O.J. Mayo is in a slump. O.J. Mayo is no longer a starter. O.J. Mayo is on the trade block.
And O.J. Mayo says he’s totally cool with Lionel Hollins about all this. Mayo started off the year with a shooting slump, and Hollins decided to move him to the bench for when his scoring came back. From the Memphis Commercial Appeal:Mayo’s dip in scoring also coincides with a decrease in field-goal attempts in each of his three NBA seasons. He’s averaging 11.3 shots per game, which is down from 14 last season and 15 during Mayo’s rookie campaign.
But the Mayo bench situation has been underwhelming even though the Griz reserves averaged 27.8 points in the 10 games since Mayo became a reserve.
Hollins and Mayo agree that Mayo has made the most sacrifice of anyone on the roster. Hollins and Mayo agree that Mayo needs to play with more confidence as his move to the bench was based on the 6-3 guard’s scoring mindset.
Mayo also insists he still is on board with what Hollins is preaching.
“That’s our man,” Mayo said of Hollins. “We’ve let the owner, we let everyone know this is the guy we want to play for. We’ve been in a lot of winnable games. We’ve just got to start winning. Whatever our role is, whatever the dynamic of the team is, we’ve got to accept it and go hard. We feel like we’re a good team. We’ve just got to stick to the script.”
via Analysis: Grizzlies say they’ve put their issues behind them » The Commercial Appeal.
Just so we’re clear on this, Mayo’s not shooting as well because he’s not getting as many shots. He’s a rhythm shooter. He needs to be a functioning part of the offense. What could be taking that role away from him? I’ve got $40 million ideas.
You can actually notice some pretty bad body language on the floor with Mayo during the game. He seems tuned out, down, and generally disappointed with how this year is going. But it’s good to know he’s not blaming his coach for it. He’s maintained his status as a professional, even as his career has taken a downturn. Of course, when Mayo is inevitably traded, he’ll probably perk up a bit as he drops 30 on the Grizzlies each time they play.
Yup. Those are the Grizzlies.
