Turnovers were a major issue for Memphis last season, and they will need to be more mindful of that moving forward. In the 2024-25 season, the Grizzlies recorded 1,285 turnovers, which was the 3rd highest number of turnovers by a team in the entire league. On a per-game basis, they averaged 15.7 turnovers. The only two other teams that recorded more turnovers were the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz.
There were several factors that contributed to Memphis’ high turnover rate. While ball handling was part of the equation, the pace at which the Grizzlies like to play also factored into the statistic. Memphis played at a very fast pace; in fact, they led the NBA last season in this category with 103.26 possessions per game.
In addition to that, they were the second-highest scoring team in the league last season, averaging 121.7 points per game. Playing at a fast pace can certainly help wear down the opposing defenders and increase shot volume, but sometimes it can also lead to more turnovers. The Grizzlies need to figure out how to continue playing at such a fast pace without making costly mistakes.
Turnover nightmares in games that mattered
Despite their turnover issues, Memphis was able to remain toward the top of the Western Conference standings for most of the regular season last year, as these turnovers were frequently offset by high shot volume and scoring. That said, there were certain games where these turnovers caught up to them, and they couldn’t recover from the deficit they created.
One of the highest turnover games last season for the Grizzlies was against the New York Knicks on January 27th, 2025. In this game, Memphis recorded 26 total turnovers and lost by 37 points. How many points did the Knicks get from these turnovers? 36! That’s right, the Grizzlies lost by almost the same number of points that New York scored off of turnovers. The vast majority of these turnovers were the result of a bad pass or lost ball, which shows the team was just not on the same page that night.
On March 3rd, 2025, the Grizzlies fell 132-130 to the Atlanta Hawks in heartbreaking fashion when Caris LeVert hit a last-second buzzer beater. This game arguably should not have been that close, but Memphis had 19 turnovers, which led to 29 Atlanta points. With fewer turnovers, the game could’ve easily swung in the Grizzlies’ favor.
To make matters even worse, this was the third consecutive game that Memphis lost as a result of a buzzer-beater, adding another layer of frustration during an incredibly painful stretch of the season. Jaren Jackson Jr. went down with an injury to his ankle early in the game, but the rest of the team put themselves in a position to win—if it hadn’t been for the turnovers.
Next season’s to-do list starts with limiting turnovers
Now the team is getting ready for next season, and hopefully, addressing turnovers is high up on Tuomas Iisalo’s priority list. Having a lower number of turnovers doesn’t guarantee a win, but it is an important part of any successful team’s game plan. Although Memphis’ fast pace does lead to a lot of turnovers, the team needs to figure out how to maintain its tempo while also making better decisions with the ball. If the Grizzlies can master this, they will be a difficult team to contain for 48 minutes.