Mavs Game Day: Tough Week Starts With Grizz

 

 

MEMPHIS, TN – Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks (16-6) will take on the Memphis Grizzlies (16-4), giving the Mavericks yet another chance to show they can compete with the West’s elite contenders. The Mavericks, if they were in the Eastern Conference, would sit a half game out of first place, but as it stands right now, they are locked in at the seventh slot in the West. The Mavericks have a 0-4 record against the top 8 teems in the Western Conference as of now, and a 16-2 record against everyone else. Tonight and the rest of this week could be a good time to stop that trend, and serve notice that the Mavericks belong in the discussion of championship contenders.

 

“It’s a good test to see where we are,” said Chandler Parsons. “You know, we haven’t played teams like we’re about to play. Memphis is rolling, New Orleans is a solid team, and then Golden State is probably the best team in the NBA right now. So, this will be a huge week just to see where we stand. And it will be a good test for us and show what we need to improve on.

 

	Mavericks Projected Starters	Grizzlies Projected Starters
PG	Jameer Nelson 7.2 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.6 RPG	Mike Conley 16.7 PG, 6.3 APG, 2.8 RPG
SG	Monta Ellis 21.2 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.6 RPG	Courtney Lee 12.6 PPG, 2.2 APG, 2.6 RPG
SF	Chandler Parsons 15.5 PPG, 2.3 APG, 5.1 RPG	Tony Allen 8.0 PPG, 1.7 APG, 4.1 RPG
PF	Dirk Nowitzki 19.2 PPG, 2.3 APG, 5.6 RPG	Zach Randolph 15.6 PPG, 1.4 APG, 11.0 RPG
C	Tyson Chandler 11.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG	Marc Gasol 19.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG

 

Battle of Number 1’s

Something has to give in tonight’s regular season tilt in Memphis. The Mavericks currently have the top scoring offense (110 ppg) in the NBA , while Memphis leads the league when it comes to holding teams to points (93.5 ppg). If the Mavericks can find a way to speed up the pace of the game, it should allow them to get the Grizzlies out of their comfort zone and sway the advantage over to their side. It’s also important to note that the Grizzlies can still put points on the board as well, so the Mavericks will have to do a good job on the glass, and keep them from getting second looks at the basket.

 

Matchups To Watch

 

Dirk Nowitzki vs Marc Gasol:  A battle between two of the best international big men in the game. Marc Gasol is having another solid all around season, while Nowitzki is continuing to write off critics and hold off that “old man” tag for the time being.

 

Tyson Chandler & Brandan Wright vs Marc Gasol & Randolph:  I really think tonight’s game comes down to rebounding. The Mavericks must keep Memphis off of the offensive glass, and also need to look to crash the glass on the offensive end against a very stingy Grizzlies defense. I think the team that wins this key battle down low will find themselves in the best position to win in the end.

 

Injuries

Mavs: Raymond Felton, who is still dealing with ankle issues is questionable.

 

All-Time Series

The Mavericks have dominated this series, boasting a 55-19 record head-to-head. The Mavericks took 3 out of 4 last season, and will be squaring off for the first time this season tonight.

 

Outlook & Prediction

This is going to be a dandy Mavs Fanatics! It’s a huge week for the Mavericks, and tonight would be a great jumping off point for what figures to be a big statement opportunity for Dallas. I think this is going to be one of those grind it out games. The Mavericks will continue to show they have improved their rebounding with the additions of the Chandlers, and the game will come down to final few minutes. In the end, the Mavericks will have to find a way to get stops, which is something I’m not sure they can do quite yet. Mavs fall 105-103 . 

 

Team Comparison	Mavericks	Grizzlies
Points	110.6 (1st)	100.4 (17th)
Rebounds	42.0 (16th)	41.8 (18th)
Assists	24.0 (7th)	22.1 (13th)
Points Allowed	102.5 (24th)	93.5 (1st)

 

Don’t forget to catch the game tonight on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:00 pm CT. And as always, remember…