The Memphis Grizzlies are 4-6 right now, with wins over the Pelicans, Pacers, Suns, and Mavericks, and losses to the Heat, Warriors, Lakers, Raptors, Pistons, and Rockets. However, in the majority of their losses, the Grizzlies were not completely outplayed. While it hasn’t been pretty, Memphis has been doing a decent job keeping up with most opponents, even when the result was a loss.
The five-point loss to the Lakers, for example, could’ve easily gone the other way with a couple of made shots or better execution down the stretch. With Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Ty Jerome all out with injuries right now, there is still hope that the team finds more confidence and rhythm once they are healthy again.
It’s not about how it starts, but how it ends
Even though it’s early in the season, losses are even more painful knowing how difficult the Western Conference will be this year. However, it’s not always about how a team starts, but how they finish. It’s better to peak in the second half of the season as opposed to starting strong and gradually running out of steam.
The Grizzlies started strong last season, but didn’t end with the same level of energy and momentum. This season, Memphis is starting slower, but they still have plenty of time to turn their season around and end on a high note — just like the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers last year, who also got off to slow starts before making a lot of noise in the postseason.
The Denver Nuggets had losses to the Pelicans, Wizards, and Trail Blazers in the first few months of the season. They also went to overtime against the Nets and barely scraped by versus the Kings. However, after a rough start, they found themselves in the playoffs, where they took one of the hottest teams in the league, the Los Angeles Clippers, to seven games in the first round.
After winning that series, they played another seven games against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round but were unable to advance. Even so, this is a team that learned from its early mistakes, made adjustments, and put itself in a wonderful position to succeed.
The Indiana Pacers are another team that didn’t have an ideal start to their season, but something clicked when it mattered the most. They had an embarrassing blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets early in the season, lost a second time to the Hornets a month later, couldn’t close it out against the Nets or Raptors, and failed to come out on top in overtime against a struggling 76ers team.
Despite all that, they gradually found some rhythm and became a huge threat in the Eastern Conference during the second half of the season. Nothing could seemingly stop this Pacers team in the playoffs. After becoming the Eastern Conference Champions, they took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the NBA Finals, where their hard-fought race ultimately came to an end.
Could the NBA Cup win spark something for Memphis?
After a four-game losing streak, the Grizzlies played their second NBA Cup game of the season at home on November 7th and defeated the Dallas Mavericks. Overall, this looked like one of Memphis’ best games of the year so far, and that’s not just because they won.
They looked like a well-rounded group, and they seemed to be playing their brand of basketball, at least more than they had in their previous matchups. The game was by no means perfect, but this was a step in the right direction for a team that has been struggling to find its groove and identity.
This could, perhaps, spark something for Memphis moving forward. The month of November will test the Grizzlies in a lot of ways, especially as they prepare for their upcoming four-game road trip, during which they will play some of the best teams in the league.
While it's important to watch the film and learn from their mistakes, dwelling on the results of previous games is not helpful for anyone at this point in the year. They need to move forward with their heads high and recognize that they will play 72 more games this year in the regular season. That’s 72 more chances to improve. That’s 72 more games that they could win. The season just started, so no need to panic just yet.