Before the season began, the Southwest Division looked like it would be fairly competitive. The Grizzlies, along with the other four teams in the division, entered the year hoping to return to the playoffs, where several Southwest teams have been recently. The determination and eagerness to get back to that level could not be more evident, though injuries have played a big part in why these teams are struggling to maximize their full potential.
The Grizzlies fall into the heavily injured category, which has made it tough for them to gain a lot of momentum this season. The Southwest Division is still very much loaded with talent, though it might take a little more time than many initially anticipated for some of these teams to rise in the standings. Much like Memphis, the Mavericks have also had their fair share of injuries, which has kept them toward the bottom of the rankings for pretty much the entirety of the year.
What’s worked for Memphis when playing the Mavs?
The Grizzlies have won the first two matchups against the Mavericks this season, though it was not always pretty. Despite a very low-scoring first half in their most recent meeting, Iisalo's crew responded with a stronger second half to secure the win. This continued Memphis’ recent success against Dallas, building on last season’s 3-1 regular season record and a play-in tournament victory.
With two games remaining in the regular-season series, the Grizz must focus on a few critical areas. First and foremost, they need to force Dallas to rely on perimeter shooting. As of late January, the Mavs rank among the league’s bottom four teams in three-pointers made per game. On the other hand, they are among the NBA’s top four teams in two-point field goals made per game, which is not surprising, as this is where much of their offense is generated. Memphis will need to keep this in mind if they want to extend their win streak.
Next on the list is turnovers. As of late January, both the Grizzlies and Mavericks rank in the top ten in turnovers per game, averaging 15 and 14.7, respectively. When the Grizzlies take care of the basketball, they put themselves in a strong position to succeed, regardless of the opponent. Against a team like Dallas that also has a tendency to turn the ball over, it’s important that the Grizzlies can capitalize on those mistakes without compromising their own ball security.
The Mavs are stacking impressive wins amid adversity
Although the Mavericks are not sitting where they’d like to be in both the conference and division standings, they have had a lot of impressive wins this year. What isn’t immediately apparent from their record are moments like taking down the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, beating the Pistons in overtime, or pulling off a double-digit victory over the Rockets.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that Dallas is able to get these types of wins even though they are not even close to having a fully healthy roster. Anthony Davis has been on and off the injury report all season long and will now have to spend more time on the sidelines after his latest injury.
Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum also have long-term injuries, much like Kyrie Irving, who has yet to suit up for the team this year due to the ACL injury that he suffered last season. Other players, like Daniel Gafford, have spent time on the IL, though they’ve been able to return to the regular rotation. The Mavericks are hopeful that Irving will make his debut relatively soon, which would be significantly impactful for this Dallas team that has struggled to stay afloat in the Western Conference.
There are more pivotal Southwest Division battles soon
One thing the Grizzlies and Mavericks have in common this year is navigating a challenging, injury-filled season. The Grizz have shown they can rise to the occasion, particularly against Dallas, but with two regular-season meetings still to come, they’ll need to stay locked in. Meanwhile, the Mavs have been a resilient group, finding ways to win even when the odds are stacked against them. Both teams have dealt with setbacks, but Memphis now has a chance to turn its consistency against Dallas into a defining edge, as the two teams battle for positioning in the Southwest.