Subscribe
Follow Us
The Memphis Grizzlies were playing things cool after two lopsided road losses to open an NBA Playoff series versus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Oklahoma City Thunder. Ja Morant's Grizzlies were even issuing guarantees before a massive must-win back home on Beale Street. The FedEx Forum's loyal fans should pack the house but what kind of response will Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Tuomas Iisalo be able to muster against the presumptive NBA MVP-led top seed?
Well, pick-and-roll, drive-and-kick, Princeton-or-pray. Yes, pray for the stars to do something in isolation; the offensive system's name does not matter. Ja Morant, Bane, and Jackson Jr. need to step up. Then, well, there is only one way to win the math problem of the modern NBA era. Creating (and making) more three-pointers is necessary for the Grizzlies to keep pace in the Western Conference.
However, that has been the opposite of what is being worked up in Memphis. Tuomas Iisalo was in charge for the final nine regular-season games, over 10% of the season. The four NBA Playoffs and Play-In Tournament games added high-pressure data points to the sample size. A few things are clear, but they can all be boiled down to one simple critique: The Grizzlies are constantly cutting corners, both figuratively and literally, under Iisalo. It goes beyond the turnovers, too.
Memphis has been a middling three-point shooting team throughout the season, posting a 36.7% mark from beyond the arc (11th in the NBA). Under Iisalo’s guidance in the final nine regular-season games, that figure dipped slightly to 36.5% (16th). The Play-In Tournament offered a glimmer of hope, with the Grizzlies shooting an NBA-best 43.9% from three, albeit on fewer attempts (28.5 per game, 8th). But in the playoffs, their shooting has cratered to a dismal 24.6% (16th), despite attempting 32.5 threes per game (12th).
- Three-Point Percentage:
- Season: 36.7% (11th)
- Last 9: 36.5% (16th)
- Play-In: 43.9% (1st)
- Playoffs: 24.6% (16th)
- Three-Point Attempts:
- Season: 37.9 (13th)
- Last 9: 40.4 (6th)
- Play-In: 28.5 (8th)
- Playoffs: 32.5 (12th)
The numbers are even bleaker in critical areas. Memphis has struggled mightily from the corner, a high-efficiency zone in today’s NBA. Their season-long corner three-point percentage sits at 36.7% (26th), dropping to 33.7% in Iisalo’s final nine games and a woeful 14.3% in the playoffs (16th). Corner attempts have also declined, from 10 per game during the season (13th) to just 7 in the playoffs (12th).
- Corner 3P%:
- Season: 36.7% (26th)
- Last 9: 33.7% (26th)
- Play-In: 50% (2nd)
- Playoffs: 14.3% (16th)
- Corner 3PA:
- Season: 10 (13th)
- Last 9: 9.6 (17th)
- Play-In: 9 (4th)
- Playoffs: 7 (12th)
Even open three-point looks from all around the arc, typically a strength for the Grizzlies at 40.1% during the season (8th), have become a liability. They are converting just 16.1% of open threes (16th) against the Thunder, a stark contrast to their Play-In performance of 56.3% (1st). Their catch-and-shoot three-point percentage, at 34.1% for the season, suggests the Play-In numbers may have been an outlier.
- Open 3P%:
- Season: 40.1% (8th)
- Last 9: 35.5% (25th)
- Play-In: 56.3% (1st)
- Playoffs: 16.1% (16th)
An inability by the Grizzlies to generate and capitalize on three-point opportunities has exposed a critical flaw. In the modern NBA, where three-point volume and efficiency often dictate outcomes, Memphis is falling short against a Thunder team that thrives on perimeter precision.
These struggles cast a light on a broader trend under Iisalo. In his 13 games as head coach (nine regular-season, four postseason), the team has prioritized fewer, lower-quality three-point attempts. While they upped their three-point attempts to 40.4 per game in the final nine regular-season games (6th), the quality and/or accuracy of those shots has plummeted.
Underdogs can shoot themselves into the NBA Finals, just look at Jimmy Butler's Miami Heat a few years ago. They can also shoot away any chance of an upset before halftime. Iisalo's Grizzlies have proven that in the first two NBA Playoffs games against the Thunder.
TNT will broadcast Game 3's 8:30 p.m. CT tipoffs on April 24. A Grizzlies win could breathe new life into the series, while a loss would push them to the brink of elimination. For Toumas Iisalo and Ja Morant, the equation is simple: make threes or go home after a fourth and final postseason game in front of a frustrated crowd.
