Soaring Down South
Fansided

Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: March 11th at Memphis Grizzlies

By Andrew Snyder

Oct 6, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore (24) dribbles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Troy Daniels (30) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 6, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore (24) dribbles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Troy Daniels (30) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Atlanta Hawks look to make it three wins in a row Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Can they pull off the road victory?

The Atlanta Hawks seem to be back on track. After a nail-biting win over the lowly Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night, they redeemed themselves on Friday with a win over the Toronto Raptors. Dennis Schroder had another stellar night, scoring 26 points and dishing out five assists on 9-for-18 shooting.

Paul Millsap added 21 points and six rebounds on 7-for-13 shooting, while Tim Hardaway Jr. dropped 20 points and hit three three-pointers. Their efforts helped thwart DeMar DeRozan‘s 28 point, eight rebound, six assist performance.

More from Soaring Down South

The Raptors were without star point guard Kyle Lowry, but it was still an important victory. Every win is important for Atlanta right now. Especially a win over the team that is just two games ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings.

They face another difficult opponent tonight. This time it will come on the road. The Hawks will take a trip to FedEx Forum on Saturday evening to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies have fallen a bit in the standings lately, but they’re still a tough Western Conference opponent.

Memphis is 36-29 on the season and are in seventh place in the loaded West. They’re led by their perennial All-Star Marc Gasol. Gasol is averaging 20.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 46.4 percent shooting and 38.6 percent from outside, while also anchoring Memphis’ staunch defense.

Mike Conley is also having a good season, after signing a massive contract last summer. Conley scores 20 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting and 40.8 percent from three-point distance. Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, JaMychal Green, and Troy Daniels round out their scoring leaders. Aside from Conley and Gasol, it’s pretty rough on the offensive end.

Memphis expected Chandler Parsons to be their third scoring option this season. Injuries have prevented that from happening. Parsons has played just 19.8 minutes per game in 33 games this season. He’s shot just 34 percent overall and 26.4 percent from outside. His performance, or lack thereof, has left fans wondering if he’s worth the four-year $94.8 million contract he signed over the summer.

Live Feed

NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season /

Sir Charles In Charge

  • NBA Power Rankings: Tiering all 30 projected starting point guards for 2023-24Sir Charles In Charge
  • 1 Advantage the Heat have over every Southeast Division teamAll U Can Heat
  • NBA rumors: Trae Young drops Hawks on Insta, Harden's only suitor, Kelly Oubre Jr. updateFanSided
  • NBA rumors: Trae Young trade buzz, Andre Drummond is a comedian, Wemby and KAT team upFanSided
  • 4 Trae Young trades the Hawks should considerFanSided

    • The Grizzlies are coached by former Miami Heat assistant David Fizdale. He’s regarded as one of the best player development coaches in the NBA. He’s respected by some of league’s top players, including LeBron James.

    His first season in Memphis should be looked at as a success unless they somehow fall out of the playoffs.

    As you might expect, these Grizzlies win with defense. They currently boast the 7th best defensive rating in the NBA, allowing just 106.9 points per 100 possessions. Offensively they’ve struggled. Their offensive rating ranks 18th in the NBA, as they score just 107.5 points per 100 possessions .

    The Grizzlies have struggled lately. They have lost their last four games to the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Two of those losses came against teams with records below .500.

    The Hawks and Grizzlies have yet to play this season. They’ll play twice in the next five days to quickly complete their season series. It’s hard to say who is the better team. Right now it’s Atlanta. They have won back-to-back games and appear to be figuring things out after a rocky start to their post-All-Star break schedule.

    Daily Fantasy Basketball Projections by numberFire

    The projections at numberFire heavily lean in favor of the Grizzlies, giving them a 73.31 percent chance of winning. That seems a little unbalanced. Atlanta matches up well with Memphis. An ugly, grind it out game works in their favor.

    Next: Atlanta's Most Desirable First Round Opponents

    Who: Atlanta Hawks (36-29) @ Memphis Grizzlies (36-29) 

    When: 9:00 PM EST, Saturday, March 11th, 2017

    Where: FedEx Forum

    How: Fox Sports Southeast

    Prediction: Hawks: 99 Grizzlies 95 

    Home/Hawks News