There’s plenty to like about the way the Memphis Grizzlies have opened the 2026-27 NBA season. Through the first two weeks, they sit second in the league in net rating, trailing only Houston, and even their latest result - an overtime loss to the Pelicans - came with a bright spot. Ty Jerome kept showing that his shooting and scoring aren’t a fluke.
Still, a hot start can get complicated fast, and Memphis has a few things that could slow this run down over the next month.
The first concern is health. The Grizzlies usually seem to carry an injury report longer and more tangled than the United States tax code, but to this point they’ve been relatively intact.
Five regulars have appeared in all seven games, and four more have played in six of seven. That changed a bit when backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. landed on the injury report with a back herniation, which is rarely a good sign.
His defense matters a lot to the second unit. Memphis can probably keep rolling if Jerome, Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey and Cedric Coward stay on the floor most nights, but the margin gets thinner quickly if one of those names misses extended time.
The schedule is another factor. Before the season, some people viewed the Grizzlies as a soft team, which helped explain why Las Vegas sportsbooks pegged their win total under 30.
Instead, it’s been Memphis doing the damage to opponents. Even if you remove the six losses to the Grizzlies, the teams they’ve faced are still well under .500.
That won’t change Tuesday night, either. The Pacers were supposed to be a bounceback team, but Tyrese Haliburton and half the roster have already been banged up, and Indiana is 2-6.
There are more manageable matchups ahead, but Memphis also has the Nuggets and Cavaliers coming in the next couple of weeks. The Grizzlies are also fortunate that the Thunder and Timberwolves, two other upcoming opponents, are missing All-Stars.
To really climb to the top of the West, they’ll eventually have to handle teams like the Lakers, Rockets and Spurs. They just haven’t gotten to that stretch yet.
And then there’s the shooting. Memphis has been lighting it up from deep, and that kind of efficiency usually comes with a little luck mixed in.
The Grizzlies do have real shooters, including Jerome and Cam Spencer, but 42.2 percent from three is a tough number to live at all season. Some regression feels inevitable for Coward, who is at 57.7 percent, Isaiah Stewart at 57.1 percent, Spencer at 56 percent and Jerome at 42 percent on high volume.
When that comes, Memphis will need other answers on offense.
The encouraging part is that this roster has multiple players who can catch fire. That kind of depth in shot-making can carry a team a long way.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Hot Start Faces A New Problem Against Indiana
Memphis has opened the season looking every bit like a team that expects to stay near the top of the Western Conference, and a visit from Indiana offers another chance to keep that momentum rolling. The Grizzlies are 6-1 and have already shown they can win with balance, with Ty Jerome giving them a steady offensive lift while the rest of the roster keeps finding ways to pressure opponents on both ends.
Indiana arrives on a three-game road trip carrying a five-game skid, and the matchup brings a few layers beyond the standings. One of the bigger questions is in the middle, where the Pacers are watching Ivica Zubac after his ankle sprain, and his availability could shape how they try to handle Memphis inside. The game also sets up appealing individual battles, including Cameron Boozer against Pascal Siakam, but for the Grizzlies the bigger concern is simply avoiding the kind of slip that can let a struggling opponent find life. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Have An Unexpected Early Season Star Fans Need To See
Early in the 2026-27 season, the leagues MVP conversation has already started to take shape around the usual heavy hitters, with Luka Doni, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey and Stephen Curry all drawing attention for the way they are carrying their teams. Memphis has its own name in that mix too, and it is not the one most people would have circled before opening night. The early returns have been strong enough to put a Grizzlies guard on the radar in a discussion usually reserved for the sports biggest stars.
For Memphis, the appeal goes beyond surprise value. The Grizzlies have spent the opening stretch trying to establish an identity, and this kind of production gives them a player who can tilt games while the rest of the roster settles in around him. Whether that early burst turns into a real award push is still a long way from being decided, but the fact that he is even in the conversation says plenty about how quickly the story has changed in Memphis. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face Another Early Test With Key Help Still Uncertain
The Grizzlies are back at FedExForum on Wednesday with another early-season measuring stick, this time against an Indiana team still sorting through its own availability questions. Memphis is working with a new young core after a busy roster shakeup, and the recent loss to New Orleans offered a reminder that talent alone will not smooth out the rough edges right away.
Ty Jerome was among the voices stressing what still has to tighten up for Memphis after that close defeat, especially on the possessions that swing games in the margins. With the Pacers coming in and the Grizzlies still trying to settle into their new identity, this one feels like more than just another November date on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]