![]() My best bet: Clippers -11.5 ( +172 at FanDuel) A stout nine-man rotation against a scuffling seven-man squad, one with plenty of distractions in the last 48 hours, should lead to a bit more of a blowout and thus a better payday here. That will add value to spreads beyond the Clippers being favored by seven points. will not set out to embarrass Aldama, Kennard, and Konchar, but they very much should. Hyland, Gordon, Mann, Mason Plumlee, and Marcus Morris Sr. ![]() Games turn lopsided not when the top of the rotation is superior to its opponent, as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be tonight compared to Bane and Jackson, but when the reserves can also rout their overmatched opponent. ![]() If the seventh player in the rotation tonight is going to be third-year shooting guard John Konchar out of Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, how much of a matchup will that be when the Clippers’ roster consists of Bones Hyland or Eric Gordon, or Terrance Mann? Without four regulars, without the depth of years past, the Grizzlies just do not have enough NBA-quality players to match up against Los Angeles tonight. have usage rates above 20%, while even Tyus Jones’ legendary assist-to-turnover ratio has fallen off in his last two games without Morant - a pedestrian 15-to-5. Another is Luke Kennard, acquired at the trade deadline and needing others to set him up for a pair of threes per game. Of those remaining six players that Memphis regularly relies upon, one is second-year power forward Santi Aldama as he averages 5.4 points in 19.5 minutes in five games since the All-Star break. Of those nine, three will now not play tonight. That includes power forward Brandon Clarke, whose average fell below 15 minutes per game when his Achilles injury sidelined him after just two minutes of action. Since the All-Star break, only nine Grizzlies have averaged more than 15 minutes per game. As great as the Grizzlies were without Morant a year ago - going 20-5 without Morant in repeated testaments to Tyus Jones’ steadying on-court leadership - they no longer have that charm.Ī growing lack of depth is costing Memphis in those moments. It is hard to envision Memphis rallying together for some uplifting upset. Now they face Kawhi Leonard and Paul George without their own star. A slight skid could suddenly put the Suns and Warriors in striking distance of the Grizzlies, costing them homecourt advantage in the first round. Now, Memphis is six back of Denver and a tenuous 1.5 games up on Sacramento. ![]() 19 has dropped the Grizzlies from half a game behind the Nuggets for first in the West and 6.5 up on the Kings for third. It’s not like Memphis has been playing well of late. Oh, and Steven Adams remains sidelined by injury. It will also not have shooting guard Dillon Brooks, suspended due to his sheer mass of technical fouls this season, or power forward Brandon Clarke, out injured for the rest of the year. The issues at hand in Morant’s situation require far more of an in-depth discussion than this handicap can offer, so let’s just stick to the clear fact: Memphis will not have Morant on the court against the Clippers tonight. The Grizzlies will be without Ja Morant for at least two games following the star point guard’s social media video on Friday night flaunting a firearm. Grizzlies vs Clippers picks and predictions Here are our free NBA picks and predictions for the Grizzlies vs the Clippers on March 5, with tip set for 10:00 ET. Largely through their own actions, the Memphis Grizzlies will be shorthanded tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers.Īs the Western Conference finds its form - namely the Suns with Kevin Durant, the Warriors getting Steph Curry back healthy, and the Mavericks incorporating Kyrie Irving - the Grizzlies may not have as much of a cushion to hold onto the No.
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