2017 NBA Playoffs Preview:
The first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs is set. One of the eight exciting matchups is a bout between the second seed San Antonio Spurs and the seventh seed Memphis Grizzlies.
The Spurs are, once again, one of the best teams in the NBA. They come into the series with the second-best record in the NBA at 61-21. This is their 20th consecutive playoff appearance, and they once again are a team that could truly win the title.
While they are a very well rounded team, Kawhi Leonard is the engine that fuels the Spurs. The 6’7″ forward is having an MVP-level season, averaging 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season. He has flourished on offense and remains as one of the best defenders in the league. Surrounded by the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker, the Spurs are a well-oiled machine that will cause trouble for the Grizzlies.
Memphis has had another successful season and will return to the playoffs for the seventh straight year. Mike Conley re-signed with the Grizzlies in the offseason for the most expensive contract in NBA history and has since rewarded Memphis with a career year. He averaged 20.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Part of Conley’s career season has been his shooting efficiency. He shot 45.9 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from the three-point line in 69 games this season.
Marc Gasol has had a career year of his own. The Spaniard played 74 games this season, finishing the season averaging 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The biggest improvement to Gasol’s game has been the addition of a three-point shot. Gasol has never averaged more than 0.2 three-point attempts per game until this season where he shot 38.8 percent on 3.6 attempts from behind the arc. Gasol posted the second highest PER of his career at 20.3 this season. It’s truly crazy that in his ninth season and at the age of 32, Gasol is having the best season of his career. His performance in this series will largely dictate the way it goes.
The Spurs and Grizzlies met four times this season, with each team winning two games apiece. This will most definitely be a defensive-minded series, but who statistically has the better offense?
The Spurs are 14th in the league in points scored per game, at 105.3. They have been extremely efficient shooting the ball all season. San Antonio is seventh in the NBA in field goal percentage and free throw percentage. They are the best three-point shooting team in the NBA, having shot 39.1 percent from deep this season.
The Grizzlies are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. While San Antonio is a middle of the pack scoring team, Memphis is nearly dead last, ranking 29th in points per game. The Grizzlies average just 100.5 points per game. Speaking of dead last, that’s what Memphis is in field goal shooting percentage. While they aren’t as bad of a three-point shooting team as they are overall, the Grizzlies shoot just 35.4 percent from the three-point line.
As mentioned before, this should be a defensive showcase of a series. The Spurs rank first in the NBA in defense with a defensive rating of 100.9. Memphis ranks seventh in the league with a 104.5 defensive rating. Both teams allow their opponents to shoot just 44.3 percent from the field. They also each average eight steals per game. The Spurs force their opponents to commit 14.4 turnovers per game, while the Grizzlies are at 14.3. The two teams are extremely identical defensively, making this defensive battle a much-anticipated one.
Both San Antonito and Memphis have fantastic post players that will have a major impact in this series.
While Marc has opened up his game to become more of a floor spacer, he still is one of the better post-up options in the NBA. Along with Zach Randolph and JaMychal Green, the Grizzlies can do some serious damage around the rim.
While it is tough to match what the Grizzlies have inside, the Spurs do a can make a great effort to do so. LaMarcus Aldridge is a very good post-up and mid-range option, and don’t forget about Marc Gasol’s brother, Pau Gasol. The Gasol brother matchup inside is something we need to see, because it’s fun.
The Grizzlies will be without Chandler Parsons, who was shut down for the season back in March. This was an injury the Grizzlies were learning to deal with. Most recently, however, the Grizzlies suffered a potentially crushing blow to their roster. Tony Allen left the Grizzlies season finale with a right leg injury. Head Coach of the Grizzlies, David Fizdale, said the injury initially “scared the crap out of” him. The Grizzlies later announced Allen had suffered a right calf strain. His availability for the series is doubtful.
The Spurs are at full health.
This should be a very good series. Forget the fact that Memphis is the seventh seed, that doesn’t matter. They are a good team and are highly experienced when it comes to facing the Spurs. They did upset them in the 2011 playoffs. The problem is that since that upset, the Spurs have beat them eight consecutive times in the playoffs.
This is a different Memphis team in their defense. Last year, Memphis played the Spurs with practically a D-League squad.
The Spurs are not going to let 2011 repeat itself. They are too well versed, too competent, and too motivated to lose. San Antonio has had another amazing season while flying under the radar, much like Leonard’s MVP candidacy. I think that the Spurs will win the series in seven games. Memphis is good, but not good enough, especially when they are likely to be without Allen for the whole series. This should be a great first-round series, but the Spurs will be moving on to the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
The first game of the series takes place on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. It will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN.
