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The Grizzlies still have a ways to climb to get into playoff position, but you can argue that Dave Joerger is making the best of what he can with a longterm injury to Marc Gasol and other intermittent injuries that have hindered the Grizzlies.
Memphis still hovers near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency, and still maintain a middle-of-the-pack stance on the offensive end. The Griz are in the top 10 in assist rates and number 2 overall in rebounding, capturing 52.3% of missed shots.
There are still questions about Joerger's rotation and lineup choices, but the Memphis Grizzlies are no longer lacking in the effort column the way they appeared to be at the start of the season. Perhaps that's a credit to greater powers, but effort does not seem to be an issue under Joerger's watch at this point.
Focus, however, is another issue. There are too many stretches of games where the Grizzlies seem to lose all functionality and cohesiveness. This has shown to get the Griz in enough trouble to sink them in the second halves of games. Come to think of it, this tendency has probably killed Memphis' chance at victory in a few first halves as well.
It's still a mixed bag, and it's still too early to completely judge Dave Joerger. Going off of what he's had to work with since the Marc Gasol injury, my assessment of Joerger yields a generous B minus.
This, however, also includes a hat tip to the Grizzlies front office for interjecting James Johnson to the roster. But at the same time, Joerger hasn't been afraid to give Johnson some heavy minutes.
Final Tentative Grade: B minus
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