Minnesota Sports Forum

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Memphis and Denver are starting to run away with the West.

Memphis has now won 4 in a row without Morant... to carry on that tradition. Although the team did lose 3 games earlier in the season without Morant... on the road and without Jaren Jackson, too.



[Note: Fun trivia... Tre (18) and Tyus Jones (24) were the leading scorers for their respective teams in their matchup last night.]

There's a part of me that thinks Memphis is a more complete team without Ja

leado01 wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Memphis and Denver are starting to run away with the West.

Memphis has now won 4 in a row without Morant... to carry on that tradition. Although the team did lose 3 games earlier in the season without Morant... on the road and without Jaren Jackson, too.



[Note: Fun trivia... Tre (18) and Tyus Jones (24) were the leading scorers for their respective teams in their matchup last night.]

There's a part of me that thinks Memphis is a more complete team without Ja

It's an impressive team/franchise. The fact they can toggle back and forth and win with Ja in the lineup carrying a 35% usage rate and then still win without him in a more balanced way seems very unique. Could Dallas do the same without Luka?

The Grizzlies are the model right now for a small or mid-market franchise. If Marc Lore and A-Rod were hell bent on hiring the best basketball executive no matter what the price, they should have pursued Zach Kleiman instead of Tim Connelly. Not even close in my view.

Q-was-here wrote:

leado01 wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Memphis and Denver are starting to run away with the West.

Memphis has now won 4 in a row without Morant... to carry on that tradition. Although the team did lose 3 games earlier in the season without Morant... on the road and without Jaren Jackson, too.



[Note: Fun trivia... Tre (18) and Tyus Jones (24) were the leading scorers for their respective teams in their matchup last night.]

There's a part of me that thinks Memphis is a more complete team without Ja

It's an impressive team/franchise. The fact they can toggle back and forth and win with Ja in the lineup carrying a 35% usage rate and then still win without him in a more balanced way seems very unique. Could Dallas do the same without Luka?

No.

1. Memphis has a much better roster, including arguably the best backup PG in the league. Granted, he plays a different style, but Grizzlies players are still used to him running the show 15-20 mpg even with Morant.
2. Dallas is all-Doncic, all-the-time.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

leado01 wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Memphis and Denver are starting to run away with the West.

Memphis has now won 4 in a row without Morant... to carry on that tradition. Although the team did lose 3 games earlier in the season without Morant... on the road and without Jaren Jackson, too.



[Note: Fun trivia... Tre (18) and Tyus Jones (24) were the leading scorers for their respective teams in their matchup last night.]

There's a part of me that thinks Memphis is a more complete team without Ja

It's an impressive team/franchise. The fact they can toggle back and forth and win with Ja in the lineup carrying a 35% usage rate and then still win without him in a more balanced way seems very unique. Could Dallas do the same without Luka?

No.

1. Memphis has a much better roster, including arguably the best backup PG in the league. Granted, he plays a different style, but Grizzlies players are still used to him running the show 15-20 mpg even with Morant.
2. Dallas is all-Doncic, all-the-time.

I agree

lipoli390 wrote:The Grizzlies are the model right now for a small or mid-market franchise. If Marc Lore and A-Rod were hell bent on hiring the best basketball executive no matter what the price, they should have pursued Zach Kleiman instead of Tim Connelly. Not even close in my view.

Right this minute, yeah it looks like it. Denver looked that way a few season ago as well when it made the semifinals, wcf, and semifinals 3 years in a row after not making the playoffs for 5 seasons before injuries tanked the team. Things change quickly in the NBA, it can be hard to find who is legit, and who is fools gold that got lucky with the right player or players falling into their lap.

Fun stat Jimmy Butler went 23-23 from the Free throw Line

During the 4 game win streak Ant has shot 23 free throws

Maybe someday the refs will treat him like a star

Walker Kessler was in the Jazz starting lineup tonight. In 27 minutes of play he finished with 13 points on 5-6 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 7 blocks, only 2 turnovers and 3 fouls.

lipoli390 wrote:Walker Kessler was in the Jazz starting lineup tonight. In 27 minutes of play he finished with 13 points on 5-6 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 7 blocks, only 2 turnovers and 3 fouls.

Yeah I really like him and he was the exact player I wanted when they took him. Shame we traded him but also have to admire the fact that our staff drafted the guy gives some hope for future draft picks......wait we traded half the picks away LOL

I've dropped his name a number of times over the last couple of years it feels like, but Garrison Mathews could be an underrated, low-cost, semi-meaningful trade target for some team looking to add a shooter/defender. He plays with infectious energy to boot.

He's 26-years old, signed to a team-friendly deal through the 2024 season, and stuck on a horrendous Houston Rockets team. I'm not saying he's a big-time addition, but he's another one of those Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen, Austin Rivers type guys. They're cheap and fit well around star players.