Since their October 29 victory in Phoenix, the Grizzlies have won just one of their last nine games. The Grizzlies entered the season with playoff expectations, but they have gotten off to a slow start. There are many factors to blame, such as injuries, bad rotations, and key rotation players slumping, but the Grizzlies must figure things out before it is too late.
In previous seasons, the Grizzlies have had plenty of injuries, and this season is no different so far. Players such as Ty Jerome, Brandon Clarke, and Scotty Pippen Jr. have not appeared in a single game this season, and Zach Edey just made his season debut this past weekend. Now, Ja Morant is set to miss multiple weeks with a calf strain, leaving the Grizzlies without four point guards.
The November schedule should allow the Grizzlies plenty of opportunities to gain ground despite their current injury bug. First, the Grizzlies will finish their current road trip against a Spurs team set to be without Victor Wembanyama. Most importantly, five of the last seven November games for the Grizzlies will be against teams with losing records. In recent seasons, the Grizzlies have fared well against teams below .500, and that must continue to finish this month.
The Grizzlies desperately need to find offensive success
The Grizzlies have had positive stretches of good basketball against elite teams, but they were unable to sustain it for full games. The Grizzlies jumped out to a 19-point lead against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on November 9 before eventually losing. The Grizzlies also held double-digit leads against the Lakers and Cavaliers before collapsing in the second half of both losses.
When looking at team stats throughout the league, the Grizzlies' offense is one of the worst in the league in multiple key areas. The Grizzlies have the second-worst field goal percentage in the NBA at 43%, and they are also the third-worst three-point shooting team, shooting just 32.9% from three. The Grizzlies also average just 111.9 points per game, the fifth worst in the league.
The Grizzlies have also struggled on defense, currently possessing a 116.3 defensive rating, which is just the 20th best, but the offense has been a major weak point. Given the frontcourt crisis earlier in the season and the current lack of point guard depth, some of the offensive struggles can be explained, but the Grizzlies must hit perimeter shots and involve their best players more offensively.
It is still early in the season, but the Grizzlies are not giving many reasons for optimism. The recent return of Zach Edey should be a major boost, but the Grizzlies must overcome their current backcourt crisis. Despite being 4-10, there is time for the Grizzlies to make a turnaround, but the team must act fast and end November on a high note.