Tonight the Memphis Grizzlies take on the what should be history breaking regular season team, The Golden State Warriors… But what are 5 ways the Grizzlies can come out of the fire as an underdog and take the victory against the mighty dubs?
Way #1: Shoot the lights out – We all know the Warriors are the greatest 3 point shooting bunch in the NBA, maybe even ever… So how do you counteract this? It’s rather simple actually, just do it back. Mathematically for the Grizzlies to keep up with the Warriors 3 point shooting is to do it right back, but for them to win they will have to do it even better. This means passing up open layups in the lane or 1 on 1 fast breaks for wide open 3 point shots, just like GSW does. They also have to nail these shots.
Way #2: Lock Up – Warriors have only won 1 game all year where they were held to under 100 points, and that was against the spurs where they were held to 92 this past Sunday night. So for the Grizzlies to better their chance against the Dubs, they need to play stellar defense, force turnovers and make sure the Splash Bros’ have no easy looks. Not the simplest of tasks, but beating the Warriors isn’t exactly simple regardless.
Way #3: Hold a Grudge – Last time these two teams met up at Oracle Arena the Warriors 50 clapped the Grizzlies, last time these two teams met up in general; the Warriors narrowly won by 1 point… If you are a player on the Grizzlies I don’t know how you are not furious when you were 2 points away from breaking history… The Grizzlies need to come into this game strong and guns blazing with a grudge on their face. Regardless if it’s in Oracle or not, Warriors are only 2-2 in their last home games and showed shakiness in all 4…
Way #4: Don’t Lose Track Of Curry – This sounds self-explanatory but when GSW is at home it’s a whole other ball game. You cannot allow Curry to heat up from three… Once that happens the crowd gets behind him, he starts running out with his mouthpiece hanging out of his mouth and it turns into a shoot around instead of a NBA game for the Warriors. Curry must be guarded 1 on 1 with Tony Allen all game. GSW will try their hardest to isolate him using screens and plays but Allen must stay on him. Once Curry heats up or gets hot, it most likely is over for Memphis….
Way #5: Go On There And Play Ball – We watch, play and write about basketball because we love and enjoy the sport, no matter which one you do or if you do all three. The odds are against the Grizzlies , they really have nothing to play for in this game, the only thing to play for is to snap history from being made. Memphis needs to go out there and play Memphis Grizzly basketball whether it leads them to a victory or not. Don’t let the fans and sounds of Oracle Arena get in your head, don’t allow the media saying you can’t win to let you feel some type of pressure, just play basketball.
All and all, the Grizzlies have their plate full Wednesday night, and I’m talking a thanksgiving dinner for one person type full. It’s going to be very hard to go into Oracle and win, but hey the T-Wolves did it? If they take advantage of the Warriors being in the limelight, get in their heads and a lead early, follow a couple of my five ways above and then they should be in good shape.
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