Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies
Time: 7 PM CT (NBA LP)
Spread: LAC -1
Total: 212.5
Betting odds c/o CRIS
The Indiana Pacers are 16-9 on the season and seeded No. 2 in the Eastern Conference thus far, but the team is just 6-6 on the road and will travel to face Memphis in one of the tougher venues in the NBA.
Even so, Memphis is just 8-6 at home this season where it will be one-point underdogs to Chris Paul and the Clippers.
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Indiana has been getting it done with one of the best three-point offenses in the NBA. The Pacers average 9.3 threes per game while shooting 38.2 percent as a team, and power forward Paul George has had a lot to do with it. Since moving from small to power forward the All-Star has revolutionized his game. Over the summer GM Larry Bird announced George would switch to the 4-spot, and George was upset over it.
It is doubtful he feels that way now with a 26.1 point per game scoring average and a career high in rebounds too at 7.9 per game. He is serving a point-forward role at times, averaging four assists per game and providing a brand of offense that is difficult for opposing frontcourts to put a halt to.
The Pacers have also received a career-high level of play from journeyman C.J. Miles, who has averaged 15.6 points per game on 41.9 percent three-point shooting. The Pacers have three shooters averaging 40 percent or better from the arc, and though Monta Ellis production has fallen off badly, the Pacers are hardly struggling for scoring.
Ellis is averaging just 12.2 points per game on 11.7 shot attempts per night, but Indiana has been getting solid production from Rodney Stuckey off the bench. The combo guard is averaging 10.9 points per game to serve as an effective third guard behind Ellis and point guard George Hill. Essentially, the Pacers have three combo guards in its backcourt rotation, giving the Pacers a unique chance to exploit mismatches while creating intrigue with its playmaking capabilities.
The Pacers have won three straight, too, with victories over Brooklyn, Dallas and Toronto. Indiana has allowed just 89.6 points per game over the win streak.
The Grizzlies meanwhile have made a descent into mediocrity and are 14-14 on the season. The Grizz dropped its last two games to Dallas and Chicago, failing to score over 90 points in both contests. This is somewhat unsurprising given that Memphis is a defensive team, but it is averaging just 95.9 points per game this season.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol has had a nice year, but he has not received a ton of help from teammates. Zach Randolph has suffered the greatest decline, but maybe that is unsurprising given his age (34). Randolph is shooting just 45.4 percent from the floor this season and averaging 13.2 points per game, while his career average is 47.2 percent and 17 points per game.
Over his last five, Z-Bo has shot 50 percent from the floor, but he has averaged just 26 minutes per game and scored 10 points per game over that span. Getting him more involved could save the Grizzlies or not, given that its second-leading scorer Mike Conley is averaging just 14.5 points per game too.
Newly acquired Mario Chalmers is averaging 11.1 points per game off the bench, but the Grizzlies need more from swingman Jeff Green. Green, oft considered a player without a true position, is posting a PER of just 10.8 while averaging just over 10 points per game. Getting more offense begins with stimulating Green and Chalmers, because the Grizzlies are comprised of so many defensive talents.
Defense may be good for winning playoff games, but it will not matter of Memphis cannot even make the postseason.
