Once again, the Grizzlies can't close the deal on the road against a team with a .500 or better record after surrendering a game-ending 11-0 run to lose to the San Antonio Spurs. The loss dropped the Grizzlies to 4-11 on the season and 1-11 against teams with a .500 or better record for the season.
Injury issues, specifically to star guard Ja Morant, have been the common denominator for the Grizzlies' scoring 101 points or less in three consecutive games. Scoring has been harder to come by without their lead guard, who can create rim pressure on opposing defenses, despite his struggles shooting this season.
With Morant not expected to return for at least two weeks, and the team being seven games under .500, this season is starting to evoke Deja vu vibes from a lost season just two years ago.
Is Memphis having a repeat of their 27-55 finish from 2023-24?
The last time the Grizzlies scored 101 points or less in three consecutive games was in April 2024, the worst season of their Ja Morant-led era. That season saw the star point guard miss their first 25 games due to a suspension, and a plethora of other injuries to rotation players, which led to a 3-12 start in their first 15 games.
This time around, Ja Morant has been available for the majority of their first 15 games, but was suspended for one and will miss at least their next six games before his re-evaluation for his calf injury. This year's Grizzlies have also had bad injury luck with Zach Edey missing their first 13 games, and Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Brandon Clarke yet to play this season.
The 2023-24 season saw the team use a league record 33 players through many various hardship exceptions. This year's team had to use a hardship exception three games into the regular season due to the extended absences of the various players listed above. To top it off, Vince Williams Jr. is now the starting point guard with their entire point guard rotation out due to injury.
Williams Jr. also garnered a couple of starts at point guard during his breakout 2023-24 season that had the team thinking he was one of their wings of the future. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, their terrible start to this season feels all too much like their nightmare 2023-24 season. Fortunately, they have time not to match history, but the clock is ticking as the losses continue to pile up.