Memphis Grizzlies Achieved Victories in Preseason Loss to Houston

The Memphis Grizzlies fan base and the rest of the league witnessed a healthy roster for the first time in almost a year.

By definition, the Memphis Grizzlies did lose their first preseason game, which was played against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. However, many “wins” can be taken from this night.

It was hard to follow the game if one did not have NBA League Pass, but for those that followed in any other way, know that the Grizzlies led the Rockets just as long as the Rockets led the Grizzlies.

Memphis played a rejuvenated mixture of tight offense and  Tony Allen-esque lockdown defense. In doing so, the Grizzlies were able to lead the Houston Rockets for pretty much the entire first half and still make great offensive efforts throughout the game.

What Stood Out

It finally arrived. In Birmingham, on the court, the Memphis Grizzlies’ fans were able to experience a healthy Chandler Parsons.

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Parsons ended the night with 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists with no minute restrictions. Other standout performances included those of Mike Conley, newcomer Kyle Anderson, and star rookie Jaren Jackson Jr.

After a season-ending injury in 2017-18, Mike Conley’s return to the court in a new Memphis Grizzlies jersey was long overdue. With that being said, he did not disappoint in the first preseason game of 2018.

Conley produced 16 points, two rebounds, and two assists in 21 minutes of action. Though many will say that he could have had more assists or grabbed more rebounds to make his box score more visually appealing, he was able to execute offensively while playing tight defense against one of the best teams the NBA has to offer.

After the stealing of Kyle Anderson from the San Antonio Spurs, many fans did not know what to think about him. They did not know much about him other than his nickname “Slow Mo.”

Over the past few weeks, especially on Media Day and throughout training camp, Anderson has shown he belongs in Memphis. On Tuesday, he was able to match Parsons with 12 points while also contributing two assists and two boards.

Of course it is no lie that the Memphis Grizzlies had their first losing record in seven seasons last year, but some good did come of this. This positively was shown on the court in Birmingham.

With the fourth overall Draft pick, Memphis chose Jaren Jackson Jr. He has proven to be just as athletic as he is an overall charismatic guy. Both aspects were seen in Tuesday’s meeting when the rookie scored 15 points and added three rebounds, three assists, and two steals to his stat line.

Though no one player scored 30 points and individually stood out on Tuesday, the team, as a whole, did just that. A full team effort was on display throughout the course of 48 minutes.

The Memphis Grizzlies were able to produce 115 points against a team that consists of James Harden, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony as the big names. These three guys are elite scorers. This was a great preseason game that showed a lot about the new, reinvented Memphis team.

In this, Grizz fans can take pride about the Grizzlies’ performance against such a dominant force in the Western Conference.