Slowing down Donovan Mitchell and other keys to victory for the Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are on tour in Cleveland, looking to end their three-game skid against the Cavaliers. The latter will be missing some key offensive ingredients in Darius Garland and Max Strus, but Memphis shouldn’t think about it being any easier because backup players are usually chomping at the bit for these opportunities and give the game everything on well-coached teams.

Such was the case in Miami, as Cleveland’s 10th man in minutes, Craig Porter Jr., did what he wanted against their schemes.

Memphis is 1-4 on the road and has lost its last two away by a combined 49 digits. Their last win on the road was 17 days ago in Phoenix.

They are not far away from opponents looking at them like a soft spot in the schedule, if it hasn’t happened already. Keep in mind that Memphis’ offensive rating dips significantly (by 4.2 points) on the road, and they aren’t as strong on the glass either. Here’s what you need to know:

Containing Cleveland’s offense and Donovan Mitchell

The Cavs are tough to guard because they don’t rely on the dribble as heavily as other teams to get inside. Instead, they break down rivals with passes, making the sixth-most per game.

Mitchell is an acrobatic speedster built like Mighty Mouse with an elite handle for deep shots or going to the body of the defense. Like Ja Morant, many of his possessions come on-screen rolls (9.6). He can’t be allowed to ignite his teammates in these moments by absorbing extra defenders for easy kick-outs or rolls to their two mobile big men.

Secondly, guarding without fouling is easier said than done, but permitting Mitchell double-digit attempts free-throw attempts is a bad omen. They like to take 10 eyes away from him by giving Mobley the ball, and only five big men hold it longer with each touch in the NBA than him. A good chunk of his action will come at the elbow.

Jaren Jackson Jr. winning the big man battle against Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen

Memphis needs Jackson to be the best defender on the floor. At times his job will be extra difficult when Cleveland puts them in a scramble, as he’ll be guarding two at once, but he’s capable of being an omnipresent defender when he isn’t fouling like a madman. They'll need him to be extra asseertive on rim attacks as well and quickly recognize mismatches.

Ja Morant needs to be that guy

The team will likely be lacking Cedric Coward’s scoring as he is listed as doubtful on the injury report with right foot soreness. They need Morant to take advantage of Cleveland’s beatable point-of-attack defense so Cleveland doesn’t get the opportunity to burn them in transition off misses, which are the equivalent of live-ball turnovers. The Cavs, as Kenny Atkinson said pre-game in Miami, are more of a “middle of the pack” team in speed, but they’ll punish poor transition defense.

Morant can’t have a night where he settles for outside shots because the back-line defense has been average for them, too, in the early season. Mobley and Allen have to cover lots of ground, and that can be used as an advantage.

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