Memphis loses in Orlando in the most Memphis way

A European center putting up 20 and 20. Mike Conley sidelined for the game. A close loss coupled with a blown double-digit. Memphis’s loss in Orlando last night is the singular summation of everything plaguing this franchise in their recent era.

With 4:02 left in the 3rd quarter, Chandler Parsons hit a three to put the Grizzlies up 17 points. Memphis had essentially lead throughout the entire game to that point. They were on fire from three, with Parsons, Tyler Dorsey, and Justin Holiday all bombing away.

But alas, the Grizzlies blew it. Orlando outscored Memphis 29-15 in the 4th quarter to force overtime, and won the game by 4 at the final buzzer. One game after allowing a huge 4th quarter comeback to the Rockets but hanging on to win in overtime, the Grizzlies couldn’t hold on against the Magic (and if they had they would have really done the Nets a solid).

This game marks the 14th time Memphis has blown a double digit lead which lead to a loss this season. The 4 point loss drops the Grizzlies to 18-26 in clutch games this year, the 7th worst clutch record in the league.

The loss is also a killer to the team in regards to their aspirations of sending their first top 8 protected first round pick to Boston this season. With the loss, the team now has the 7th worst record in the league. Had they held on to win, they’d own the 8th worst record, and be within striking distance of both New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers, two teams that “aren’t tanking,” to climb up the standings ladder.

Observations

1. Tyler Dorsey!

With Conley sidelined, Dorsey logged 43 minutes against Orlando. His final stat line last night saw him score 29 points on 10/19 shooting, going 5/10 from behind the arc, and tacking on 9 assists as well. Time and again, Dorsey came off screens moving to his right, and fired away with complete confidence.

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With 24 seconds left in overtime, and down three, Dorsey drew a foul on a three-point attempt. He stepped to the line and hit only one of his three attempts. Considering how well he played throughout the entire game, it was emotionally painful to see the game swing from such a circumstance.

2. Chandler Parsons Bro

We’ve previously discussed whether or not Parsons could help the Grizzlies when his return to the team was imminent. Based on his (very) recent on court play, the answer is a resounding yes. Parsons posted a 17 point, 5 rebound, 3 assist line against the Magic. He continues to shoot threes with confidence and hit them at an acceptable rate.

In his past three games, Parsons is averaging 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 47% shooting from the field, and 35% shooting from distance. During that time, Parsons has posted a 57.4% eFG% and 60% true shooting percentage on a 20.4% usage rate. Three games is a tiny sample, and it doesn’t even factor in how unlikely it is Parsons stays healthy for a prolonged period of time.

However, considering there is no opportunity cost to Memphis for simply eating the final year of Parsons’ contract given they won’t be landing any big time free agents this summer, perhaps continued play at this level for the final 10 games will persuade the Grizzlies front office to keep Parsons around instead of waiving and stretching him come July.

3. JV on Varsity

Jonas Valanciunas has garnered plenty of attention lately on this team page. At this point it may be a little annoying. On the other hand, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention him in this game recap.

Valanciunas racked up 23 points, 24 rebounds, and 4 blocks in the loss to Orlando. His go-to hook shot was continuously falling, and he once again was bludgeoning through helpless defenders to score around the rim. The Magic simply had no answer. There was no one they could throw out there that could match up with Valanciunas’s physicality.

This trade continues to look like a very positive return for trading away a franchise icon.

Questions

1. Would Memphis had won if Conley played?

These hypotheticals aren’t the best rabbit hole to jump down. Inserting a player that didn’t play isn’t simple addition. Inserting Conley into the game last night would have had a butterfly effect on the entire night. For instance, Dorsey would have played less, and he was essential to how the Grizzlies performed. Sure, Conley is the better player, but Dorsey posted a 23.1 GameScore against Orlando.

But it’s still difficult not to wonder. This game was in reach, and, as previously discussed, very important to the team’s efforts to send their pick to Boston in the upcoming draft. The Grizzlies have been trying to balance two different competing long term strategies all season. In this case it was Conley’s long term health vs. getting that pick obligation out of the way.

Resting Conley is fine. If he suffers some significant injury in the last 11 games of a lost season the fans will revolt. But this was one of the winnable games left on the schedule, and it wasn’t even the backend of a back-to-back. The Grizzlies have an upcoming four game stretch against the Thunder, Warriors, Blazers, and Clippers, with another date against the Warriors in the season finale. Mail it in with a with a Conley “load management” game in a spot where you’re most likely going to lose anyway.

2. Was the Mascot Contest Rigged?

Last night during commercial break, Grizz and Stuff faced off in a battle of rock, paper scissors, that very clearly attempted to elicit wrestling vibes. For starters, the winner was presented with a belt identical to that of the WWE’s. Each competitor came out from the tunnel, to entry music. The game was played using props, as a giant sized rock, paper, and scissors were placed upon a table for each mascot, tables that just felt like they were destined for one of the participants to get body slammed through.

And Stuff won. Not only did he win, he won by picking rock, which defeated Grizz’s scissors, and then proceeded to drill Grizz in the face with the huge, fake rock. Grizz dropped to the ground, and Stuff grabbed and raised the belt above his head, as members of the Magic cheer squad carried Stuff off the arena floor and back into the locker room.

SHENANIGANS!

Grizz is a fearless wrestling god. While Stuff is too busy spinning around on his hover board holding a ball above his head, Grizz is jumping off ladders and elbow dropping fans through tables, and then celebrating with Man-Freakin’-Kind.

This is ridiculous. Forget the lottery rigging conspiracies for the past 30+ years, we need an independent special counsel to investigate if this mascot competition was already in the bag before it even began. The American people deserve answers!

Prediction

Adam Silver/the United States Attorney General will not appoint a special counsel.

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