Chickens on the Run: Game 13: Mavs vs. Grizzlies

The Mavs go up against the Grizzlies... and they are not in last place. The Mavericks won the last time the two met with a score of 98-83. Both Dallas and Memphis are on winning streaks, although the Mavs are at a three game streak and the Grizzlies are just at a one game winning streak. Memphis topped Sacramento on the 18th with a 109-94 score. The Mavericks have won against the Knicks, Bobcats, and Rockets.

In my mind, the Mavericks were supposed to win those games, and especially against a depleted Bobcats and a Ming-less Rockets team. So, what does that mean about tonight? Well, this is another game the Mavericks should win. They have the better team. But what is important is that the Mavericks are playing like a team and not a group of individuals... and that means they could walk out on the court and just about top anybody. They haven't been playing like a team consistently, hence the 5-7 record and fourth place standing within the division, but when they do play as a team, they nail down the competition.

Now, the Grizzlies are in fifth place in the division with a 4-7 record, so a win for them tonight would have them pass up the Mavericks and move into fourth place. Question: are the Grizzlies as bad as the record, or are they just not playing up to their potential?

Grizzlies to Watch:

Rudy Gay: 20.6 PPG
O.J. Mayo: 20.1 PPG
Marc Gasol: 12.4 PPG; 7.2 RPG
Hakim Warrick: 10.7 PPG; 6.0 RPG

The Grizzlies appear to play selfishly, averaging only 16.6 assists per game. What that means is they do not share the ball (not much of a passing game) and generally whoever has the ball, takes the shot. It looks like they basically have a one-dimensional offense, which should be fairly easy to stop for the Mavericks. (Note: Before beating Sacramento, the Grizzlies had a four game losing streak).

Mavericks to Watch:

Dirk Nowitzki: 24.7 PPG; 8.3 RPG
Josh Howard: 20.3 PPG; 8.2 RPG
Jason Terry: 18.3 PPG
Jason Kidd: 9.5 PPG; 7.1 RPG; 8.3 APG

Before the current three game winning streak, the Mavericks had a 5-game losing streak. After tonights game, the Mavericks have three days off before playing Indiana. The margin of victory for the last three games is 10, 17, and 10...

Forecast: Look for another double-digit win tonight by the Mavericks. I do not know if they have necessarily arrived, but they should have enough to show up the Grizzlies in grandiouse fashion. Look for the first home victory tonight with a score of 105-92.