2 Studs and 2 Duds from the Grizzlies' preseason win against the Mavericks

The Grizzlies began their 2024-25 preseason opener with a fun 121-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. As expected, the 10-man rotation played in the high teens / low 20s minute ranges and had many highs and a couple of lows. Missing starting power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies started Santi Aldama with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Zach Edey.

While the starters played well as a unit to get the Grizzlies an early lead, another unit helped the Grizzlies maintain the lead.

Stud - The Bench Scoring

The Grizzlies bench unit consisted of Brandon Clarke, Jake LaRavia, John Konchar, Luke Kennard, and Scotty Pippen Jr., and they put on a scoring clinic, finishing with 48 of the team's 93 points through the three quarters played by the main rotation. Each player had at least one made three as they shot 9-16 from three in that time frame, giving the team a boost and confidence for survival when the season begins.

Brandon Clarke was especially efficient. He led the unit with 12 first-half points and earned a spot to begin the second half with the starting unit in place of Zach Edey. He finished the game with 17 points and four assists, including shooting 2-5 from three-point range. Scotty Pippen Jr. also showed his staying power with 12 points and a team-leading six assists.

Dud - Turnovers

Granted, it was the team's first preseason game action, and typically, this is an issue for nearly every team when they first take the court, but the Grizzlies' turnovers got out of hand. Not including the fourth quarter, the main rotation committed 18 total turnovers, including 14 in the first half.

Six players, including all five starters, committed multiple turnovers, led by Scotty Pippen Jr. with five. In the second quarter, a specific sequence occurred when Desmond Bane was stripped, and Brandon Clarke made a lazy pass on back-to-back possessions that led to fastbreak dunks by Dallas' Dereck Lively II. That has to be cleaned up quickly!

Stud - Ball Movement

The Grizzlies' ball movement was outstanding in their first preseason action. Their high turnover count was probably attributed to passing the basketball too much, but it had its benefits. The main rotation finished with 28 assists on 34 made field goals. The first half was especially impressive, as they made 19 field goals off 17 assists.

Seven players from the main rotation ended the game with at least three assists. As mentioned before, the next step is for the team to learn to maintain that level of production while simultaneously cleaning up the turnovers.

Dud - 3-Pt Defense

The Grizzlies have been notorious for playing good defense, especially protecting the paint in the Taylor Jenkins era. However, one thing that has caused trouble for the team showed itself in its 2024-25 preseason debut with its three-point defense. The main rotation allowed the Mavericks backups to shoot 13-29 (44.8%) from three.

Unlike past issues of giving up open threes consistently, the Grizzlies did make a concerted effort to run out and affect the shot attempts from the Mavericks. Sometimes, a team is hot, but turnovers lead to transition threes. The two duds go hand-in-hand with one problem causing another.

Honorable Mention - Ja Morant and Zach Edey Connection

The fanbase got a taste of what Ja Morant and Zach Edey look like together in live game action for the first time and a lob in the second quarter had everyone excited for what's to come.

Zach Edey finished his first NBA game with six points, seven rebounds, and one block in 11 minutes. Ja Morant left the game early in the third quarter with what appeared to be a minor ankle tweak and finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists.