The veteran point guard playfully tried over and over to catapult the ball into the rim off his bald head.
Tinsley missed every time. But the reserve could be on to something.
Memphis' bench players might want to try and score by any means necessary, given their combined offensive ineffectiveness this season. The Grizzlies' reserves haven't provided much offensive firepower to the team's success this season.
There is growing concern that little-to-no bang off the bench could hold back a Grizzlies team that has postseason aspirations. Memphis entered Monday's NBA action just two games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff standings.
Their opponent tonight -- the Los Angeles Clippers -- is one of five other teams competing with the Griz for the final two postseason bids. It's difficult to argue that any of those teams rely on its bench less than Memphis does.
The Griz have made it no secret that they are actively looking for ways to improve their bench through trade.
"It's tough," Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. "It's hard to get consistency and know what they're going to do from game to game."
Memphis' reserves have averaged 20.3 points this season while opponents' benches average 33.3. The Grizzlies' bench outscored its counterparts just six times, meaning it's been rare when the reserves provided significant support for the starters or could be credited for winning a game.
Hollins has enjoyed a starting group that's accounted for roughly 80 percent of the team's average scoring. Upholding that rate and keeping the Grizzlies' winning pace might be compromised by wear and tear if their reserves don't shift into a smooth gear.
Zach Randolph barely spoke above a whisper following Monday's practice. He's trying to recover from a cold that's weakened his voice.
Marc Gasol and Mike Conley weren't even in sight. The Grizzlies' starting center and point guard were instead hanging out in the trainer's room to receive treatment for a bum shoulder and bad back, respectively.
"It'll be more important as we get past the dog days in late February and early March," Hollins said of the need for more bench productivity. "They've played well. It's just hard to play a whole group when you don't have enough offensive players in that group. You still have to score to maintain in the NBA. But it's not like they haven't played well."
Tinsley, and rookies Sam Young and Hasheem Thabeet have given the Grizzlies a lift on separate occasions. But they struggle mightily with chemistry and consistency as a unit.
Young leads the reserves with 8.1 points per game. From there, the drop-off is significant. Marcus Williams is the second-leading bench scorer (4.0 ppg.) and the third-string point guard isn't even a consistent member of the rotation.
Tinsley's 36-percent shooting in 17 minutes has been a disappointment. Hollins has been reluctant to use first-round draft pick DeMarre Carroll because he's mostly been an offensive liability along the perimeter.
Thabeet, the No. 2 overall pick, wasn't selected to bolster the offense. But even his performances have been random. He's had games when his shot-blocking or shot-altering were major factors. There have been times, too, when Hollins substituted for Thabeet after a minute because of his overall inactivity.
"We're trying to keep the same energy when we get in," Thabeet said. "We have a lot of young guys on the bench, and we're trying to get better. Sometimes matchups are a problem, but we're trying to produce as much as we can. I think we know we have to pick it up."
Often lost in the conversation pertaining to the Grizzlies' lack of depth is that they rely mostly on rookies in Thabeet, Young and Carroll. Tinsley is the only experienced reserve averaging more than 10 minutes.
The Grizzlies claimed guard Lester Hudson off waivers last week in hopes of adding more offense in reserve. Hudson, a Memphis native, was a prolific scorer in college and might emerge as a scoring option off the bench once he learns the Grizzlies' schemes.
But he's another rookie.
"Sometimes it's difficult because (the rookies) don't know the spots to get in," Tinsley said. "But I'm used to leading. Some games are better than others. It's hard sometimes. But I think we're deep enough."
Until and if the Griz make another roster move, color Hollins a bit skeptical.
He's not alone, either.
"I'm pleased with almost everything about the team," Griz owner Michael Heisley said. "Are there things that need improvement on this team? Absolutely. I talk to Chris (Wallace, general manager) two times a day about it. We're trying very hard to get better every day."
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