Biggest Key to Spurs vs. Grizzlies Game 2
The One Thing is a prediction-and-preview show that will tell NBA fans what to pay attention to in every matchup in the playoffs.
The NBA‘s Glen “Big Baby” Davis is here to break down Game 2, and he picked the one thing that he thinks will have a huge impact on the series.
Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs look to go up 2-0 in the Western Conference finals against the resilient Memphis Grizzlies.
How do these teams match up? Which players are the keys to success?
Let us know in the comments below!
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NBA Picks: Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs, Game 2
The Memphis Grizzlies are 6-2-1 against the spread when trailing in a playoff series the last two-plus seasons, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA picks Tuesday, as they take on the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center.
Sports bettors will find that the Grizzlies are five-point road underdogs in the pro basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 182.5 in the market.
Let’s take a closer look at Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals from a betting perspective while offering up a prediction along the way.
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Grizzlies GM Compares Pau Gasol to Organ Donor for Marc Gasol Trade
Pau Gasol has made everything the Memphis Grizzlies are doing right now possible, like a catalyst, or, you know, someone who was gleaned for their organs.
Reflecting on the trade that sent Pau to the Los Angeles Lakers and netted the Grizzlies his brother Marc Gasol and so much more, Memphis general manager Chris Wallace offered the most unorthodox of analogies.
“We like to think that Pau is the NBA version of an organ donor,” Wallace explained (via Peter May of SheridanHoops.com). “We’re still living on what we harvested from him.”
It’s not everyday you hear the Gasol trade put in that kind of context. The Grizzlies have really only just begun to even garner praise for it.
Wallace and the rest of the organization were lambasted by just about everyone for making the deal. The San Antonio Spurs head coach and now Western Conference Finals adversary was among the most “irked” by the accord.
“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” Popovich told Sports Illustrated (via The Memphis Commercial Appeal) at the time. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”
Plenty of others shared Coach Pop’s caustic sentiments, many of which were probably also relieved when David Stern vetoed a 2011 trade that would have landed Chris Paul with the Lakers. The Los Angeles Clippers would have been helping the most evil of big-market franchises with little resistance; the NBA couldn’t have that again.
Five years laters, it’s clear the Association didn’t have that to begin with.
Memphis sent Pau and a second-round pick to Los Angeles for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie and two first rounders in addition to Marc. Crittenton was shipped to the Washington Wizards for a first-round pick, Brown left as a free agent and McKie was cap fodder, never appearing in a game for the Grizzlies.
Those two first-round picks turned into Darrell Arthur, who is still with the Grizzlies, and Greivis Vasquez, who was sent to the New Orleans Hornets for Quincy Pondexter, another one who still resides in Memphis.
At first glance, the deal seems as bad as Popovich made it sound. Dealing a perennial All-Star for a number of spare parts is unforgivable, but as Wallace points out, there was so much more to the trade.
Pau’s departure created cap space—according to Wallace, about $20 million—which the Grizzlies used to sign Zach Randolph after acquiring him from the Clippers in 2009. Z-Bo has been selected to two All-Star games while with Memphis and has averaged a double-double in three of his four seasons with the team.
Then there’s Marc, a one-time All-Star, now reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a dazzling star in his own right. He along with a few others that can still be linked to the Pau trade—Randolph, Pondexter and Arthur—have helped push the Grizzlies within four victories of an NBA Finals appearance.
Memphis owes so much of where it is now to that deal, the one that was considered one of the biggest transactional travesties in NBA history. The same one that is now paying championship-caliber dividends.
Plan your toast to Pau’s organs, accordingly.
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Memphis Grizzlies head coach has a senior moment
“Gosh, I can’t remember his name…”
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Zach Randolph apologizes to Grizzlies for Game 1 wreck
The Spurs got into Zach Randolph’s head by not letting him get into his underneath zone.
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Playoff Putbacks: How Grizzlies can retake West finals
San Antonio laid a thorough beatdown on Memphis in Game 1, but it’s not over.
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Spurs rout Grizzlies 105-83 in West finals opener (Yahoo! Sports)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs opened the Western Conference finals resembling the past champions who’ve been there so many times before.
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 1: Video Highlights and Recap
The 2013 NBA playoffs resumed on Sunday, May 19, as the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series.
Tony Parker led the charge for the Spurs, going for 20 points and nine assists on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. Kawhi Leonard added 18 points and Danny Green tallied 16, while Matt Bonner stepped in off of the bench for 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
Gary Neal added eight of his own, while Tim Duncan grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out four assists.
For the Grizzlies, Quincy Pondexter tallied a team-high 17 points on five three-point field goals made. Marc Gasol dropped 15 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Conley tallied 14 points, eight assists and four rebounds.
Jerryd Bayless posted eight points and five assists in 21 minutes of action.
The question is, were the Grizzlies able to pull out the Game 1 upset on the road? Or did the Spurs hold down their home court to take the early advantage?
Check the video provided above to find out.
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San Antonio Spurs blast Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1
Tony Parker was at his best as the Spurs started quickly in the Western Conference finals.
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Grizzlies vs. Spurs Game 1: Live Score, Highlights and Analysis
The last time the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies met in the NBA playoffs, it didn’t end well for Tim Duncan and Co. To avoid a second disappointing conclusion, the Spurs will have to make sure they get things started in a different fashion Sunday in the Western Conference finals.
When the Grizzlies ousted the Spurs from the 2011 postseason, they did it by stealing Game 1 on the road in the River City. So if San Antonio would like to advance to its first NBA Finals since 2007, it’ll have to take great care to retain its precious home-court advantage by winning Game 1.
These teams split four games during the regular season, but three of those contests came before Memphis shipped Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors, and Kawhi Leonard didn’t play the fourth. So although there’s plenty of recent history between the two squads, that familiarity won’t be especially helpful in forming either team’s game plan.
Memphis will look to ride its interior duo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, both of whom present challenges for the Spurs’ frontcourt, particularly Duncan or Tiago Splitter. The Spurs don’t have the depth up front to handle any sort of foul trouble.
San Antonio will rely on Tony Parker to initiate the offense, working in the pick-and-roll and setting up Leonard and Danny Green for their beloved corner threes. Memphis will likely sic Tony Allen, an elite perimeter defender, on Parker in hopes of slowing him down.
Finally, pace will be key. The Grizzlies hope to slow the game down to a crawl, where their patented “grit ‘n grind” style is most effective. Conversely, the Spurs need to try to speed things up to create scattered scoring opportunities before Memphis’ defense can establish itself.
Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET today on ABC.
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