Memphis is on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff picture. The Sixers take on the Grizzlies Friday night at FedExForum.
It is an important game for Memphis. The Grizzlies trail the Suns by one game for the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the West.
Here are the Sixers versus the Grizzlies in 3-Dei.
1. Paint by numbers
Scoring points will be challenging for the Sixers against the Grizzlies, who allow the third-fewest points in the NBA. Memphis plays a physical and tenacious style of defense.
The Sixers average the third-most points in the paint (48.3) and Wednesday in Toronto they scored 62 points in the paint. But the Grizzlies are stingy. They allow on average 38.5 points in the paint. Somebody’s strength will be taken away.
2. Let’s get physical
Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are 6-foot-9 and 7-foot-1, respectively. Additionally, they weigh 260 and 265 each. Thaddeus Young and Henry Sims are giving up inches and pounds to their starting counterparts.
Sims has certainly brought a much-needed physicality to the Sixers and he has backed down from no one. Meanwhile, Young has outscored Randolph is his last two outings against Memphis by a 43-18 count.
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3. Back to the beginning
Tony Wroten is the Sixers' third-leading scorer averaging 13.0 points. He is going back to Memphis for the first time since the Grizzlies traded him to the Sixers last summer. Wroten can be dynamic, but he can also play out of control.
Wroten will be hoping to show Memphis, the team that selected him 25th overall in the 2012 NBA draft, they passed up on true talent too soon.