Through an 0-6 start to the season, almost nothing has gone right for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The problems actually started a while before the Grizzlies tipped off their season against the New Orleans Pelicans. That was only three days after starting center Steven Adams was ruled out for the season with a knee injury, only a day after Santi Aldana was ruled out for the start of the season with an ankle injury about five months after Ja Morant flashed a gun on an Instagram Live video and was subsequently suspended for the first 25 games of the season.
But things didn't get any better once the season started. The Grizzlies are the NBA's only winless team, a brutal place to be after Friday's 115-113 overtime loss at Portland against the Trail Blazers. Friday was the closest Memphis has come to winning this season, but it also represented something else — a new way for the Grizzlies to lose.
"Defense absolutely failed us tonight," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.
That was especially true in the game's final three minutes. David Roddy slammed home a dunk to give the Grizzlies a 100-90 lead with 3:21 to go, but things took a turn after that. The Blazers (3-3) used a 12-2 run over the next three minutes and change to tie the game and send it to overtime, where they outshot the Grizzlies and controlled the final few minutes.
That Memphis was even that close to a win was a welcome sight for fans after Wednesday's showing, a 133-109 loss to the Utah Jazz that was never competitive after halftime. Friday was a much different game, one where the Grizzlies played hard from the jump and looked to be in control against an undermanned Blazers team that isn't expected to be a contender in the Western Conference this season.
"Highly competitive game, tip your cap to the Trail Blazers," Jenkins said. "They definitely made more winning plays than us. Way too many errors on our part. 24 fast-break points for them, 23 second-chance points, 50 points in the paint, 36 free throws. We still had a chance to win the game."
Bane and Jackson are scoring, but it isn't enough
A few things were made clear in Friday's loss. One of them? Desmond Bane is this team's go-to player and is absolutely essential to everything they do, at least before Morant is eligible to return in December. He had 33 points on 13-of-26 shooting on Friday and also chipped in eight rebounds and seven assists.
It was most obvious when he went off the floor. Memphis has struggled offensively throughout the season, but those issues are raised exponentially when Bane isn't out there.
"Every team's throwing their whole game plan at him," Jenkins said. "He knows it."
Jaren Jackson Jr. also had a big game for Memphis on Friday, coming up with a few signature blocks and battling for rebounds against Deandre Ayton, the NBA's leading rebounder, all night. Jackson started at center and scored 30 points, connecting on 5-of-8 3-pointers and grabbing 10 rebounds to go with his three blocks.
Both Jackson and Bane have been able to score consistently this season. But that's where it ends.
More:What's to blame for the Memphis Grizzlies' 0-5 start?
Finding offensive production
No player outside of Bane, Jackson and Marcus Smart has scored more than 17 points in a game this season. Even with two or three of them scoring consistently, the Grizzlies have not been able to find enough offense to win a game.
Smart struggled on Friday, scoring just eight points on 4-of-12 shooting. Roddy, who started instead of Xavier Tillman Sr., scored 16 points. Ziaire Williams scored 13.
The bench only came up with 13 (Portland's bench scored 22). The Grizzlies are 26th in the league in bench points per game.
It's clear that Memphis has to find more production from someone outside of Bane and Jackson. Bane played 44 minutes on Friday, and it's not realistic to expect him to play 40-plus minutes each night.
Everyone hasn't been available. Bismack Biyombo was signed earlier this week to help the Grizzlies with center depth, but he played just 0.2 seconds on a free throw attempt on Friday. Aldama has yet to play this season but was upgraded to doubtful before Friday's game, meaning he could be getting closer to a return. Derrick Rose has been out for the past two games with knee soreness.
Jenkins has shuffled through a few lineups trying to find something that works. Jacob Gilyard and Vince Williams Jr. saw minutes off the bench on Friday while Jake LaRavia didn't play.
It's only been six games, but it feels like the clock is starting to tick on this season. Next up? Another meeting with the Blazers on Sunday (8 p.m., Bally Sports Southwest) in Portland.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.
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In Portland, the Memphis Grizzlies found another way to lose. Can they find a way to win? - Commercial Appeal
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