The Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans represent the Southwest Division in the NBA. Each of these teams will play one another four times during the regular season, so the Grizzlies need to put up a strong showing. Although the division records are less impactful nowadays than the conference standings, they still matter for playoff tiebreakers. Not only that, but top-ranked teams in the division also gain a psychological edge, especially during the final weeks leading up to the postseason.
Part two of The Stacked Southwest series is about the San Antonio Spurs — breaking down the team, last year’s matchups, and the importance of every game against San Antonio in the 2025-26 season. How will the Grizzlies perform against the Spurs? These games might be more competitive than people think, and here’s why.
The Spurs could be a huge threat
The Spurs were on a bit of a roller coaster ride last year. It’s hard to tell exactly where they will fall in terms of the rankings this year, but there is a lot of potential for them to surge. While Chris Paul is no longer in San Antonio, the new core of Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle has yet to show the world its full potential due to injuries to Wembanyama and Fox last year.
Now those three — plus Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, Jeremy Sochan, and Devin Vassell — get to compete for the first time altogether. This team could be a major threat in the Southwest Division, and it won’t be a surprise if they are a top team in the West as well.
Overall, the Grizzlies performed very well against the Spurs last season. They were one buzzer-beater away from going 4-for-4. In the first three meetings, Memphis won by a large margin. It was only in the final game that the Grizzlies didn’t secure the win. Jaren Jackson Jr. tied the game in the final minute, but then De’Aaron Fox hit a step-back jump shot to break the tie with under three seconds remaining in regulation.
Revamped and ready to go
Even though Memphis won most of its games against San Antonio last season, both teams are different now. The first game in the 2025-26 season between the Grizzlies and Spurs falls on November 18th, which is presumably before Zach Edey returns to the regular rotation. This game also marks the end of a difficult stretch for Memphis, being the last stop on a four-game road trip where the Grizzlies face the Knicks, Celtics, and Cavaliers.
Given that, there’s a chance Memphis will be running low on energy and, possibly without Edey, the Wembanyama matchup could be a challenge. The Grizzlies will need to approach this game with a lot of strategy if they want to leave Frost Bank Center with a victory.
Memphis will see the Spurs again on December 2nd, but the rest of the series will take place in the upcoming calendar year. Hopefully, by December, Zach Edey will be back, or the Grizzlies will be able to cap off their first trip to San Antonio with a win. The good news for Memphis is that the last two matchups against the Spurs are both home games, so the Grizzlies get the advantage in 2026 when conference standings are far more important.