We are roughly a third of the way through the 2024-25 regular season, and I am pleased to inform you that despite some ongoing injury struggles, the Memphis Grizzlies are back — and they look like a real NBA team after the dumpster fire of last season.
As I write this, Memphis is ranked second in the Western Conference with a 17-8 record.
Compare that with last year’s 6-19 record through the first 25 games, and it looks like we are watching an entirely different team. And in some ways, we *are* watching an entirely different team.
The 2023-24 Grizzlies started the season with their star point guard Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension for “conduct unbecoming to the league.” This is league-speak for acting like a dumbass and flashing a firearm on Instagram Live, not once but twice in as many months.
It went downhill from there.
He joined the team in December but played in only nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. During those nine games, the Grizzlies were 6-3, winning as many games in that brief stretch as they had in the 25 games prior. Morant’s absence was far from the only one.
How about these NBA records for the Grizzlies last year:
** Most players used in a season: 33
** Most starting lineups used in a season: 51
** Most games lost to injury: 578
Morant has missed 11 of the first 25 games of this season with injuries, but unlike last season, Memphis has managed to continue winning in his absence.
Memphis acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics during the 2023 offseason. This was the most high-profile free agency signing the Grizzlies have made since signing Chandler Parsons in 2016.
Smart’s Grizzlies’ tenure has not been anywhere near as execrable as that of Parsons, but that is a low bar. Smart missed considerable time last season because of injury, and his on-court performance when he was healthy was the worst of his career.
He has also struggled with injuries this season, but when he’s healthy, he has been a solid contributor, defensively and offensively. This is after being relegated to the second unit for the first time in his career, in favor of rookie Jaylen Wells.
As I have said before, it speaks to Smart’s level of professionalism that he has seamlessly adapted to this new role; few veterans of his caliber would do that after more than a decade in the starting lineup.
The Grizzlies’ abysmal showing during the 2023-24 season earned them a lottery spot and, ultimately, the ninth pick for the 2024 NBA Draft. After their frontcourt injury struggles (two of their top three bigs – Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke – combined to play six games, all by Clarke), a skilled big man was the team’s biggest need. A need they filled by drafting Zach Edey, a 7’4” center out of Purdue.
Edey was named Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in both 2023 and 2024. With the Grizzlies, he was a favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year until he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Denver Nuggets, which has kept him benched since November 17. His status is listed as week to week.
Memphis converted guard Scotty Pippen Jr.’s two-way contract to a standard NBA contract before the season started, a move that has paid dividends when Morant has been unable to play. Pippen is averaging 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
Another new face for the Grizzlies has been center Jay Huff, who also played his way off a two-way contract and into a four-year deal. Huff has been a valuable contributor and has alternated between the starting lineup and the bench, depending on what is needed. He’s averaging 9.5 points and 2.7 rebounds and has become something of a fan favorite.
The Grizzlies have added some excellent new players, that much is clear. But it’s been some familiar faces, like Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Jake LaRavia, who have driven the team’s success this season.
Over the past few years, Jackson Jr. has been quietly working his way into a role as one of the team’s most valuable players. His growth, year after year, has been nothing short of remarkable, and he’s emerged as one of the best players in franchise history.
In many ways, the 2024-25 Memphis Grizzlies are everything that the 2023-24 Grizzlies were not.
Looking at them head-to-head:
** After having the best home record in the league in 2022-23, the Grizzlies won just nine games on their home court during the 2023-24 season.
A third of the way through the current season, Memphis is 11-3 at home.
** After spending two consecutive seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) leading the league in points in the paint, Memphis ranked dead last in 2023-24.
Now? They are ranked second in the paint and lead the league in shooting from the restricted area. And this year’s bench is the best in the league.
Here is how the Grizzlies have fared through December 10th compared to other Western Conference teams:
Above all else, what is the biggest difference between last year’s hospital Grizzlies and this year’s team? This year’s Grizzlies team can win with whomever on the roster is available on a given night. That’s great news for Grizzlies fans. Scary news for the rest of the league.
All stats from basketball-reference.com.
