2 Grizzlies that must step up against the Denver Nuggets

Wednesday night, the Memphis Grizzlies played host to the New Orleans Pelicans as they kicked off their 2023-24 campaign. Despite a familiar loud and rowdy crowd in attendance at FedEx Forum, things did not go all that well for the home team.

While they did manage to keep things close early on, with Taylor Jenkins’ club even claiming a 28-25 lead through the initial 12 minutes of action, from the second quarter on the Pelicans seemingly dominated on both ends of the floor.

Shooting at an incredibly efficient 47.1 percent clip from the field and 43.8 percent from deep, NOLA dropped a whopping 111 points compared to Memphis’ 104 and, in turn, handed Desmond Bane and company their first L of the year.

Though such a start to the season is far from ideal, as veteran Marcus Smart stressed during his postgame interview, a championship isn’t won nor is it close to being won after the first game of the year.

Remaining on the docket are 81 more chances for them to add games to the win column, with their next opportunity coming this Friday against the Denver Nuggets.

Grizzlies that must step up during Friday’s bout against the Denver Nuggets

Of course, attempting to clinch a victory over the defending champions is never an easy task to accomplish, but it is one the Grizzlies find themselves gearing up for nonetheless.

For the team to come away from the upcoming bout with a win, many adjustments must be made, and, from a more specific standpoint, a couple of players need to step up their level of play.