Every NBA season has its surprises. If it didn’t, offseason predictions would always be right—and, well, there’d be little reason to play the games.
This season is no exception. The Memphis Grizzlies, expected to be starting a rebuild, are 7-4 and have the league’s 10th-best net rating.
With major injuries affecting teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Denver Nuggets looking a little less formidable, the Western Conference may be more open than expected. The question is whether Memphis is genuinely ahead of schedule or simply showing a glimpse of what it could become.
How the Grizzlies keep winning
It may sound familiar, given how often the comparison has come up since San Antonio’s title run, but this Memphis team brings to mind the 2013-14 Spurs and their celebrated style of play.
Those Spurs were deep, moved the ball quickly, and made smart decisions while creating space. Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo seems to be steering his team toward a similar approach.
Iisalo has spread minutes around to keep players fresh. Thirteen Grizzlies have logged at least 70 minutes this season. The only other teams with that many players above the mark are the Pacers, Warriors, Thunder and Jazz, all of whom have also dealt with injuries. For Memphis, though, using so many players appears to be part of the plan rather than a response to necessity.
The Grizzlies’ offense is built around layered ball-screen actions, pick-and-rolls and quick movement from one side of the floor to the other. Iisalo calls it “flow,” which seems apt: the offense moves from one action into the next without much pause. The details are extensive, but the general idea is to keep the defense reacting.
Of course, a clever system only works if the players can carry it out. Memphis has capable ball handlers in Ty Jerome and Cam Spencer, screeners such as Zach Edey, Cam Boozer and Isaiah Stewart, and shooters who can attack a closeout, including Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, Jerami Grant and Quentin Post. Boozer, in particular, is quick at reading the floor.
The team has a lot of players who can contribute, and that depth shows on defense too. Memphis ranks fifth on that end, as it does offensively. The foundation starts inside. Before the season, Stewart looked to me like one of the league’s better defensive bigs. Edey’s injury history was the main reason for some hesitation, but he now looks like a possible Defensive Player of the Year contender. With him on the floor, Memphis has posted a defensive rating in the 99th percentile, according to Cleaning the Glass. That’s impressive in a league with Victor Wembanyama. Edey and Stewart give the Grizzlies a strong base.
Wells and Coward bring length on the wings, though they defend in different ways: Wells is stronger on the ball, while Coward has more impact away from it. Grant and GG Jackson add size and reach. Boozer moves remarkably well for someone with his build, and Kris Murray might get more attention for his defense if his offense weren’t such a concern.
Iisalo’s effort to keep the roster fresh seems to be paying off. While some teams are pacing themselves for the long season, Memphis has been playing with the urgency of a playoff series. Its youth helps, too: the Grizzlies are the league’s third-youngest team. Wells and Boozer have been active moving their feet on defense, and Spencer has shown good awareness when rotating to close down an advantage.
Why the Grizzlies aren’t quite that good yet
Memphis fans should feel good about what the team is building. Boozer, Coward, Edey, Wells, Jackson and Stewart are all 25 or younger, so the future looks promising. Still, a few signs suggest the Grizzlies may come back down to earth a bit.
They rank second in three-point shooting and eighth in opponent three-point percentage. The latter figure depends heavily on factors a defense can’t fully control, while it seems unlikely Memphis will remain the league’s second-best shooting team all season.
The Grizzlies have also benefited from a relatively easy schedule. Dunks & Threes ranks their schedule as the league’s second easiest so far. Their best win came against a Warriors team that hadn’t yet found its rhythm.
A recent loss to Indiana exposed another possible weakness: guard play and ball handling. Beyond Jerome, Spencer and the injured Scottie Pippen Jr., Memphis doesn’t have many players who can reliably handle pressure. None of those three is especially accomplished at breaking a press, either. Indiana’s occasional full-court pressure bothered the Grizzlies throughout the game, forcing 20 turnovers and contributing to their lowest offensive rating of the season.
Iisalo could try using two of those guards together more often. But that might leave the team less effective on defense. Fixing one problem could create another, which is usually a sign that a roster still has some gaps.
If I were choosing a team for a ten-year job as a general manager, I’d have only a handful of teams ahead of Memphis. There’s something real here, and this group may be more resilient than the previous generation—no pun intended. Still, for the 2026-27 season, it’s hard to see the Grizzlies as more than a fringe playoff team.
