are all very important. If you’re not in the locker room or you’re not at practice, you don’t realize how important those things are.”
On third-string point guard Russ Smith’s progression: “Good and bad. He makes a couple good plays and makes a couple tough plays. He struggles with plays in crowds. Right now, as a young guy, he is trying to make the play to the shooter whereas if we just make the easy pass … At times the great passes you’re like ‘Oh,’ but then there’s the turnovers that are in there. So sometimes you just have to make the easy play and that’s what we are learning — when to dribble and when not to.”
On second-year forward JaMychal Green: “He keeps adding elements to his game and it gives us more flexibility, more versatility. He can play ones, twos and threes just as well as fours. … I do think that our depth can really help us this year. We’ve got guys that can fly around and that are athletic with JaMychal and Brandan (Wright), and however the rest of the roster fills out. Matt Barnes gives us some versatility and gives us some energy on some nights where sometimes both teams are kind of in the mud. If you get that athleticism out there and you can play a little different, then it’s a real shot in the arm.”
Joerger stressed conditioning throughout training camp with constant running infused in drills and practices.
The Griz perhaps took their last day off on Monday.
“We play in (nine) days, and especially early it’s very difficult time-wise,” Joerger said. “We play three games in four nights the first week and you want to try to get them in good condition. You want to be ready to go.”