Blazers vs Grizzlies - Behind Enemy Lines: How Injured are Memphis?
Friday, April 17, 2015
When asked for their picks, all of ESPN's 19 NBA writers selected the Grizzlies to win the first round playoff series. Las Vegas sports books, meanwhile have the Grizzlies as almost 2-to-1 favorites.
A lot of the has to do with the Memphis' recent success against Portland. The Grizzlies swept all four meetings this season. In Terry Stotts' tenure, the Blazers are just 2-and-9 against Memphis.
As I mentioned earlier this week, I think those results--particularly this year's--are a tad misleading. In short, the Blazers were at full strength in only one of those games, while the Grizzlies suited up all their starters in each of the four contests.
And while Portland as a triage unit has been well documented, Memphis' injuries are a big enough deal that I think the Blazers have chance.
Both of Memphis' injuries are in the backcourt, to point guard Mike Conley and Tony Allen. Simply put, the Grizzlies need Conley to helm their offense. Without him, they're in deep trouble. Allen, meanwhile, is valued for his defense, and would likely end up guarding Damian Lillard.
Should either one or both be limited or miss significant time, Lillard would likely have a field day. After Conley and Allen, there is no one who could sufficiently guard Portland's All-Star point guard.
As such, it's worth taking a deeper look into Memphis' injuries.
Conley is currently dealing with a foot injury that caused him to miss the final four games of the regular season. According to Memphis coach Dave Joerger, Conley and Allen would not have been able to play on Wednesday, had the playoffs started then. Since, the two have returned to practice, and are expected to play in Sunday's series opener.
Tony Allen (hamstring) and Mike Conley (foot) both returned to practice and say they intend to play Game 1 vs Blazers http://t.co/wYRV1ZumuM
— Ronald Tillery (@CAGrizBeat) April 17, 2015
That the two will suit up, however, does not necessarily suggest that they are healed enough to be effective.
Conley is dealing with foot problems, reportedly plantar fasciitis. As someone who's suffered from plantar fasciitis for over two years, I can say with confidence that it's a BIG DEAL, and drastically limits one's movement. It makes all the cutting in basketball nearly impossible. And again, should Conley be ineffective or unable to go, Memphis will be in deep trouble.
The Grizzlies could likely survive without Allen, who missed the final nine games of the season with a hamstring injury.
For more on the injuries we turn to Ron Tillery, a highly respected Grizzlies beat writer Ron Tillery, who addressed these questions in the following video interview. (I transcribed the most important parts below.)
"Q: WILL CONLEY AND ALLEN BE HEALTHY BY SUNDAY'S GAME?
I don't think you can count on that because there's not enough time for these guys to get healthy.
Let's start with Tony. Tony is an older player, at 33, and he's dealing with a hamstring, which is tricky enough for younger guys.
Mike has had everything imaginable. We're talking about the wrist, we're talking about both ankles, we're talking about the neck, the back, he's had a cut over each eye and a busted lip.
And now he's dealing with a foot injury that he says makes him feel like he's walking on a golf ball every time that he takes a step. So it's not going to heal in a couple days. So they're going to be dealing with injuries.
Now, I know it sounds good that you're dealing with a banged up Portland team. But they got Damian Lillard, they got an All-Star in LaMarcus Aldridge. If Lillard gets hot from the perimeter and takes over this series it could be a long series.
Q: IF MIKE IS HOBBLED AND TONY IS HOBBLED, WHO STAYS IN FRONT OF DAMIAN LILLARD?
It's gonna be a tough challenge. And this is why, with all the seeding and who is the right team to play, I subscribe to the Marc Gasol gospel. This team ultimately has to play better. They have to play better collectively because they don't have that one guy that can take over a game or a series."
Indeed, a lot is riding on the injured foot/ankle of Conley and, to a lesser extent, Allen's hamstring. Should they be unable to go--or operating at less than 100%--I think the Blazers have a better chance to advance than a many are giving them.
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