Through the first 15 games of the season, the Grizzlies have faced numerous issues, which have contributed to their 4-11 record and 12th seed in the Western Conference. There have been issues on and off the court, along with injuries. Some aren’t completely fixable until certain players return, but others are currently fixable.
The Disadvantages
A significant but fixable problem the Grizzlies have is that they struggle against teams that play with a high level of physicality and have high-level athletes on their team. Memphis’ disadvantage in this department, in particular, is found in the wing rotation.
You can find this trend as recent as their last game. In their 111-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis struggled to guard wings Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson throughout the game. Both Barnes and Johnson had big nights offensively, thanks to efficient shooting. Barnes finished the night with 23 points on 9/14 shooting from the field, and Johnson added 18 points on a solid 8/15 shooting effort. However, it was their combined firepower late in the 4th quarter that swayed the game in the Spurs' favor.
At the 3:13 mark, Memphis took its last lead of the game when Cedric Coward hit a three-pointer to push the score to 101-100. In the last 2:13 seconds of the game, San Antoiono finished on an 11-0 run to win the game. Nine of those 11 points were scored by Barnes and Johnson. The Spurs' loss was the latest chapter in the Grizzlies' story of death by wings. If you look closely at the box score of some of the Grizzlies’ losses this season, you will see that this is an issue.
The October 10th loss to the Golden State Warriors saw Johanton Kuminga and Moses Moody score 25 and 20 points, respectively. In their November 2nd loss to the Toronto Raptors, the wing trio of Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes combined for 72 of their team’s 117 points. Memphis’ loss to the Houston Rockets on November 5th saw a plethora of wings have big nights. Amen Thompson (28), Tari Eason (16), Jabari Smith Jr. (16), and Josh Okogie (13) all were huge parts of that Houston win.
Their problem is clear: they haven't had an answer on either end of the floor against big, physical, athletic wings. Wings of opposing teams are consistently having their best nights of the season against the Grizzlies. In the day and age of pace, space, and players at all positions being skilled enough to make plays with the ball in their hands, they have to figure out how to defend consistently on an elite level.
What's the answer?
The intriguing part of this problem is that the Grizzlies have wings on their roster who have been billed as versatile defenders, such as Coward, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jaylen Wells, and Vince Williams Jr. However, they haven’t been able to figure out how to stop the opposing teams’ best scorers so far this year. The bigger problem is that Memphis has more athletic wings on its roster, which can help alleviate the issue that Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo is simply not utilizing.
Oliver-Maxence Prosper and GG Jackson II are two wings that haven’t been able to crack the rotation. Prosper has shown promise in spot minutes after being signed to a two-way contract late in August. Jackson II has been lost in the shuffle with the emergence of Coward and the return of Williams Jr. These are two guys who stand at 6’7 "and 6’9", respectively. They can both play above the rim and possess the intangibles that can impact winning on both ends of the floor.
They’re looking for an opportunity to prove themselves worthy for minutes, and this weakness of the team could be their opportunity.
Another additional name who could be of assistance is Jahmai Maschack. Maschack was recently signed to a two-way contract after being selected with the 59th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by Memphis and has the skill set for what the Grizzlies are lacking right now. He demonstrated throughout his college career and his stint with Memphis’ summer league team that he can defend multiple positions at a high level and convert his defensive intensity into offensive possessions.
Prosper, Jackson II, and Mashack were all available for the last game, but none saw the floor. The understanding is that Memphis is trying to use Prosper and Mashack’s two-way contract games sparingly. However, when you have so many players out and are, more importantly, low in the conference, you have to make the necessary decisions to get through the rough patch until they return.
The trend and the possible solution are there. It’s up to Iisalo and the coaching staff to decide how to fix this problem and get this team back in the win column.