Shooting struggles hurt Memphis Grizzlies in preseason loss vs Magic

Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic would be a "dress rehearsal" before the regular season.

The Grizzlies played their best players more minutes than the previous three preseason games, but so did the Magic. After trailing by 18 points, the Grizzlies got within three with 42.5 seconds remaining. Magic guard Terrence Ross fired a wing 3-pointer where he was hit on the hand and fouled by Xavier Tillman Sr.

It looked like that would be the difference but Ross missed one of the free-throw attempts and Ja Morant responded with a 3-point play. Each time Memphis almost broke through, the Magic responded.

The final dagger was a Franz Wagner's 3-pointer and the Grizzlies fell 109-105 at the Amway Center.

Shooting struggles from last season and the first three preseason games continued on Tuesday. The Grizzlies shot 40% overall and 25% on 36 3-point attempts. If you take away Desmond Bane's 4-of-6 performance, the Grizzlies shot 5-for-30 on 3-pointers.

Bane, Morant and Dillon Brooks each played 32 minutes, which is close to where they will be in the regular season. The Grizzlies finish the preseason schedule at Detroit on Thursday.

Here are some takeaways from Tuesday's game:

Jaren Jackson Jr. update: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2022/10/06/memphis-grizzlies-forward-jaren-jackson-jr-progre

ROTATION PUSH:Why a position change is the key to Xavier Tillman Sr.'s role on the Memphis Grizzlies

Rotation changes and availability

The Grizzlies want to play a 10-man rotation, so the grouping against Orlando was close to what the Grizzlies will use to start the regular season. Morant, Bane, Brooks, Santi Aldama and Steven Adams started. Tyus Jones, John Konchar, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy and Brandon Clarke were on the second unit. A notable name missing from the group was Ziaire Williams, who was not in uniform on the bench. Williams will occupy the spot of LaRavia or Roddy when he returns to play. Tillman played valuable minutes in the fourth quarter.

Jenkins started Aldama in the first half, and he was matched up against 2022 No.1 overall draft pick Paolo Banchero. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound forward used his powerful frame to have success against the thinner Aldama, who is 6-11, 215 pounds. Jenkins started the second half by replacing Konchar with Aldama in small-ball lineup. Brooks moved to the four and guarded Banchero. The Magic rookie finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.

This was the first game where injured Jaren Jackson Jr.'s absence was extremely noticeable. He would have been matched up against Banchero. All five Magic starters scored in double figures.

Slow start puts Grizzlies in a hole

Memphis has gotten off to fast starts for most of the preseason, but that wasn't the case Tuesday. The Grizzlies had a stretch where they went more than five minutes without scoring. The Grizzlies were down as many as 18 and trailed 31-17 after the first quarter.

A 30-point second quarter got Memphis back within seven at the half, but Orlando had a tight grip on the lead. The Grizzlies pulled out another small-ball lineup that featured Tillman at center in the fourth quarter that helped make it a one-point game. Konchar knocked down a corner 3-pointer that tied the game at 95 with 2:51 remaining, but Wendell Carter Jr. responded with a 3-point play on the following possession.

Morant was one of those players who got off to slow start. He began the game shooting 2-for-11 before finishing 8-for-24 and scoring 23 points.

Desmond Bane's expanded game

Bane's all-around growth on offense has stood out. He sprinted past defenders when they came scrambling at him to close out on 3-pointers, and he consistently drew contact around the rim.

Bane, who scored 33 points on 11-for-18 shooting, was the only Grizzlies player in double figures in the first half. Bane did his most productive work while he and Aldama ran with the second unit in the second quarter. He and Aldama were the lone starters to finish with a positive plus-minus in the first half.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies struggle in preseason loss vs. Magic