The Memphis Grizzlies are having a rough patch as of late. After dropping a game that seemed like a flukey loss against an Orlando Magic team with nine healthy players, they’d have another awful performance. This time, they’d take a loss to the Detroit Pistons, a team that just reached 20 wins with their victory over the Grizz.
Thankfully for Memphis, they have a pretty forgiving schedule over the next couple of weeks. Their next opponent will be the Toronto Raptors, a team that is 27-40 and looking to improve their draft stock at this point.
The Grizzlies are the better team, but we’ve seen how that tends to backfire on them. Hopefully, a couple of losses against inferior teams will be enough to motivate them towards a good game on Saturday.
The Raptors don’t have a single star or player to watch out for, but they have a trio of really solid scorers and all-around players. Kyle Lowry will be sure to dish out a handful of assists, while Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet will be doing the bulk of the scoring.
Can the Memphis Grizzlies get back on track against the Toronto Raptors? Our contributors weigh in.
Jack Williams (Site Expert): Realistically speaking, the Grizzlies look like they’re headed toward another loss here. That said, I think they’ll finally get back on track in this one. Taylor Jenkins went from a guy who could be a sleeper candidate to a coach who could potentially be on the hot seat in fast order, so I think he’ll take this game extremely seriously. Pair that with the fact that the Raptors simply can’t match the Grizzlies’ talent and I think we’ve got a comfortable win coming up for Memphis, even away from home. I expect Jonas Valanciunas to have a monster night against a team that doesn’t have a dominant big man.
Taylor Goebel: Grizzlies face the Raptors on Saturday evening and will look to rebound from some embarrassing losses and a near loss against the Magic, Pistons, and Timberwolves respectively. What was once a playoff-bound team on the rise, has dwindled to a team that cant beat some of the league’s worst teams. As much as you would think that the Grizzlies could beat the current 12-seed Raptors, I, unfortunately, think the Raptors will get the best of the regressing Grizzlies.
Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 110, Toronto Raptors 118