Tag: Brandon Clarke

Danny Green says the Grizzlies are absolutely obsessed with rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again

“From morning, to night, from shootaround to the game, it’s NBA YoungBoy.”

NBA veteran Danny Green has played in many different locker rooms during his professional career. Each one has its own unique character.

Green is a three-time NBA champion who was traded in exchange for De’Anthony Melton from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason. He says his new teammates have one thing in common: They are all obsessed with the same musician.

Green said that one of the first things he noticed about Memphis is that everyone on the roster listens to 23-year-old Louisiana rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again. He spoke about the obsession on his podcast with co-host Harrison Sanford.

Here is what Green had to say when discussing the musician:

“Coming here it made me realize why he’s number one…All they do is listen to Youngboy all day. From morning, to night, from shootaround to the game, it’s NBA YoungBoy.”

Grizzlies star Ja Morant has posted videos of himself blasting NBA YoungBoy. The guard has also come onto the court with the musician playing as well.

YoungBoy used the song “Rose Gold” to give a shout-out to Morant.

Earlier this year, Damichael Cole wrote about how YoungBoy’s music influences the Grizzlies. Here is what Jaren Jackson Jr. told Cole (via Commercial Appeal):

“That’s probably why we have won so many games, honestly. Everybody is on the same page, everybody knows the words. At this point, everybody listens to it. We all know the words. The whole team.”

Cole said that Jackson, Morant, and Brandon Clarke are typically the players who are in charge of the playlists for the team.

Several of the players I interviewed during the pre-draft process, including Onyeka Okongwu and Ayo Dosunmu, described YoungBoy as their favorite musician.

Last season, before a game, Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton gave fans an impromptu YoungBoy singalong on the jumbotron.

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Report: Rockets nearly traded for Marcus Smart, Brandon Clarke in June 2019

A June 2019 trade agreement would have sent Clint Capela to Boston and Marcus Smart and Brandon Clarke to the Rockets, but Memphis scuttled it by drafting Clarke one spot ahead.

In 2019, then-general manager Daryl Morey said the Rockets had reached a trade agreement to acquire a first-round draft pick in the “early 20s,” but it was contingent on Houston drafting a certain player. The deal was scuttled when that player was drafted one pick earlier.

At the time, Morey did not specify the team involved or the intended target. But today, nearly three years later, we finally have confirmation courtesy of Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Fischer writes:

In 2019, when Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge was still the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, they held serious draft night trade discussions with the Houston Rockets about acquiring Clint Capela for Marcus Smart and the No. 22 pick, sources told B/R.

The agreed-in-principle deal ultimately fell short, but the Rockets were targeting Brandon Clarke before the Memphis Grizzlies swept in to steal the Gonzaga product at No. 21.

The deal makes financial sense, since Boston would have needed to send out a salaried veteran along with Clarke in order for the incoming salary of Capela to work under the collective bargaining agreement.

Capela then stayed with the Rockets as Houston’s starting center until a February 2020 trade sent him to Atlanta, with Robert Covington joining Houston and ushering in a brief “small ball” era. In the 2020 offseason, in what was ultimately the early stages of Houston’s current rebuild, Covington was traded to Portland for two future first-round picks.

In hindsight, it’s a fascinating hypothetical. Clarke has played well in a part-time role in Memphis over three NBA seasons, averaging 10.9 points (59.1% FG) and 5.6 rebounds in 21.9 minutes. At 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, Clarke was and is the type of athletic, undersized-but-versatile rim runner that perhaps would have made for a better frontcourt matchup than Capela versus Golden State and longtime nemesis Draymond Green.

Then again, in this hypothetical, the Rockets wouldn’t have had Covington, who shot a blistering 50.0% on 3-pointers during the 2020 Western Conference playoffs while averaging 2.5 steals per game.

Perhaps the more intriguing name in this trade is Marcus Smart, who is currently starting for the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.

If the Rockets had added Smart, long respected as a locker-room leader, could that have perhaps salvaged the relationship between James Harden and Chris Paul before the ill-fated trade of Paul (and four years of future draft considerations) for Russell Westbrook a month later?

Even if not, what does adding Smart and his tenacious defense do for the 2019-20 backcourt mix? That might have made the Harden/Westbrook group a better matchup versus the Los Angeles Lakers and particulaly veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who torched Houston in the 2020 second-round series that ultimately ended the Harden era.

There’s also this obvious question, from the other side: Would Boston be in the NBA Finals today, if Smart weren’t on the roster?

We’ll never know, of course, but it’s fun to wonder about. Add this to a long line of “what if?” hypotheticals throughout Rockets history.

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Celtics injury update: Memphis Grizzlies to sit Morant, Adams, Jackson, Brooks in 2021-22 season finale

The move will allow Boston to choose their seeding destiny.

The Memphis Grizzlies have announced that they will sit several key players in theirs and the Boston Celtics’ final game of the 2021-22 NBA season, which in turn will allow the Celtics to choose their seeding destiny heading into the 2021-22 NBA Playoffs.

Memphis announced that Steven Adams (ankle soreness), Dillon Brooks (hip soreness), Jaren Jackson, Jr. (thigh soreness), Tyus Jones (hand soreness), Ja Morant (knee soreness), Tyrell Terry (foot soreness), and Killian Tillie (knee soreness) all are out for Sunday night’s season-ending contest, with Desmond Bane (foot soreness) and Brandon Clarke (thigh contusion) listed as questionable.

With the Milwaukee Bucks playing the Cleveland Cavaliers without several key players of their own out to rest before the postseason, the Celtics may be in a position to rest players themselves if dropping to a lower seed seems more desirable — or to play good players and seize the second seed for themselves.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Grizzlies season preview: How strong is Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson duo?

With Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, both only recently 22 years old, the Memphis Grizzlies may have the best duo of young players in the NBA.

With Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, both only recently 22 years old, the Memphis Grizzlies may have the best duo of young players in the NBA.

Memphis is building well around Morant, who is clearly one of the league’s top rising stars. They still have some weaknesses, like an ability for anyone else beyond Morant to crate their own offense off the bounce. But they have enough depth — and enough tenacity on defense — to at least put up a fight on both sides of the ball.

Below, check out our preview for the 2021-22 Grizzlies campaign.

3 observations: Bigger Grizzlies suffocate Joel Embiid-less Sixers

The bigger Memphis Grizzlies took advantage of the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to have Joel Embiid return to their team on Saturday after a 10-game absence, but since the team is on a back-to-back, they were not able to have him on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies and it hurt them all night long.

Memphis used their size advantage to start off and then hit a barrage of 3-pointers to knock off the Sixers 116-100 on Sunday to send them back out on the road for a 4-game trip. The Grizzlies were led by Dillon Brooks with 17 points in this one and won pretty easily despite Ja Morant struggling for just eight points on 3-for-8 shooting.

Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 21 points and eight rebounds, Shake Milton had 14 points, Mike Scott had nine points filling in for Embiid, Dwight Howard had nine points and 12 rebounds, and Ben Simmons had seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Paul Reed had 10 points and six rebounds in mop-up duty.

With that said, here are the three observations from this loss:

‘This was embarrassing’: Rockets lose 11th straight in historic loss to Memphis

In a 49-point loss to Memphis, Houston missed 41 3-pointers and shot its lowest percentage from the field (27.7%) in franchise history.

In a historic defeat at home, the Rockets lost to the Grizzlies, 133-84 (box score), on Sunday at Toyota Center. By margin, it was the biggest win in Memphis franchise history, and the third-largest loss for Houston.

It’s the 11th straight loss for the Rockets (11-21), who shot the lowest percentage from the field (27.7%) of any game in team history. Houston shot 4-of-45 on 3-pointers (8.9%). Their 23 made field goals tied the lowest of any game by the Rockets, ever.

Asked if this was rock bottom for the Rockets, head coach Stephen Silas responded postgame: “I hope so. This was embarrassing.” It’s now the franchise’s longest losing streak in more than 20 years.

Veteran point guard John Wall led the Rockets with 14 points, but he shot just 4-of-16 from the field (25.0%). He had five turnovers and did not have any assists, rebounds, steals, or blocks.

The Grizzlies were led by strong bench performance from Justise Winslow (20 points) and Brandon Clarke (16 points, 12 rebounds), each in just 21 minutes. Overall, the Grizzlies (15-15) had more combined points from their reserves (85) than Houston’s entire team did in the game.

Victor Oladipo did not play due to planned maintenance on the front end of a back-to-back for the Rockets, with Cleveland set to visit Toyota Center on Monday night. Oladipo should return for that game, though the status of Wall is not yet clear. To this point in the season, neither veteran guard has participated in both ends of a back-to-back scenario. As has been the case throughout the 11-game losing streak, star center Christian Wood (right ankle sprain) remained out, as well.

For now, see below for postgame reaction from a somber locker room. Monday’s game versus the Cavaliers tips off at 8:00 p.m. Central.

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Lakers vs. Grizzlies: Live stream, how to watch, TV channel (Jan. 3)

The Los Angeles Lakers will continue their road trip by kicking off a two-game series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

As the Los Angeles Lakers continue their four-game road trip on Sunday with the first of a two-game set against the Memphis Grizzlies, they will face a Grizzlies team without their star point guard Ja Morant but one that is still well-coached, tough, and able to steal a win even without the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year.

The Grizzlies proved as much earlier this week when they blew out the Charlotte Hornets on the road, 108-93. Dillon Brooks has taken an even bigger role with the Grizzlies without Morant in the game and Kyle Anderson will also likely see more action as a primary playmaker.

As for the Lakers, they’re looking for their first 3-game win streak of the season. After leaving Friday’s game against the Spurs with an ankle injury, Lakers starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters he expects to play in Sunday’s game against Memphis.

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

    • Date: Sunday Jan. 3
    • Time: 6 p.m. ET
    • TV Channel: NBA League Pass, Spectrum SportsNet, Fox Sports Southeast
    • Spread via BetMGM: Lakers -9.5

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS

Grizzlies (2-3)

  • Brandon Clarke
  • Kyle Anderson
  • Jonas Valanciunas
  • Dillon Brooks
  • Tyus Jones

Lakers (4-2)

  • Anthony Davis
  • LeBron James
  • Marc Gasol
  • Dennis Schroder
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

 

 

Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke react to NBA All-Rookie First Team selection

The Grizzlies had multiple players on the All-Rookie First Team for the first time since the 2001-02 season (Pau Gasol and Shane Battier).

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Memphis Grizzlies teammates Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke on Tuesday were both named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the league announced.

Morant, who was named the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year, received NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 100 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters while Clarke earned 92 first-place votes and five second-place votes.

With the selections, the Grizzlies have now been represented on the All-Rookie First Team in consecutive seasons (Jaren Jackson Jr.) and have had multiple players on the All-Rookie First Team for the first time since the 2001-02 season (Pau Gasol and Shane Battier).

Morant averaged 17.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.5 assists in 59 games played before the season shut down on March 11. He led all qualified rookies in scoring and assists while he shot 49.1% from the field, joining LeBron James and Nikola Jokic as the only three players this season to average 17 points and six assists while shooting 49% from the field.

Clarke finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 58 games played. Clarke set the NBA rookie record among qualified players for field-goal percentage (61.8) while he finished fourth among all players in that category. He also led all rookies in win shares (5.0).

Morant and Clarke emerged as two of the best players from the 2019 NBA Draft class with the selections as they nearly led the Grizzlies to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Upon earning the honor, they each congratulated each other on social media.

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NBA All-Rookie: Ja Morant, Zion Williamson headline the First Team

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was the only rookie with First Team votes on all 100 ballots from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year, and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson headlined the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the league announced on Tuesday.

As the lone unanimous selection, Morant received NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 100 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Joining Morant and Williamson on the First Team are Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn and Golden State Warriors forward Eric Paschall.

With the selection of Morant and Clarke, the Grizzlies have multiple players on the NBA All-Rookie First Team for the first time since the 2001-02 season (Pau Gasol and Shane Battier). Meanwhile, Nunn is the first Heat player named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team since the 2008-09 season (Michael Beasley).

The 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consisted of Heat guard Tyler Herro, Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis II, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington Jr. and Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura. Herro finished one voting point from earning a First Team selection.

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Mountain West Alumni in the 2020 NBA Playoffs

The NBA 2020 Playoffs are almost here. Eight Mountain West alumni will be playing, another one has a chance to earn a ticket this weekend.

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Eight Mountain West alumni have made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The two weeks since the NBA restart have flown by and the regular season has now ended. Here are the teams with Mountain West alumni that have officially made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and a team that is still fighting for a spot.

Memphis Grizzlies – Brandon Clarke (SJSU 2015–2017)

No. 9 seed in the West
Overall Record: 34-39 Bubble: 2-6
Play-in Game 1: Saturday 2:30pm ET

The play-in, first in NBA history, has been activated and Memphis must battle it out with the Portland Blazers this weekend to secure the final playoff spot in the West. The first, and potentially only, game is on Saturday. If the Blazers win, the Grizzlies will be eliminated. If the Grizzlies win, there will be another game on Sunday.

Brandon Clarke is one of the promising young players for the Grizzlies. Clarke might be overshadowed by the Rookie of the Year finalist Ja Morant, but the former SJSU player’s efficiency and shooting percentage speak for themselves. Clarke finished the regular season at 61.8% from the field, which is slightly better than the NBA rookie shooting record by Steve Johnson at 61.34% through the 1981-81 season.

The last time the Grizzlies and the Blazers faced each other was on July 31 with Portland winning in overtime 140-135. Memphis’ leading scorer was Jaren Jackson Jr with 33 points. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies won’t count with him this time as he suffered a torn meniscus and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Their task won’t get any easier as they have to get through Damian Lillard who has been averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists since the restart. He recorded a total of 154 points in the last three games.

If the Grizzlies pull off two victories, they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 18.

Los Angeles Lakers – JaVale McGee (Nevada 2006–08)

No. 1 seed in the West
Overall Record: 52-19 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 9pm ET vs Memphis/Portland

The Lakers clinched the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference on Aug. 4, the first time since the 2019-10 season.

The Lakers haven’t been at their best since the restart, but they’ll have to step it up if they’re serious about getting their 17th NBA championship. Anthony Davis and LeBron James lead the team with an average of 26.1 and 25.3 points per game, respectively. The superstar duo hasn’t been performing as expected, so the team has relied on other players like Kyle Kuzma to step up.

Javale McGee, a 7’0 center, is one of the Lakers who has seen the most games this season. He has made 68 appearances, all as a starter.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced that the team is bringing reinforcements. Rajon Rondo, who injured his thumb and had surgery in July, has entered the bubble and is doing the required quarantine.

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George (Fresno State 2008-10), Kawhi Leonard (SDSU 2009-11)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 49-23 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 9pm ET vs Mavericks

The Clippers will face the Dallas Mavericks in a playoff game for the first time in NBA history. 

The Mavericks count on the young, but talented, duo of Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis. The Clippers top two players, who happen to be alumni of Mountain West schools, have a lot more experience. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP. Paul George is a six-time NBA All-Star. Meanwhile, this will be Dončić’ and Porzingis’ playoff debuts.

Leonard and George are averaging 27.1 and 21.5 points respectively. The third highest scorer on the stat sheet is Montrezl Harrell, who was not in the bubble due to family matters and hasn’t played an NBA game since March 10. Harrell, a 6th man of the year finalist, has made it into the bubble and is expected to clear quarantine in time for the first playoff game.

Miami Heat – Derrick Jones (UNLV 2015–16)

No. 5 seed in the East
Overall Record: 44-29 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 6:30pm ET vs Indiana

The Heat Clinch No. 5 Seed in Eastern Conference after a loss to the Pacers on Friday. The Pacers locked in the No. 4 seed, and the two teams will face each other again for the first round of the playoffs.

Miami is led by Jimmy Butler who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Heat have been have struck by injuries lately, which have given them mixed results in the bubble. Recent headlines were about Derrick Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. has been dealing with a knee injury but was cleared to play on Friday. He played against the Pacers but had to be carried off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after a hard collision. It appeared serious but the team announced later that evening that he had suffered a neck strain and would be re-evaluated again over the weekend.

Toronto Raptors – Paul Watson (Fresno State 2013-17), Patrick McCaw UNLV (2014–16)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 53-19 Bubble: 7-1
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Brooklyn

The Raptors are the defending NBA champions and this year’s No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The canadian team has talent. Six players are scoring in double digits, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet at the top of the stat sheet with 22.9ppg, 19.4ppg and 17.6ppg respectively. But there are also other members of the team who can contribute.

Paul Watson trained with player development coach Rico Hines, who has worked with Siakam, last offseason. Watson was a standout at Toronto’s G-League affiliate before signing a two-way deal with the Raptors in January. He showed his worth on Friday when Toronto defeated the Denver Nuggets 117-109 and he helped with 22 points. That performance earned Watson and Fresno a shoutout on ESPN. 

The team has another former Mountain West player, Patrick McCaw as a reserve forward, but he left the bubble earlier this month to receive treatment for a benign mass on the back of his left knee. 

Brooklyn Nets – Tyler Johnson (Fresno State 2010-14)

No. 7 seed in the East
Overall Record: 35-37 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Raptors

The Nets would be a more intimidating team if they weren’t missing big-name players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, as well as shot creator Spencer Dinwiddie. However, Caris LeVert has managed to carry the team with an average of 18.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Tyler Johnson, previously with the Phoenix Suns, signed with the team late June. He makes a good pair with Chris Chiozza and has already shown what he can give the Nets. He scored 21 points during a 129-120 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Aug. 9. After the game, LeVert had a lot of good things to say about his new teammate.

“Tyler’s been huge for us…His basketball IQ is very high,” LeVert said. “He’s huge for us, knocking down shots, being in the right spot defensively and just knowing what to do.”

Orlando Magic – Khem Birch (UNLV 2012-14)

No. 8 seed in the East
Overall Record: 33-40 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 1:30pm ET vs Milwaukee

Orlando’s depth has been stretched thin several times during this season, so even making it into the playoffs is an accomplishment.

Mo Bamba, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 11, left the NBA bubble for a “comprehensive post-Coronavirus evaluation,” the team announced Friday. Bamba had been splitting time with Khem Birch as backup center for Nikola Vucevic throughout the season. Birch was seeing more time during the restart. He has has appeared in 48 games this season, starting in 24 of those, while averaging 19.2 minutes per game. 

The Magic finished the regular season with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans had already been eliminated and were resting all of their starters during that game, but the Magic still had a good performance. 

The team shot at 73% from beyond the arc during the first half, hitting 13 out of 18 attempts. Eight different players contributed to this. By the end of the game the team had finished 15-of-28 in three pointers. This stat was a big deal for Orlando since the team had been struggling in this category.

 

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