2. Los Angeles Lakers (November 14)
Now here’s where things start to get a bit more challenging…
Since their matchup in the first round of the 2023 postseason that saw many polarizing on-and-off-court exchanges and, ultimately, an early ticket home for the Grizzlies, fans and media pundits alike have been talking up the excitement that a rematch between Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers would bring about.
Adding this type of entertainment to a newly formulated stage of an in-season tourney is only bound to make things all the more interesting.
As many are already aware, LA managed to get the best of Memphis during their recent postseason bout in the form of a 4-2 series win.
In the aftermath of such a turnout, GM Zach Kleiman set his focus on addressing several areas of need found on Taylor Jenkins’ roster, and easily the most noteworthy move made was the acquisition of Marcus Smart via a multi-team trade involving the Boston Celtics.
Aside from his well-documented defensive intangibles and veteran leadership skills, the arrival of Smart gives the Grizzlies a competent replacement for Ja Morant at the starting point guard position while he serves out his 25-game suspension to start the year, which will certainly come in handy during the tournament.
Of course, even with this, nothing can fully make up for the loss of their cornerstone talent.
Without Morant, Memphis finds itself slightly lacking in the star department when compared to the LeBron James, Anthony Davis-led Lakers.
And while Grind City loves to boast about the team’s depth (and rightly so), with the re-signing of D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura coupled with the arrivals of Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, and Taurean Prince, Los Angeles should by no means be considered as a mere top-heavy team.
With this in mind, despite the hype and attention that this matchup is expected to receive, one should anticipate LA will be viewed as the favorite to win, though with a quality showing from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, paired with solid performances all around from the rest of the crew, the Grizzlies are more than capable of pulling out an upset while on the road.