The Memphis Grizzlies are gearing up for the 2024-25 NBA season with high hopes of bouncing back from a challenging stretch marked with injuries and suspensions. With key players returning (Ja Morant, Marcus Smart) and big new additions (Zach Edey) to the roster, fans have every reason to expect another NBA playoffs run.
Making predictions on the Grizzlies are tough but their roadway back to relevancy in the Western Conference is now clear. So are Ja Morant's wardrobe choices. Memphis is in the toughest NBA Cup group but this locker room is one lucky break away from an NBA Finals appearance.
Grizzlies get off to a good start
Memphis has 20 games on the docket before calendars flip to December. Fortunately, the Grizzlies kick off the season with a favorable schedule, playing four of their six games at home. Coach Taylor Jenkins should be able to capitalize on this home-court advantage with a strong start. Starting the season with road games against the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets is one of the easier Western Conference kickoffs (2-0).
The Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks at home (5-1) will allow Morant time to get comfortable with the new rotations. November's slate is set up for the Grizzlies to feast, starting with a quick road trip to see the Philadelphia 76ers and Nets (6-2). LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers and the rebuilding Washington Wizards await back on Beale Street (8-2).
A three-game-in-five-days West Coast road trip will be the toughest test to date. Overlooking the Portland Trail Blazers before two ESPN games versus the Lakers and Golden State Warriors could lead to a 0-3 humbling (9-4). Two games at home against Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets before the 76ers hit the FedEx Forum will be a gut-check (11-5).
Two days off before wrangling with the Chicago Bulls is a blessing (12-5). So is having five of the next six at home, with no back-to-back situations to boot. The Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, and New Orleans Pelicans are the last three with a November date (15-5). Memphis is set up to be in contention for the NBA's best record as the holiday season ramps up.
Ja Morant turns up Holiday season heat
December will test the Grizzlies’ depth with a packed schedule. The Indiana Pacers close out a homestand before Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks welcome the Grizzlies in. Then it is back home to square off with the Sacramento Kings (16-7). A road back-t0-back versus the Boston Celtics and Wizards could be worse (17-8).
For these purposes, let's factor in two good outings in the NBA Cup games to be named later (19-8). Getting the Warriors at home after the break should be great television, even if Steph Curry steals the show. Taking care of the Atlanta Hawks on the road regardless of the previous game's outcome is expected from true title contenders (20-9).
Christmas Week brings the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors to Memphis (22-9). The lump of coal afterward, a five-game West Coast road trip, will sober up any unfocused squad (24-12). The Mavericks and Houston Rockets will be hunting for road wins as the Grizzlies look to regroup and repack for a four-game jaunt. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Rockets precede two games against Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs (26-16).
The Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets, Pelicans, and Jazz at home in five days will test the team's depth (28-18). Going to Madison Square Garden will test its resiliency. Memphis will then double back for a TNT game (Rockets), which will be about the time Zach Edey starts hitting a career-high in games played over a season (29-19).
The mid-season grind will challenge the Grizzlies, but they should manage to stay well above .500 with solid performances against divisional opponents. Staying on track for a top-four seed will help ease the pressure off of Morant as the All-Star and NBA MVP conversations start to get serious.
Grizzlies wake up for NBA playoffs run
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February’s lighter schedule offers a chance to regroup after the NBA All-Star break. March Madness and seven games in April finish out the regular season. It all starts in Milwaukee on ESPN with the Spurs at home less than 24 hours later. Locating the passports for a trip to play the Toronto Raptors is always an anxiety inducer, though the Grizzlies should get out of Canada with a win. They'll have two days to fight through Customs before a heavyweight bout against the Oklahoma City Thunder (31-21).
The Grizzlies will get plenty of flight miles on the following five-game road trip. Cross-country jaunts from Phoenix, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Orlando would be taxing for a fighter pilot. The next five are all at home, but four are no picnic. The Suns, New York Knicks, Spurs, Hawks, and Thunder will cycle through just after the NBA All-Star break (35-27).
ESPN's talking heads will have two back-to-back looks at the Grizzlies in Dallas and New Orleans as jockeying for postseason positioning picks up (36-28). Thankfully, a four-game homestand against NBA Play-In Tournament teams is on the schedule at just the right time (40-28). Unfortunately, the following five-game road trip to face the Kings, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Jazz, and Thunder will slow Memphis' momentum, slightly (42-30).
Memphis will host the Lakers and Celtics to close out March with the Warriors waiting on April Fool's Day. Four of the next six are in hostile territory but Miami, Detroit, and Charlotte will be halfway to a vacation by then. However, closing out with the Timberwolves (home), Nuggets (road), and Mavericks (home) is perhaps the most difficult among the NBA's 30 teams.
Final record prediction: 47-35
Fans in Memphis will have plenty to cheer for in a bounce-back season. With a healthy roster and key contributions from star players like Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies are in a strong position to make a deep playoff run. They will not hit the 50-win mark, but will still secure a top-six seed in a highly competitive Western Conference.
