The Mavs head to Memphis Monday night to take on the Grizzlies in a tough Southwest Division matchup at 7 pm CT. The Mavs hold a 4 game win streak and are coming off an exciting home win against the defending Champion Warriors, while the Grizzlies are 3rd in the West and sit atop the Southwest Division standings.
| Dallas Mavericks | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Record | 7-8 | 10-5 |
| Position | 13th in West | T-3rd in West |
| PPG | 110.8 | 103.3 |
| Points Allowed | 109.3 | 100.8 |
| FG % | 46.7% | 45.1% |
| 3p % | 35.5% | 37.0% |
| FT % | 74.5% | 74.4% |
| RPG | 44.8 | 38.5 |
| APG | 22.9 | 22.9 |
| TO | 16.8 | 12.7 |
| Projected Starters | 2018-2019 Season | |||||
| Dallas Mavericks | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | |
| PG | Dennis Smith, Jr | 14.5 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 1 | 0.4 |
| SG | Wesley Matthews | 16.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| SF | Luka Doncic | 19.5 | 6.6 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| PF | Harrison Barnes | 165 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan | 10.8 | 13.2 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | |
| PG | Mike Conley | 19.1 | 3.1 | 5.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| SG | Garrett Temple | 12 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.2 |
| SF | Kyle Anderson | 5.4 | 6.6 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| PF | Jaren Jackson Jr | 12.7 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| C | Marc Gasol | 16.8 | 9.3 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 0.9 |
The Mavs 4 game winning streak is tied for the most in the league right now but it will not be easy to extend that steak against a Memphis team holding opponents to 100 ppg, best in the NBA. Led by Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies still play their Grit ‘N Grind style, last in the league in pace. Fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, Jaren Jackson Jr has only improved their already tough defense, using his incredibly length and defensive instincts to get turnovers and protect the rim. The Mavericks are still one of the worst turnover teams in the league, which is not where you want to be heading into Memphis where they are 5-1 and causing opponents to turn it over an average of 19 times per game.
The Mavericks are really starting to come together on defense. During the 8 games in October, the Mavericks opponents averaged 116 ppg but in the 7 games so far this month they have only allowed 101 ppg. Shout out to Maxi Kleber holding down the paint, averaging 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes.
Their offensive efficiency has also improved with Harrison Barnes rounding into form, averaging 22 points and 6 rebounds over the last 7 games. Their balanced scoring attack make them a very difficult team to stop because there is really no weak link. Over the past 7 games, six Mavericks players are averaging double digit points per game. Not included in those six are Wesley Matthews at 9 ppg and DeAndre Jordan at 8 ppg.
The Mavs will need both their team defense and balanced scoring to go into Memphis and make some noise. If the Mavs can get this one on the road, the rest of the West will certainly take notice that the Mavs are on the come-up. If it comes down to it, we know HB can hit the buzzer beating game winner.
Categories: Game Previews, Mavs Fans For Life
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