Grizzlies Fall Again to Blazers, Undermanned and Undersized in the Paint
Saturday night brought another tough loss for the Memphis Grizzlies, this time a 122-115 defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers-their second loss to the same team in as many days. And while the final score tells one story, the deeper narrative is about a team that’s running out of options, especially at the center position.
Let’s call it what it is: the Grizzlies are playing without a true center. After a flurry of trades and a wave of injuries, Memphis is now fielding a roster that’s being held together with duct tape and determination. Saturday marked their 19th different starting lineup of the season-more than any other team in the league-and that revolving door of lineups is starting to show.
Edey’s Absence Looms Large
Zach Edey was supposed to be the anchor in the middle. But after missing the first 13 games of the season recovering from ankle surgery, and then logging just 11 appearances before a stress reaction in that same ankle shut him down again, his return remains a mystery. The team’s last update in January suggested a six-week reevaluation timeline, but there’s no guarantee we’ll see him back on the floor this season.
Without Edey, and following the trade of Jock Landale-who was shipped out as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal and then quickly rerouted to Atlanta-the Grizzlies are left with a frontcourt rotation that’s more theoretical than practical. Santi Aldama has the height at 7 feet, but he’s not a natural center. And while Kyle Anderson is a savvy veteran, asking a 6’8” forward to hold down the five spot against a 7’2” Donovan Clingan is a tall order-literally and figuratively.
A Game of Two Halves (and One Brutal Quarter)
To their credit, Memphis didn’t roll over. Despite the mismatch in size and the patchwork lineup, the Grizzlies came out swinging. They scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters and carried an eight-point lead into the fourth.
But that’s where the wheels came off.
Portland outscored Memphis 34-19 in the final frame, flipping the game on its head and leaving the Grizzlies with yet another close-but-not-enough result. The energy was there, the effort was clear-but the execution and depth just weren’t.
The Bench Brings the Fire
If there’s a silver lining, it came from the two-way players off the bench. Olivier-Maxence Prosper had a breakout performance, dropping a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including a scorching 7-of-8 from deep. He also added five boards for good measure.
Right alongside him, Javon Small delivered an impressive all-around game: 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, and a block. These aren’t just empty numbers either-both players brought energy and scoring punch that kept Memphis in the fight.
Starters Do Their Part-But It’s Not Enough
The starting unit chipped in with balanced scoring, even if no one broke out in a major way. Ty Jerome posted 13 points along with a little bit of everything-one rebound, one assist, a steal, and a block. Kyle Anderson, in his return to the Grizzlies and playing out of position at center, was efficient with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, adding six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and GG Jackson also finished in double figures with 11 points apiece. Jackson added eight rebounds and filled out the stat sheet with two assists, a steal, and two blocks.
A Team Playing Hard, But Missing Pieces
Here’s the thing: this isn’t a team that’s tanking. Tanking implies a strategic decision to lose games in hopes of a better draft pick.
That’s not what’s happening here. The Grizzlies are playing hard.
They’re competing. But they’re also running out a lineup that, on most nights, is simply overmatched.
It’s not just about talent-it’s about size, continuity, and cohesion. You can’t replace a true center with a small-ball lineup every night and expect to consistently win battles in the paint, protect the rim, or control the boards. The Grizzlies aren’t being out-hustled-they’re being out-sized.
Bottom Line
Until the injury bug lets up and the roster stabilizes, Memphis is going to be in survival mode. The effort is there.
The flashes of potential-especially from the bench-are real. But right now, this team isn’t built to win consistently.
And that’s not because they’re trying to lose. It’s because they’re missing too many key pieces to win.
For now, the Grizzlies will keep grinding. But as Saturday night showed, heart and hustle can only carry you so far when you’re giving up inches and experience at nearly every position.