The Brooklyn Nets are back after a few days off. They hit the road for a Friday night party against the Memphis Grizzlies.
After a little mini-break, we’re back. While the final four of the NBA Cup is set, the rest of the league is back to work. The Brooklyn Nets have been off since Sunday afternoon after losing a close one to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The opponent tonight is ready to make a leap back into contention. The Memphis Grizzlies are third in the Western Conference and (mostly) healthy for the first time in a good while. They’re back home after beating up the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Party’s getting started after 8:00 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Bojan Bogdanovic, Cam Thomas, and Ziaire Williams are out. No word yet on the status of Jacky Cui, who seemed to have suffered a serious knee injury two nights ago at Nassau Coliseum. He’s listed as being with the Long Island Nets, not injured. Dariq Whitehead remains on assignment to Long Island. Two ways Jaylen Martin and Tyrese Martin are also in the G League.
Vince Williams, Jr and GG Jackson are out. Zach Edey is doubtful with a left ankle sprain.
The game
Brooklyn won game one in October and game two in November. We usually don’t see Western Conference teams three times in one season around these parts, but the NBA Cup has fun quirks like that sometimes.
This game will likely be decided in transition. It’s an area that the Nets have been especially bad in while the Grizz have shined in. For Brooklyn, they’re hoping to make hay on the break and get easy baskets against a very good Memphis defense.
The center matchup should be especially fun. Jaren Jackson Jr has taken a big step forward and is in line for his second All Star appearance. He’s shooting a career best 51.7 percent from the field and is someone who can take over the offense for extended stretches. With him playing at this level, who knows how far Memphis can go. Over at Sportscasting, Esfandiar Baraheni has more:
He’s doing all of this while still being the same Defensive Player of the Year-level anchor he’s long been and playing All-Star — actually, All-NBA-caliber — basketball this season. There’s no question Morant’s stardom dictates the Grizzlies’ ceiling, but Jackson is working to change that by becoming an even bigger part of the equation.
When Memphis lost to the LA Lakers in the 2023 playoffs, JJJ had nothing for Anthony Davis. Now that he’s reaching new heights, Memphis can explore new, exciting horizons.
He’ll be matched up with Nic Claxton. Clax had been going through a rough patch, but maybe Sunday’s game is the first step in getting back to what we’re used to. As he said in postgame on Sunday:
“I’m just getting my flow back. That’s just me playing more games. My body, everything is just starting to come together. I need to be aggressive for us, especially right now with Cam [Thomas] being out and us missing some scoring.”
This season is all about exploration and figuring things out for the Nets. Seeing if Clax can do a bit more on offense and keeping him engaged should be at the top of the list.
Player to watch: Ja Morant
As always, health is the name of the game. Hip and back injuries have caused Ja Morant to appear in only 14 games this season, but he’s been his usual All NBA self when he’s been out there. He’s averaging around 22 points and nine assists a game on .457/.302/.853 shooting splits. Morant is back full time after a disastrous year and change full of losses and public relations nightmares. Sometimes it pays to take a step back from work, and in training camp, Morant mentioned that it help him refocus on things:
“It allowed me to lock in mentally, focus more. I was able to be around my family a lot during my recovery process, being able to travel, feel human again, go to my AAU teams’ games, watch them win, watch the joy that they have being out there playing. It had me itching to get back on the floor.”
The biggest discussion surrounding him these days centers on the lack of dunks. He’s doing it to preserve his body and reduce his chance of injuries. When the time comes, he’ll need to finish over and through a big at the rim, but for now, he’s still a great driver and finisher at the cup and can score in a myriad of ways.
Dennis Schroder is the engine of the Nets, and when things go haywire, the person Jordi Fernandez trusts to make something happen.
When you get downhill, good things happen. One of the great things about Schroder is he’s cut down on the turnovers compared to his run with the Nets following the big midseason trade. For a team that’s bereft of scoring options, having your point guard make the most out of every possession takes on even more importance. Against a deep Memphis squad, the Nets will need big minutes and a big game out of Dennis if they want to complete the season sweep.
From the Vault
A doubleheader! Earlier this week, Nikki Giovanni passed away at the age of 81. She was one of the most important poets and thinkers in the US, and she leaves a monumental legacy behind with us. Let’s take one trip back in time to some of her work
And tomorrow night is the return of WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event! I’ll be on the scene in Long Island taking it all in, so with that in mind, let’s take it back to my favorite match in the show’s history
More reading: Beale Street Bears, SB Nation NBA
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
- Memphis Grizzlies Game Notes – Memphis Grizzlies
- Riding hot stretch, Grizzlies out to avenge losses to Nets – Larry Fleisher – NBA
- Memphis puts home win streak on the line against Brooklyn – AP
- Shake Milton welcomes stability, increased minutes in first Nets season – Bridget Reilly – New York Post
- Nets’ Keon Johnson’s playing time may go down when Cam Thomas returns – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Ziaire Williams expected to return to Nets lineup ‘sooner than later’ – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Surprise veteran playing key role in Nets’ success amid injuries – Erik Slater – Clutch Points