2 pros (and 1 con) of the Grizzlies schedule in 2023-24

The wait is finally over, folks, as the Memphis Grizzlies have officially released their regular season schedule for 2023-24.

Upon first glance, there appear to be several key dates and matchups that stand out as being attention-grabbing for both fans and media pundits alike and, when taking a deeper dive into how their 82-game slate is laid out, it becomes more and more evident just how important proper scheduling actually is.

With the way Memphis’ agenda is currently planned, there are both pluses and minuses found throughout, though, at the moment, the former seems to be more prevalent.

With this in mind, here are two pros (and one con) of the 2023-24 schedule for the Grizzlies.

2 pros (and 1 con) of the Grizzlies schedule:

Pro No. 1: Easy stretch prior to Ja Morant’s return date

The biggest storyline heading into the upcoming season when it comes to the Grizzlies is the impending 25-game suspension guard Ja Morant will be forced to face following yet another firearm incident that took place this offseason.

Fortunately, the ball club has proven to be more than capable of staying afloat without their superstar centerpiece in the lineup over the last few years, as they sport an overall record of 31-15 in such situations since 2021-22, so fears of serious struggle to kick off the campaign were already rather low.

With the schedule now public, however, it seems that the team has an opportunity to add several more games to their win column when in Morant-less situations, as this upcoming two-month stretch consists of just eight opposing teams that finished above .500 in 2022-23 and, of the clubs on the docket that sported a losing record, none managed to improve all that much heading into this year.

With this in mind, it’s by no means shocking to see that the Grizzlies will only be having one of their 13 total nationally televised outings come before the guard’s potential December 19 return.

Pro No. 2: 17 of their last 29 games will be at home

Not having Ja Morant in the rotation for the start of the 2023-24 regular season is certainly not ideal, as teams always hope to come in with their best foot forward to kick things off, but what’s often considered more important in the NBA is how a club finishes.

Luckily for Taylor Jenkins and company, not only is the superstar point guard slated to be in tow for the entirety of their final stretch run, but the team as a whole will also be playing the majority of their outings in front of their home crowd during this period.

Over the final two months of regular season action (February 12 through April 14), which equates to 29 total games, the Grizzlies will be playing 17 of their matchups in front of their home crowd at FedExForum.

Along with this, three times during this span they will see three or more consecutive games taking place in Memphis and from February 12 through the 26 they will see five straight home games, thus allowing them to enter into and exit out from the All-Star Break (February 15-23) in a familiar setting.

Con: March 18 – April 3

Perhaps one of the more understated cons when it comes to being a part of an NBA organization, particularly regarding the coaches and players, is the time in which these individuals spend away from their respective homes and families.

Such gaps could easily have a negative impact on one’s psyche and, frankly, their on-court production. When it comes to the Grizzlies, their greatest test in this specific area will come between the dates of March 18 and April 3.

This eight-day stretch will serve as their longest road trip of the 2023-24 season and will see the team starting out in Sacramento and ending in Milwaukee.

In a year that is estimated to see the team travel an overall total distance of 43,000 miles, roughly 10,000 of said miles will be traveled during this time frame.

On top of this constant movement, the Grizzlies’ schedule at this point in the season is likely to be an absolute nightmare from an individual opponent perspective, as five of the seven organizations they’ll be matching up against finished with 43 or more wins last season and included amongst these teams are all of the league’s four most recent champions in the Warriors (March 20), Nuggets (March 25), Lakers (March 27), and Bucks (April 3).

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