Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
After losing a shootout at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center, the Golden State Warriors (20-31) will travel to the FedExForum tonight to take on the Memphis Grizzlies (29-22).
So far this season, notwithstanding their last encounter, the Warriors have managed to play exciting and competitive games against the Grizzlies but have come up short in all three contests.
Memphis has taken advantage of the Dubs in two facets: turnovers and rebounding.
Indeed, the Grizz have managed to essentially produce more possessions than the Dubs, which has resulted in them basically owning the Warriors in this truncated campaign.
Combine that with the team’s struggles since the Ellis swap and well it’s rather apparent that the Golden State Warriors will be big underdogs tonight.
Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue, the Memphis Grizzlies’ ESPN TrueHoop Affiliate blog did a good job of pinpointing the current state of the Golden State Warriors in his preview of tonight’s game:
“Golden State has struggled since trading Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut (out with a broken ankle), Stephen Jackson (since traded to San Antonio) and a future 1st round draft pick. The Warriors are 2-10 since the trade but have played tough on almost every night.”
Indeed, perhaps Mark Jackson’s unit hasn’t seen the wins as of late, but the team has still managed to play hard on a nightly basis.
Tonight’s contest will present an interesting matchup on the interior, as the Grizzlies’ frontline will probably look to dominate the paint by taking advantage of the Warriors diminutive frontcourt; and keep in mind Jackson likes to throw out a small lineup on the court on occasion to space the floor and get out in transition out of their zone defense.
Also, Klay Thompson will probably be in for a night of hard NBA lessons when he crosses the path of Grizzlies’ defensive ace Tony Allen. The Memphis stopper will play physical defense against the rookie, swipe at the ball and press up on him and dare him to drive by him.
Thompson has been known to settle for some low percentage shots and may well indeed play right into the hands of the Grizzlies defense tonight.
The contest should be an intriguing one by all accounts, but ultimately one expects for the home team to take control of the game late and secure a victory.
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