The Los Angeles Lakers have been a thorn in the side of the Memphis Grizzlies for the last couple of seasons. The second-seeded Grizzlies lost to the seventh-seeded Lakers in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs and haven't been the same since.
What followed that playoff battle was an injury-riddled 2023-24 season that began with a Ja Morant 25-game suspension, before another first-round loss as an eighth seed last season. The Lakers finished with the three seed last season and have also won six of their eight regular-season battles against Memphis in those two seasons, signaling a one-sided rivalry.
The advantage the Lakers once had over the Grizzlies has changed, leading to a huge opportunity for the Grizzlies to reverse their fortunes against the Lakers this season.
Dominate the paint
Anthony Davis had his way nearly every time the Lakers faced the Grizzlies while he was on their roster. His physicality overwhelmed the Grizzlies' frontcourt led by Jaren Jackson Jr., but their playoff series didn't include an injured Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams for Memphis.
Zach Edey was brought in to bring a new enforcer to town for Memphis, and his impact against the Lakers was noticed immediately. Edey's physicality held Davis to 6-16 shooting with three turnovers in their first matchup last season.
However, that advantage was taken away when the Lakers traded Davis for Luka Doncic in February. The Grizzlies weren't able to take advantage in their only matchup after that trade due to coaching turmoil and Edey's foul trouble in their March 29 tilt, but it will be something the team keeps in mind when facing the Lakers in the future.
Take the additions of their former teammates personally
Human nature is to always want to look like you're doing better than your ex in any relationship. The Grizzlies made a trade ahead of the NBA trade deadline that made them look worse off as evidenced by their 13-18 record to finish the regular season after trading Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart.
LaRavia and Smart were traded to the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, respectively, but are now teammates again after signing with the Lakers this offseason. The Grizzlies need to take those transactions personally as the Marcus Smart experiment failed in Memphis, and LaRavia took a while to look like a serviceable NBA player after being selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Signing with their rivals, who have had the upper hand in their matchups the last couple of seasons, should take the cake. Keeping those things in mind should keep Memphis motivated to overcome its past transgressions against the Lakers and to push past them in the Western Conference standings.