The San Antonio Spurs are ready to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in game. Head coach Greg Popovich has coached in many big games and that will help the Spurs tremendously. The Grizzlies on the other hand are a very young team lacking playoff experience which will make it tough for them to win.
This game will be highly anticipated as the winner will go on to play the loser of the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors game. Spurs fans should be excited for this game as they have a chance to make a return to the playoffs after a one-year drought. While that may not sound like a drought for other franchises, it is uncommon for the Spurs to miss the playoffs. They had a streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances before it was snapped last year.
Here are 3 reasons the Spurs will beat the Grizzlies in the play-in game.
3. Grizzlies lack of experience
While the Spurs have a lot going for them, another key advantage is the lack of experience on the other side. The Grizzlies have a very young roster and are not ready for a playoff run. The oldest player on the roster is 30 and they don't have any veteran leadership to guide them. The best player on the team Ja Morant is in his second season and while he is a great player he is not ready to carry a team to the playoffs.
2. Coaching of Gregg Popovich
Having one of the greatest coaches of all time always helps your chances. Popovich has so many playoff games under his belt and can come up with a game plan against any team in the league. He has won five NBA titles as a coach and is 3rd in most wins as a coach. His success over the years has helped the Spurs stay competitive and he will be a key factor in this play-in game.
1. DeMar DeRozon has a big game
The star of the Spurs is DeMar DeRozan and he has tons of playoff experience. He made playoff appearances with the Toronto Raptors and although he never won a championship, he gained the ability to lead. DeRozan will need to lead this team alongside coach Popovich if the Spurs are going to win. Even though the Grizzlies are young they have the talent to win this game so it will be up to DeRozan to lead his team to victory.
.@DeMar_DeRozan scoring in traffic 🚦 pic.twitter.com/HIa7h0gqf3
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 13, 2021
This play-in game is shaping up to be a good one between these teams. Despite different ways of constructing the rosters they are evenly matched teams. A casual fan may think the Grizzlies will win this one due to the play of Ja Morant but don't count the Spurs out. They have advantages in leadership and experience which are major keys to success. While the Spurs roster isn't good enough to compete for a championship they have enough to make the playoffs.
With a star like DeRozan and a coach like Popovich, you shouldn't count the Spurs out of this game.
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