Game Previews

Nets head south to face Grizzlies

By Brian Fleurantin Jan 8, 2021, 11:06am EST

Adaptability. Adapt-a-bility!! The Brooklyn Nets were shorthanded, but not short on heart as they came away with a convincing win against the Philadelphia 76ers last night in Brooklyn. Another win like that and everyone may quit panicking. Maybe.

The opponent tonight will be the Memphis Grizzlies. The team was hoping for a breakout season, but circumstances have them down for now. They also played last night but lost at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM on radio. Tip off after 8 PM.

Injuries

Spencer Dinwiddie is out. Nicolas Claxton is out. Tyler Johnson is in quarantine. Kevin Durant is in quarantine as well, but may return on Sunday. Kyrie Irving is out due to personal reasons...

And while we’re here, let’s NOT speculate on why Irving is out. When he tells us, we’ll know. Until then, he ain’t here and we hope he’s alright. Moving on.

Ja Morant is out a few more weeks after suffering an ankle sprain in the game against the Nets last week. Jaren Jackson Jr and Justise Winslow are still out. Jontay Porter, John Konchar and Killian Tillie didn’t play last night. No word on their availability for this one.

The game

Memphis won the first game last week. They still haven’t won at home.

This is the last night of a four game homestand for Memphis. They’ve got the weekend off and will be back in action on Monday night in Cleveland against the Cavs.

So here’s something to keep an eye on. Sixers guard Seth Curry wasn’t going to play last night due to an ankle injury. After the game, we found out Seth’s COVID-19 test results came out to be positive and as a result, the 76ers are still in New York City and in isolation. Seth played the night before against the Washington Wizards so now we wait to see how all the teams across the league will be affected. Something like this was inevitably bound to happen at some point, and now the NBA’s COVID protocols will be put to an early test.

Last night I wondered if the 76ers would be tired on night two of a b2b, and I’m wondering if the same thing will happen to the Nets tonight. Luckily for the Nets, only one starter played above 30 minutes last night so the guys’ legs should be (relatively) fresh. It’s gonna take a whole team effort so look for Steve Nash to go deep into his bench tonight

Back on the court, our young son is growing into an interior beast right before our very eyes. Jarrett Allen managed to keep up with Joel Embiid last night and even got into a few scuffles with Dwight Howard and Ben Simmons. He spoke about the matchup with The Process afterwards:

“In terms, of playing against Joel, I really like it. It’s a real challenge for me obviously guarding one of the top three big men in the league if not one of the best. It’s like going back to the last game. I want to go out there, prove my worth, prove how much I improved every single year. Going from last year’s playoffs where I don’t think I played too well against them coming to this game where I felt like I held my ground. It’s a good point where I can pin myself to see how much better I have been getting.”

Jonas Valanciunas is a step down from Embiid and Rudy Gobert, but he’s capable in his own right. Valanciunas is a bear on the glass so Allen will have to work hard to help Brooklyn win the rebound battle.

Last time Caris Levert saw this team, he missed a step back jumper at the buzzer that would’ve won the game for the Nets in regulation. He'll be captaining the ship again tonight as 7/11 is out and this week has been a godsend for him. He's looked more natural running the show while he's been on the court, and being paired with another capable ball handler has helped.

Maybe Brandon Clarke is back to normal? The second year player has gotten off to a wonky start as questions have lingered about his changing jump shot form. He's been a bit better since the Nets game and that has to give Grizzlies fans hope as Morant and JJJ make their way back. It may not be enough to sneak them into the playin games, but the future is bright.

Player to watch: Kyle Anderson

The release is slow, but it works so who are we to judge? Anderson has been in the league seven seasons and has been a solid player so it works. This year has been different as his shot attempts have shot way up. He's shooting 42 percent from the field and 29 percent from three as he's taking a career high 13 shots per game. When teams suffer injuries to their stars, everyone's role slides up. Anderson is a player who works best as a third/fourth option so when everyone gets back, things should be easier for him.

Joe Harris moved to the second unit, and the threes have still been falling. He's made a three in 69 straight games and has been arguably Brooklyn's third best player this season. The great thing about Harris is that he's adaptable (there's that word again!) and able to step up and excel in whatever is asked of him. You need guys like that, and it's even sweeter when they shoot 53.7 percent from downtown.

From the Vault

Heading into the weekend with Gangsta Boo? Yeah we can do that

Nets head south to face Grizzlies

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