The Memphis Grizzlies got lucky in their 2022-23 regular season opener against the New York Knicks, winning in overtime despite being up by as many as 19 points in the third quarter.
This first game was all about overcoming adversity and having players step up who have never had to step up before, namely Santi Aldama, David Roddy, and Jake LaRavia. The Grizzlies were unexpectedly without starter Dillon Brooks and rotation player Ziaire Williams. They were also (expectedly) without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Danny Green.
It’s hard to fill holes from two big-time contributors on such short notice, but the Memphis Grizzlies got it done. They have Santi Aldama and his 18 points and 11 rebounds to thank for that. They also got great production from John Konchar and Tyus Jones, two players who have always been a steady hand in recent years.
But let’s dig a little deeper and look at some things that the Grizzlies will need to work on over the course of the next several games in order to have better control over their games and dictate how the flow of the games will be played.
Keep in mind, everything in this deep dive needs to be taken with a grain of salt since this is all based off of one game.