LAC 123, MEM 120: Jerome Comes Through in Nail-Biter
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Clippers Steal One in Memphis, But the Real Story is Role Chaos Everywhere
Final: Clippers 123, Grizzlies 120
This game was closer than it had any right to be, and that's actually the problem. The Clippers won a game they probably should've dominated, which means role players got way more run than expected, and that's going to wreck your waiver wire projections for the next week. Let me break down what actually matters here.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Jerome | 47.0 | 43.9 | 23/2/7 | 19.4/2.8/5.4 | +3.6 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 44.0 | 43.0 | 28/5/2 | 27.9/6.4/3.7 | +0.1 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 34.0 | 38.5 | 21/10/1 | 17.9/5.7/2.3 | +3.1 |
| Taylor Hendricks | 49.0 | 36.8 | 18/4/2 | 6.5/3.4/0.9 | +11.5 |
| Isaiah Jackson | 32.0 | 33.4 | 12/12/0 | 6.3/5.3/0.8 | +5.7 |
| Darius Garland | 29.0 | 31.8 | 21/4/6 | 17.7/2.5/6.8 | +3.3 |
| GG Jackson | 27.0 | 27.9 | 14/7/1 | 10.8/4.3/1.3 | +3.2 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 32.0 | 25.3 | 16/4/1 | 11.1/2.8/1.2 | +4.9 |
| Cedric Coward | 18.0 | 23.4 | 15/7/0 | 13.4/6.2/2.8 | +1.6 |
| Cam Spencer | 27.0 | 21.6 | 12/3/4 | 11.4/2.7/5.5 | +0.6 |
The Stars Did Their Thing (But Not Explosively)
Kawhi Leonard dropped 28 points on 8-15 shooting and went 12-14 from the line. That's a clean night, but here's the thing: he was basically exactly as good as he normally is. +0.1 points vs his average. Dude is consistent as a Swiss watch, but there's no upside narrative here. You're not getting a discount on him, and you shouldn't expect 35 any night soon.
Ty Jerome was the actual engine for the Grizzlies offense, putting up 23 points with 7 assists in just 24 minutes. That's elite efficiency, and he did exceed his season average by 3.6 points. But let's be real about what this means. The Grizzlies were without basically their entire starting lineup. Ja Morant didn't play. Santi Aldama didn't play. Zach Edey didn't play. This is a "we're missing half our team" stat line, not a "Jerome is suddenly a star" situation. He's getting dropped league-wide for a reason, and tonight doesn't change that story.
The Deep Bench Went Off (And That's the Problem)
This is where it gets messy. Taylor Hendricks put up 36.8 Yahoo points in 26 minutes. That's a +11.5 point swing from his season average. The dude is averaging 6.5 PPG and suddenly he's getting 18 with 3 threes? That's not sustainable. That's "Grizzlies were hurt and down bad" energy.
Same energy with Isaiah Jackson getting 12 rebounds in 24 minutes. His season average is 5.3. He went nuclear because the Grizzlies couldn't throw a body on anyone. You don't roster Isaiah Jackson as a rebounding machine based on one game where his team was depleted.
Bennedict Mathurin at 38.5 Yahoo points is the one I actually care about. 21 points on 6-15 shooting plus 10 rebounds. That's real volume, real efficiency, and real +4.3 rebound differential. The ESPN score is 34, which tells you he had some volume efficiency on the shot attempts (fewer FGA penalties). In dynasty, this is a "is Mathurin finally breaking out?" moment. In season-long, he's still a depth piece until this repeats.
The Waiver Story Nobody Wants to Hear
Santi Aldama is getting dropped. He didn't play tonight and put up a fat zero, and the ownership is already cratering (-0.6%). If you own him, you probably already cut him. If you don't, don't add him just because. The Grizzlies were short-handed, and that might continue. But Aldama wasn't good enough to mandate roster space when he was healthy, so this isn't some "buy low" opportunity.
Meanwhile, the league-wide adds are nothing crazy. Precious Achiuwa is up +3.2% because Sacramento is a functional basketball team and he's getting minutes. That's fine. The hot takes on Ace Bailey (+1.4%) aren't warranted based on one game from this matchup.
The Real Takeaway
The Clippers won because they're better. The Grizzlies made it close because they were running a rotation held together with duct tape. Don't overreact to bench guys going off. Don't panic on Jerome just because he had a solid game in a shorthanded system. This was chaos basketball, and chaos is hard to predict.
For your league, the moves are simple: Hold your studs. Don't get cute with the waiver. Wait for the next game to see if anyone's role actually changed or if we're just seeing what happens when half a team is out.