Grizzlies return from All-Star break with more confidence
Marc Gasol returned from a third All-Star appearance in his fancy Tesla.
Chandler Parsons made no apologies for his Mexican trip dubbed “Chancun.”
Tony Allen hilariously relived a strange vacation encounter.
And Mike Conley talked about dusting off sand from his feet.
Even Grizzlies coach David Fizdale disconnected from the game of basketball the past six days.
But there was a central message Wednesday afternoon when the Grizzlies returned to work after a lengthy All-Star break: Everyone must be plugged into the idea of grabbing homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Memphis (34-24) sits just two games behind the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference standings.
“It’s about whether we can get home court and how connected can we be?” Fizdale said about the Grizzlies’ final 24 regular-season games. “They understand that we have a veteran group. I just told them let’s always give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
Fizdale emphasized his point on the white-erase board in the team’s practice gym. The board broke down Memphis’ remaining schedule in terms of opponents Who: Memphis vs.Indiana Pacers When, where: 6 p.m. Friday, Bankers Life Fieldhouse TV, radio: Fox Sports Southeast; WMFS 92.9 FM/680 AM with records above and below .500, and home and away games.
The Grizzlies will play 13 teams with losing records and 11 winning squads — six of which are deemed elite. There are four back-to-back games left until the postseason.
“It’s a huge motivator for us to get home court,” Conley said. “It’s something in the West that’s very important. For us, with the injuries we’ve had, being up and down that will be something we’d be very proud of.”
Fizdale sounded pleased with the players’ mental and physical health after the time off. Several Grizzlies met in Orlando and other warm places for a family vacation but also worked out on the basketball court.
“We addressed that before the break,” Fizdale said. “If this is at all important to you then you can’t let yourself go… A lot of teams can make or break themselves over All-Star break.”
Gasol, who jokingly bashed the AllStar game for its lack of defense, was serious about his message to teammates.
“We’re going to have to be really good defensively,” Gasol said.
All eyes will be on Parsons during the stretch run. He will continue to play on a minutes restriction until team doctors believe his surgically repaired right knee is strong enough for routine playing time.
Fizdale consistently says that adding a healthy Brandan Wright, journeyman guard Toney Douglas along with a fit and productive Parsons makes the Grizzlies more formidable.
The Grizzlies believe a relatively inactive Parsons will be far more effective by the playoffs.
“I want to play well. I want to play more. I want to play better. It’s a process,” Parsons said. “Health is everything with me. I’m working extremely hard every day to become the healthiest, best player I can be.”
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies generally appeared refreshed.
“A lot of guys came to practice in shape and didn’t let the break take that out of them,” Allen said. “I had a lot of energy in practice. I couldn’t say that two weeks previous to the break.”
Tip-ins
Barring an NBA trade deadline deal Thursday, Memphis is expected to sign guard Toney Douglas for the rest of this season. Douglas recently had his second 10-day contract expire earlier this week. NBA teams can only sign players to consecutive 10-day deals… The Grizzlies re-assigned rookie guard Wade Baldwin and second-year forward Jarell Martin to the Iowa Energy, the team’s NBA Development League affiliate.
Reach Tillery at Ronald.Tillery@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @CAGrizBeat.