I’m not that disappointed by the loss; the Grizzlies just lost to a better team in OKC. Let me count the ways:

1. Defensively, OKC was a step quicker most of the night. They may have set an NBA record for deflections; with their defensive energy and anticipation they seemed to get their hands on the ball at least every 2nd or 3rd posession. And since the Grizzlies weren’t hitting from outside, they packed it in defensively, further restricting our interior ball movement. Scotty Brooks was a 3rd string point guard on the Jeff Van Gundy coached Knicks’ teams of the 90’s, and it’s obvious he spent his bench time wisely.

2. Offensively, in my opinion, OKC’s ball movement was very crisp, and their screens were tight. This is a well coached team. They are every bit as inexperienced as the Grizzlies, but one would have guessed that this unit had been playing together for several years.

3. Although the Von Wafer rumor mentioned a couple of days ago may have sounded odd to some, it makes sense for the following reason.

Wafer’s outside shooting is streaky, but when he’s hitting he can really fill it up from outside. This would have kept OKC from collapsing down defensively, and would have kept OKC’s defensive scheme “honest” for lack of a better word.

4. Although the Grizzlies were rather anergic to start the game, their defensive energy rose as the game went on. For the most part, I do not fault their effort. Execution must improve, to be sure.

5. If you thought OKC’s defensive effort was intense, wait until you see the Celtics Monday. They will have had an off day, while the Grizz are playing the 2nd game of a BTB. The Celtics can shut people down; they are an extremely well coached, motivated defensive unit.
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