WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF Predictions: Grizzlies vs Spurs Series Preview
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#1 SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS. #8 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Sunday April 17, 1:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Wednesday April 20, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Saturday April 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Monday, TBD, TBD
*Wednesday April 27, TBD, TBD
*Friday April 29, TBD, TBD
*Sunday May 1TBD, TBD
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Odds To Win Series
Grizzlies +295
Spurs -355
Odds To Win Western Conference
Spurs +300
Grizzlies +3200
Odds To Win NBA Title
SAN ANTONIO SPURS +475
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES +6500
Injuries of Note: San Antonio: Manu Ginobil – G – Day-to-Day (elbow injury)
Memphis: Tony Allen – G – Day-to-Day (sore kene)
Rudy Gay – F – Out For Season (shoulder injury)
Xavier Henry – G – Out Indefinitely (knee injury)
Zach Randolph – F – Day-to-Day (sore elbow)
Jason Williams – G – Out Indefinitely (sore back)
Season series: These 2 teams split the season series 2-2
Do the San Antonio Spurs have another title run in them? I don’t know, but they first have to get by a Grizzlies team that beat them twice this season. Each team won 2 games on their home court, but the Grizzlies won the last 2 games of the season series. The Spurs had an up and down end of the season, as they lost 6 straight and then won 4 in a row before dropping their last 2 games of the season.
There is one question mark in this series and that is how Manu Ginobili will play or even if he will play. In the last game of the season he went down with an elbow injury, but luckily for the Spurs the x-rays were negative. Still, at time of writing on Thursday morning, his status is uncertain. He will likely play and he will have to play well, especially on the offensive end of the court.
This season the Spurs tied with the Bulls for the best home record in the NBA (36-5) and were solid on the road at 25-16 and while the Grizzlies were a good home team at 30-11 they were 9 games under .500 on the road (16-25).
In the past few seasons the Spurs have won with defense, but this season they were a better team on offense. The Memphis D will have to play well in this series facing a San Antonio team that has averaged 108 ppg in their last 7 games of the season.
San Antonio will need a good series from their 3 big guns of Manu Ginobili (17.6 ppg), Tony Parker (17.6 ppg), and Tim Duncan (13.4 ppg). If Ginobili cannot play or his offense struggles with his injured elbow George Hill (11.6 ppg) and Richard Jefferson (11.1 ppg) will have to take up the scoring slack.
Tim Duncan’s stats were down this season, but he is key in this series, especially on the defensive end of the court. He averaged 8.9 rpg this season and he will be counted on tin this series to keep the Grizzlies’ PF Zach Randolph (20.1 ppg 12.2 rpg) in check. He will get help from big body DeJuan Blair (8.3 ppg 7 rpg) and if these guys can keep Randolph in check it the Spurs will not win lose this series. Randolph and C Marc Gasol (11.8 ppg 7 rpg) give the Grizzlies a legit frontcourt and for them to take out the top-seeded Spurs these guys have to play great in the paint.
The Grizzlies do have a good backcourt with Mike Conley (13.7 ppg) and O.J. Mayo (11.3 ppg) and these guys have to shoot the rock well to open up the lane for their big guys. The Memphis guards also have to try to disrupt Parker and the ball movement of the Spurs, who rank 7th in the league in assists per game. When the Spurs move the ball well they win and in an interesting stat they are 42-1 on the season when they have at least 22 assists per game. Grizzlies’ G Tony Allen (8.9 ppg) is averaging almost 2 steals per game and his play on D is important in this series.
Betting Prediction
Even though they are only the 8th seed this is not a bad match up for the Grizzlies. They beat the Spurs twice this season and they have a solid inside/outside game. However, while I do not think the Spurs have what it takes to make it to the finals they will win this series. Memphis will not lay down in this series and they will win at least 2 games in their house, but they will not win any in the Lone Star State.
Free NBA Playoff Series Pick: Spurs in 6
