With the Memphis Grizzlies’ disaster of a 2023-24 season behind them in which they only managed a 27-55 (.329) record, they are off to a much more balanced 8-6 start to the 2024-25 season.
Last Season
The bad recipe of last season was the unavailability of players as many key players missed significant chunks of the season for various reasons. Ja Morant missed time serving his 25-game suspension from the previous offseason, then less than a month after his return to the team, he was officially shut down for the year after injuring his shoulder. Desmond Bane missed time with back injuries. Even new roster additions Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose (the latter a little more expected) missed time with injuries.
The Grizzlies of last season simply were not all on the court enough together to have any wish of being competitive, as the team had to rely on the NBA to give them three hardship roster spots at one point. It is not easy for a team to use over 50 different starting lineups in a season revolving around 33 different players and still have everyone synced up.
Offseason Moves (or lack thereof)
Excluding last season, the recent history of the Grizzlies has been heading in the right direction with back-to-back division titles in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Despite both seasons ending in second and first round playoff losses respectively, the lineup (when all healthy) showcased glimpses of league domination.
Knowing that Ja Morant and Desmond Bane would both be back and ready to go for the start of the season, the Grizzlies took somewhat of a lackadaisical approach to the offseason, not making any major moves.
The biggest profile move the Grizzlies made was drafting 7-foot-4 Purdue standout Zach Edey with the ninth pick in the NBA Draft. Edey quickly shot up the draft board following his back-to-back consensus National Player of the Year honors and his performance in the draft combine. He has been a great shot blocking paint general as he continues to transition to the NBA.
However, the most impactful move could be the Grizzlies second round selection from the draft, Jaylen Wells. The 21-year-old who hails from Washington State is averaging 11.8 points per game as he has seamlessly moved into a backup shooting guard role. With his 6-foot-8 frame, he allows the Grizzlies to run with tall lineups and still be able to space the floor with his three-point shooting.
Memphis also made headlines with their signing of Japanese fan-favorite Yuki Kawamura to a two-way contract. Listed at just 5-foot-8 (making him the shortest player in the NBA), the guard who almost led Japan to a stunning upset of France in the 2024 Olympics has quickly been embraced by the Grizzlies community for his hilariously fiery court presence, ability, and pass-first mentality.
Additionally, the Grizzlies also acquired the draft rights to Cam Spencer from the Pistons and retained their rights to Luke Kennard in the offseason.
Present Day
The Grizzlies find themselves trailing only the Houston Rockets (10-4) in the Southwest Division and currently hold the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Considering players like Ja Morant, Zach Edey, GG Jackson, and Marcus Smart have all missed time this season with day-to-day injuries, the Grizzlies have done well with the undermanned roster.
With players like Jay Huff (9.4 PPG), Scotty Pippen Jr. (11.5 PPG/5.9 APG), and Santi Aldama (11.9 PPG/6.9RPG) all stepping into bigger roles, the Grizzlies' fast paced offense has shown the same flashes of prior years.
The Grizzlies rank fourth in the NBA in points scored per game at 119.7 while only allowing their opponents to score 112.0 points per game on average. However, the Grizzlies (being the Grizzlies) also once again rank in the bottom five of the league in turnovers, giving up 15.7 per game. To put this into perspective, the Detroit Pistons who finished a historically bad 14-68 (.171) last season are turning the ball over less than the Grizzlies.
Attributing these issues to the players still getting used to the new offensive schemes, the Grizzlies will be a team to watch and monitor throughout the season. As head coach Taylor Jenkins returns for his sixth season, will the grizzlies finally get back in the driver's seat and take control of the West like this team has shown it can?
"I mean, if you don't win a championship, what the f— did you do?” said Ja Morant during preseason.
