Griz savor home cooking

[La Bomba]

The Grizzlies will look the same when they take the court tonight for the opening tip.

 

Once the ball starts bouncing is when they hope to wow a FedExForum audience with an extreme makeover.

 

Griz coach Lionel Hollins is resisting the urge and will not shake up the starting lineup for their meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the regulars in his rotation have been put on notice.

 

Memphis (1-8) is looking to snap a seven-game losing streak and detour off its worst start through nine games since the 2002-03 season. The Griz lost its first 13 games that season.

 

"We're in a pit. It looks bad. But everybody has to believe it's not as bad and be willing to go out and work our way out of this," Hollins said.

 

Defense had been the Grizzlies' glaring problem. Now, they also struggle to score points.

 

The Griz scored 79 points in each of the past two games after averaging 111.2 points in their previous six contests. Veteran guard Allen Iverson remains on personal leave and rookie center Hasheem Thabeet isn't expected to play because of a hairline fractured jaw bone.

 

Hollins & Co. hasn't handled adversity well on the court, either, so there is plenty to fix.

 

"Hopefully, they'll understand it's not anything to panic about. It's early," Hollins said. "We've had a tough schedule, and we have to grind it out and get a win. If you go back to the beginning of our season with 11 of the first 16 (games) on the road... It was going to be difficult. If anybody thought we'd be (much) better than our record at this stage they're probably drinking something."

 

There is no doubt that the Griz have been staggered by the early schedule. But the Griz should arguably be no worse than 3-6 given they blew games against weaker (Sacramento) or equal (Golden State) opponents.

 

Third quarters have played a major role in the Grizzlies' early-season woes. They won just one third quarter so far (Nov. 2 at Sacramento). The Griz were outscored by at least seven points in the third period six times this season.

 

Hollins has watched his team score fewer points in the third quarter than any other quarter and allow more third-quarter points to opponents than any other period.

 

Opponents have outscored Memphis by a total of 62 points combined in third quarters this season. The only period in which the Griz hold an advantage is the first quarter.

 

Memphis has scored 16 more total points than opponents in the opening frame.

 

Another glaring concern has to be the lack of bench production. The Grizzlies' reserves are being outscored 38-19.1 points per game.

 

"We've had a lot of good moments. We've had our bad moments," Hollins said. "We had some bad moments against some really good teams. But for the most part we've hung tough and been in most of the games."

 

Hollins said remaining united is as important as getting a win in times like these.

 

"You can't point fingers," Hollins said. "You just go and do. If everybody is doing their job then hopefully you're talented enough to overcome and get some wins. If you're not then the whole situation has to be re-evaluated."

 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/14/griz-savor-home-cooking/