Pelicans VS Grizzlies: Davis Drops The Ball

 
After the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Anthony Davis was frustrated. Mainly at his teammates. Davis told reporters: "We had too many mental breakdowns," Davis said. "We're not talking out there and so, therefore, we have mental breakdowns that gave them easy layups at the basket and open shots." Davis ended by saying, "It's definitely frustrating. We can't get a win, it's frustrating, Whatever we need to do, we need to do it fast."

"Whatever we need to do, we need to do it fast."

Well, Davis called out his teammates and they responded, the very next game. They played a huge role in bringing the game into overtime where they'd eventually lose. Anthony Davis though? He was non-existent. After criticizing his teammates for poor play, he came out the next game completely dropping the ball. His teammates did their part, but he clearly didn't do his. He was 3-13 on the night. He had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 5 turnovers! You can see Davis's shot chart below.

Anthony Davis - Shot Chart- www.nba.com/stats

 As you can see, Anthony Davis didn't play too well. He only took 4 of his 13 sots in the paint. Only 4! He was settling for far too many jumpshots and when you add the 5 turnovers in there, it just makes matters worse. Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies made it tough on him, real tough. We've seen them do it to Karl-Anthony Towns twice this season, and now they've done it to Davis.

Defensively, Davis wasn't that great. He wasn't paying that much attention. He had the 3rd worst defensive rating on his team. His teammates were much more active. In overtime is where it fell apart though. Davis clearly wasn't engaged defensively and wasn't trying whatsoever. One possession in OT he left Marc Gasol wide open for a 3 pointer, and gave no effort defensively. This would ultimately lead to the loss in OT. While Davis was clearly a problem, the Pelicans refused to sub him out in OT.

Davis dropped the ball for his team. They did everything he wanted them to do, and he didn't show up. He had 1 point in overtime. Davis didn't come to play. The Grizzlies really got to him.

Now, on to the section where I talk about how much I love the Memphis Grizzlies this season. David Fizdale is amazing. The Grizzlies couldn't have hired a better head coach (other than re-hiring Dave Joerger). He's getting his team to play amazing defense. Not only that, but he's made almost every player on that team a 3-point threat. They are now so tough to guard. Take the Grit and Grind, and give them a 3-point shot, that's what you got.

There are 3 main things in basketball you have to pay attention to. Offense, Defense, and rebounding. While the Grizzlies didn't play great offensively, they did sure did play great in the other categories. The Grizzlies had 52 rebounds on the night.

Defensively, this team was amazing. The team had 12 steals on the night. JaMychal Green had 4 blocks on the night. They were everywhere and they were making Davis's life tough. He wasn't allowed to get a touch in the paint, and that's how they played him all night. This Grizzlies team drew 4 charges in the game. 4 CHARGES! Do you know how tough it is to draw a charge in the NBA? It's tough! And they drew 4! The Memphis Grizzlies won this game by sheer hustle and amazing defense. I am amazed at how great this team played defensively in this game.

Hats off to the Memphis Grizzlies. They won that game, and they clearly didn't want to lose. However, I'm very disappointed in Davis. His teammates were amazing, but he was a -23 in the game. That was worse than any of his teammates. You can't criticize your teammates and then go out and do the things you criticized them on. Hopefully Davis learned from this and can get back to the level he was playing at.

Fantasy Fridays: Centers

It is the last of the positions that we have covered that you need for a great overall fantasy team. They are the main rebounders, blockers, and low post scorers. In order for your team to be successful, you need centers. So why not get the best of the centers? Here are the top ten.

10. Dwight Howard: Yes, it is Superman himself. Averaging 15.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.3 Blocks per game, and 1.2 APG, Dwight Howard had a pretty good season stats wise. But last season, we learned that Superman wasn't as invincible as we thought. Despite averaging pretty good numbers last season, Dwight Howard played only 41 games. That's half the season. Yeah, pretty bad, am I right? So if you do grab Dwight, buyer beware, he could be out for half the season.

9. Al Horford: The Hawks had a great season partially because of him. And he is one heck of a fantasy player. I really think anybody who gets him will profit. While he averaged 15.2 PPG, 1.3 Blocks, 7.2 rebounds, and 0.9 steals, his assisting numbers were what caught my eye. Last season he averaged 3.2 APG! You will definitely find numbers that you won't get from any other centers with Al Horford.

8. Brook Lopez: He demonstrated last year that he has the ability to stay healthy as he played in 72 games. And last year, he had some great numbers as he averaged, 17.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.8 Blocks, and 0.6 steals. While you do have the risk for him to be injured, Brook Lopez can be really productive, especially now that Deron Williams is gone. Are you willing to take the risk is what you have to ask yourself.

7. Al Jefferson: Big Al had an okay season last year, but it was a big disappointment from the season he had before. In the 2013-14 season, Al averaged 21.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 Blocks. I mean, that is wonderful numbers there Al. But last season, everything dropped except for his blocks. His points went down to 16.6 PPG, and his rebounds went down to 8.4 RPG. Al might just have a rebound season however. He very well could. If he does, it will be rewarding.

6. Nikola Vucevic: This man had a breakout season, last season as he averaged 19.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2 APG, and shot 52% from the field. He is not the best defensively but he will get you rebounds and score. He is going to most likely a sleeper so watch him closely and get him if he is a steal.

5. Marc Gasol: As great of a player Marc is, he is not the best when it comes to fantasy. However, Marc is still at the beginning of his career, and can improve offensively, he is a great defender. Last season he averaged 1.9 blocks and 0.9 steals. One thing that many people miss when they look at Marc's stats is his assisting number. Last season, he averaged 3.8 APG, along with 17.4 PPG, and 7.8 RPG. He is a good fantasy player, don't sleep on him.

4.  Hassan Whiteside: One of the best fantasy pickups that has ever happened from the waivers, happened last season. That was when Hassan had 12 blocks, 14 Points, and 13 Rebounds on Nation television. And Hassan will most likely see a big increase in playing time and I do expect him to become an all-star this next season. I do expect a lot of blocks, rebounds, and points from Hassan this season.

3. Greg Monroe: I honestly think that Greg Monroe will have his best season yet. After having a double-double season last year, Greg Monroe is at the best point of his life, and I expect him to average about 20 PPG, and 12 RPG. Not to mention, he might not be a great blocker, but Monroe can definitely steal the ball as he averaged 1.1 steals last year. Greg Monroe will be a great player to have on your fantasy team.

2. DeAndre Jordan: He lead the league in rebounds (15) and field goal percentage (71%). Not to mention he averaged 1 steal per game and 2.3 blocks. He only scores 12.1 PPG but scoring should be the reason why you got him. DeAndre Jordan is a player unlike any other. Get him if you can.

1. DeMarcus Cousins: He averaged 24.1 PPG last season along with 12.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.5 Steals, and 1.7 blocks. He may average 4.3 turnovers and 4.1 fouls, but how can you argue with these stats. You really can't. He may have some downsides, but he is a beast on both offense and defense and is a great rebounder. Take DeMarc.

Well, there you have it, all five position worth of the top 10 fantasy players at their positions. If you want the other positions, click here. Well, hope you do well with your fantasy team. Until next week... Aaron Jaros. 

Warriors VS Grizzlies (game 3)

Final Score: Grizzlies win 99-89



Grizzlies lead series 2-1

The Grizzlies won another. Both teams needed the game. Now the Warriors are finding themselves in a position where they need to win the next game. Here are the things they need to change.

The Warriors need to shoot better. They shot under 25% for the second straight game. That can't be happening with this team. Curry shouldn't be missing wide open 3s. They also need to shoot better from free throw. 67.9% isn't enough. They also can't allow 19 second chance points. They really need to get their posts involved more so that Curry and Thompson can space out more. Also, Draymond Green should not be dribbling the ball all the way up the court in a late game situation. None of these things should be happening with the Warriors. None of these things. They need to change them or they will keep loosing to the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies are doing great. They aren't allowing any momentum for the Warriors. They do an excellent job of closing out. Tony Allen again had 4 steals and also had a block. They shot about 31% from 3 which is great for the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol did great as he had a total of 21 points and 15 rebounds. They are doing great when they have someone for them to take on a scoring load and the rest of the team can focus on defense. Zach Randolph also scored 22 points in the game which allowed this team to outscore the Warriors. Without their contributions, the Grizzlies would end the game with points scoring in the 70s so they absolutely need some scorers on the floor. They passed the ball really well to find lots of openings with 327 passes while the Warriors only had 256. That is great for this team to get their offense going because they need offense and great defense against a top offensive team like the Warriors. If they keep the Warriors 3 point percentage low and they have good offense, this team is likely to win the series.

Grizzlies VS Trailblazers (game 4)

Final Score: Trailblazers win 99-92



Grizzlies lead series 3-1

The Blazers finally get one. It took them a while. It really didn't look like they'd get one either. Damien Lillard finally started to get his game together, and you could see how great the Blazers can be. But they can do better. Let's see how.

The Trailblazers get the win. How? Let's look at Lillard. He had 32 points to go along with 7 assists. The guy that stood out to me was Nicolas Batum. He had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. He also had the best defensive rating on his team. The biggest thing was Meyers Leonard and C.J. McCollum. They both a plus/minus of 23 and had the best offensive ratings for their team. They needed to step up as Afflalo ended the night shooting 0-5 from the field and had no points. They are going to have to have him step up in the next game though.

The Grizzlies played great. They were missing Mike Conley but that can't be an excuse. Zach Randolph can't be shooting 20 shots and only making 6. He also can't have 3 of the Grizzlies 9 turnovers. That can't happen. They also need to rebound better. The lost in the rebounding section 40-50. The Grizzlies should be the best rebounding team. Get a body on Batum. Other than that they looked pretty solid. Gasol was regular Gasol with 21 points and 6 assists. But he only had 7 rebounds. The Grizzlies are a great team and they just need to step up their game a little bit. If they can do that, they will win this series. 

Grizzlies VS Trailblazers (game 2)

Final Score: Grizzlies win 97-82



Grizzlies lead series 2-0

The Trailblazers are having a tough time in this series. Let's take a look at their problems. First off, Damien Lillard was shooting horribly. He shot 30% from the floor and 20% from three point range. Next off, they didn't do too great on offense on passing and getting open shots as Coach Nick described. They shot 71 contested shots and only 41 open shots. They only made 19 of 31 shots at the rim. They are simply not getting open shots and not running through the offense. If they are to win at home now, they have to run their offense.

The Grizzlies were great. One thing that they did well of was getting Marc Gasol touches. Marc Gasol had 5 assists in the game and 86 touches in all. The next thing was their defense. It was great, and their bench was even better. Green, Koufos, Udrih, and Carter all had a defensive rating under 90. That is great. Everyone on the Grizzlies had a positive net rating as all of their offensive ratings were better than their defensive, while all of the Trailblazers were a negative net rating. The next thing is that they limited their turnovers to only 5. That is great as the Traiblazers will feed off of transition points. If they keep this up, they will be moving on.

Grizzlies VS Trailblazers (game 1)

Final Score: Grizzlies win 100-86



Grizzlies lead series 1-0

Trailblazers could not take the Grizzlies as the Grizzlies had a blow-out win. The Grizzlies had great production from the bench and played great inside defense. Let's take a look at the Trailblazers and what they need to change next game.

Damien Lillard is an inconsistent player. He will score 30 one night and 0 the next. This was a night where he just couldn't make anything. He was 0-6 from three point range and finished with 14 points. For them to even have a chance to win a game, they need Lillard to produce. Aldridge is doing his part. He had a total of 32 points and 14 rebounds. That is not enough though. Nicolas Batum just has to keep doing what he is doing, which is everything. This guy is doing everything out on the court. Keep it up Batum.

The Grizzlies are doing great. They are playing great defense, getting everyone involved, and their bench is producing. Udrih had 20 points off the bench. They can work on their spacing a little. Sometimes it seems like they are all cramped up on the court and they need to space out a little. The only other thing is for Conley to get better. He is a crucial part of their offense and defense. Other than that, just keep it up.

DeMarcus Cousins or Marc Gasol

Who would make your all NBA first team at the center position? Would it be Marc Gasol or DeMarcus Cousins? I will try to help you decide in this post. Let's compare these two in shooting first.

Shooting: 5-15 Feet: DeMarcus Cousins shoots below the average for a center in the league while Marc Gasol is above. Cousins only shoots 29% from 5 feet out while Gasol shoots about 47%.

Take a look at DeMarcus Cousins' shot chart. Notice how he has poor consistency form the top of the key area.

Now take a look at Marc Gasol's shooting chart. Notice how he takes more shots from that area.

You can also see that Marc Gasol has more red in the in the paint and you can see a lot of blue in the paint for Cousins. In conclusion, Gasol is the better shooter.

Defense: If we take a look at defense, DeMarcus Cousins allows the opposing team to 103.3 Point per 100 possessions when he is on the court. Gasol allows 101.5 Points per 100 possesions when he is on the court. Yes this does factor in the players that Gasol plays with, so they are about the same.

Rebounding: Let's take a look at Rebounding now. DeMarcus Cousins has won this one. He averages 12.7 RPG while Gasol averages 7.9. DeMarcus Cousins also accounts for 20.9% of the rebounds in a game while Gasol takes in about 13.9%.

Assists: Now this is where it gets complicated. If we look at the APG, Cousins averages 3.6 while Gasol averages 3.9. About the same right? If we look at the Assist % for their teams, Cousins is at 20.2%. Gasol on the other hand, is at 19.4. What does this mean? It just means that Gasol's team has more assists per game. Cousins Assist to Turnover Ratio is at 0.83 while Gasol's is at 1.73. This means that Cousins turns the ball over more than he assists, while Gasol assists more. Clearly Gasol is the better at assisting.

Scoring: If we compare the usage%, Cousins is used 33.9% of the time. Gasol is only used 24.7% of the time, which makes it seem that Cousins gets the ball more. That is why he averages 24.1 PPG and Gasol only averages 17.6. Gasol can score in many more ways than Cousins can though. When it comes down to who is the better scorer is though, the answer is obviously Cousins. Cousins scores about 6.5 more PPG.

Who is the better player? I'm not making this decision for you. You can make a case for both sides. If you can't decide, let me ask you this. Who would be the better player to have on a team? Cousins or Gasol? Everyone has their own opinion on what makes a better player.