The Memphis Grizzlies have problems. Big problems.
A 136-102 win over the Houston Rockets makes things feel a bit better but still — we’re talking about the 1-13 Houston Rockets. Anything less than an extremely dominant victory would have seemed like a complete letdown by the Grizzlies.
Speaking of letdowns, a 7-7 record at this stage of the season is relatively disappointing, especially considering where this team came from a year ago. There may not have been a team in the NBA with more positive momentum than this Grizz team after winning two games in the NBA Play-in Tournament and stealing a game from the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
What happened to the Memphis Grizzlies momentum from last season?
Heck, it looked like the Grizzlies had carried this momentum over from last season with a hot start to the year, winning their first two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
They’d follow this with a close loss against a really good Los Angeles Lakers team, which was actually a net positive, all things considered. Then, Memphis would have their doors blown off by the Portland Trail Blazers, who have established themselves as Grizz killers in recent years.
Since that point, it has continued to be an extremely up-and-down season for Memphis. In the last eight games, the Grizzlies won three of the first four and then went on to lose three of the next four. It’s been ugly at times and, quite frankly, not what was advertised before the season.
So what has been wrong with this Grizzlies team? Today, I diagnose three of the squad’s biggest issues.