Analyst breaks down Memphis Grizzlies’ glaring weakness

Through their first eight games, the Memphis Grizzlies are sitting comfortably with a record of 5-3. Ja Morant continues to progress toward superstardom, while guys like Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama are early candidates for top breakout player this season.

Now that everyone has a handful of games under their belt, the people over at Bleacher Report broke down one problem each NBA team is facing. For the Memphis Grizzlies, it is their struggles on the defensive end.

"Memphis’ league-worst 119.5 defensive rating almost has basketball’s bottom rung to itself. Only three other teams eclipse 116, and no one else climbs higher than Detroit’s 118.9. The Grizzlies, who were sixth in defensive efficiency last season, could not have seen this coming. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s absence isn’t helping, and neither are the offseason departures of De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, but nothing can excuse this putrid performance."

One thing keeping Memphis afloat is their offense. They currently sit in the top ten in the NBA in offensive rating at 114.5.

The Memphis Grizzlies shouldn’t be concerned with their early defensive woes

Cleaning up the defense is something the Memphis Grizzlies should emphasize moving forward, but it should not be a cause for concern. Given the circumstances, they likely expected to come out of the gates slow on that end.

For starters, the team has opened the year without its best defender. Until Jaren Jackson Jr. is back in the lineup, there is no telling what the defensive ceiling for this group is. Along with JJJ, Dillon Brooks has also missed time due to injury.

Another factor is the loss of De’Anthony Melton this offseason. His defensive-minded game was a luxury off the bench that the Memphis Grizzlies no longer have.

Last season, the Grizzlies were a top-five defense in the league. They might have lost some pieces over the summer, but most of the core is still on the roster. That being said, once the group is fully healthy on a nightly basis, this problem should fix itself naturally.