Grizzlies 2020-21 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

Led by NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies are a team on the rise in the loaded Western Conference. But there's a problem: They aren't alone.

The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans are also hoping to begin climbing the West standings in 2021, while a return to full strength should make the Golden State Warriors a threat once again. Add in last season's playoff teams, and the postseason race will be fierce.

It's going to put a lot of pressure on the young core of Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks to take another major step in their development to keep pace and ultimately earn a playoff berth.

Let's check out all of the key details for Memphis' upcoming campaign following the NBA's first-half schedule release on Friday. That's followed by a season preview and a record prediction.

2020-21 Grizzlies Schedule Details

Season Opener: Dec. 23 vs. San Antonio Spurs

Championship Odds: 100-1 (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

First-Half Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Phoenix Suns: Jan. 18

The final seeds in the West will likely be decided by a few games, which will make the head-to-head contests among the teams in the race paramount throughout the regular season.

Memphis and Phoenix both narrowly missed the playoffs last season, with the Suns going 8-0 in the bubble to make a major statement about their impending rise despite falling short of the eighth seed.

The Grizzlies won three of the four meetings between the teams last year, though all of the games were decided by nine points or less, showing just how close the squads were. It should be a similar scenario this season.

New Orleans Pelicans: Feb. 6

Morant and Zion Williamson will forever be linked as the first two picks of the 2019 NBA draft, and one day in the not-too-distant future, they may battle for Western Conference supremacy. For now, though, their teams' battles will be crucial in the playoff race.

The Pelicans won all three meetings last season, including two after Williamson returned from a knee injury. But the Grizzlies point guard struggled in that pair of contests, scoring just 27 points combined.

Lonzo Ball is a much-improved defender and creates some problems for Morant with his length, which will put some extra pressure on the rest of the Memphis roster when they face New Orleans.

Season Forecast

The Western Conference will be highly entertaining to track all year because every game is going to matter. A razor-thin margin exists between a handful of teams that are most likely to populate the bottom half of the playoff picture.

In turn, it's possible Memphis continues to improve after steady progress over the past two years, but it may not be reflected with a major jump in its winning percentage.

A lot more will probably depend on the development of Jackson and Brooks than Morant, who's almost assuredly on the fast track toward stardom. If the other two can take a leap of their own, then the Grizzlies become a lot more dangerous.

The uncertainty gives a wide range to their potential record. Their win total could fluctuate anywhere from around 40 to the upper-20s.

Most likely, they'll land somewhere in the middle, and the games against other fringe contenders will decide whether they return to the playoffs.

Record Prediction: 35-37

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