Grizzlies 2023-24 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
What a difference a year makes for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Coming off the 2021-22 season, the Grizzlies were a confident, young team on the rise. They had a refreshing star in Ja Morant whose confidence spread to his teammates.
Memphis fell back to earth in 2022-23, and a first-round playoff exit led many to believe the squad wasn't ready for prime time. Memphis had already been labeled a frontrunner in an anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic's Sam Amick and Josh Robbins.
The dichotomy displayed how there's a fine line between swagger and arrogance. The Grizzlies began leaning a little too much toward the latter.
Those more intangible concerns leave aside the more visible fallout from Morant's two suspensions for appearing to flash a handgun on social media. The two-time All-Star will miss the first 25 games of 2023-24.
Memphis still figures to be in the hunt for a top-four seed in the Western Conference, but there's no question the perception of the franchise has shifted a bit from opening night last October to now.
Here's a look at the Grizzlies' season ahead as they try to silence their skeptics.
2023-24 Grizzlies Schedule Details
Season Opener: vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. ET)
Championship Odds: +3000 (via FanDuel)
Full Schedule: Full schedule is available on NBA.com
Top Matchups
Golden State Warriors
Since Dillon Brooks is no longer around to antagonize LeBron James, the rivalry with the Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers might have gone with him. The bad blood between Memphis and the Golden State Warriors remains much more real.
Players from both teams have exchanged subtle and direct verbal shots at one another, and they clearly relish getting the better of their opponents when they cross paths.
"Every time we touch the floor, it's a rivalry," Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. told reporters last March. "We saw this team many times. We feel like every single time we're out there with them, it's a rivalry for sure."
The way in which Warriors star Draymond Green dismissed that notion might have counterproductively heightened the dynamic. Pretending a team isn't your rival only makes that team dislike you more.
One common complaint about regular-season basketball is that games simply don't have the same energy compared to the playoffs. Warriors vs. Grizzlies is often an exception to that.
Sacramento Kings
Three games separated the Grizzlies from the third-place Sacramento Kings, and the gap could be similarly small again.
After the biggest moves concluded in free agency, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey listed Sacramento and Memphis ninth and 10th, respectively, in his NBA power rankings.
The Kings were one the biggest surprises in the league in 2022-23 as they won 48 games and ended a playoff drought that spanned 16 years. Now, the organization will quickly come to understand how heavy the weight of expectations can be, something the Grizzlies experienced themselves.
If Sacramento takes a step backward, the path to retaining a top-four seed becomes a little easier for Memphis.
Season Forecast
The Grizzlies should have a pretty high floor as long as their best players are healthy for the most part. They had 50-plus wins in back-to-back seasons, and they managed to keep their heads above water when Morant was out of action for stretches in 2022-23.
His suspension might lead more fans to appreciate Desmond Bane, who averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. The 6'5" guard earned every penny of his five-year, $197.2 million extension.
Letting Brooks walk as a free agent was an understandable decision for Memphis because his presence was a net-negative in the postseason. And while Tyus Jones' value shouldn't be overlooked, the backcourt as a whole might be stronger with Marcus Smart. Smart is an elite perimeter defender whose leadership on and off the court provides an ingredient that was missing on the roster.
When it comes to predicting the Grizzlies' record, one thing to consider is whether they start keeping one eye on the playoffs.
Especially in the wake of such an unpredictable postseason, head coach Taylor Jenkins and his players might be willing to sacrifice a few wins in an effort to be in a stronger place at the business end of the campaign.
Record Prediction: 49-33
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