The Grizzlies finally get their MLK Day spotlight back, and the matchup brings more than just Kevin Durant to the table.
Memphis will host the Rockets on MLK Day this season, a welcome change after the Grizzlies missed out last year because of their international trip, which included two games against the Orlando Magic. This time, the stage is set at home, and Durant gives the game obvious headline appeal. He has been tied to the Grizzlies before in trade chatter, so his presence alone adds some extra buzz.
But the more interesting part of this game may be buried underneath the star power: the frontcourt battle.
Houston’s front line is built to stress a team on the glass and in the halfcourt. Even with the Rockets’ odd finish to last season, their size and physicality have been a calling card when healthy in recent years, and that kind of possession control looks a lot like what Memphis is trying to build. That makes this a particularly useful test for a Grizzlies team still shaping its identity.
In theory, Memphis has the kind of big-man foundation that could become a real problem for opponents. A Zach Edey and Cam Boozer frontcourt brings rebounding strength and offensive gravity, and the Grizzlies added more help this offseason with Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post behind Edey.
Houston, though, may be the cleanest measuring stick around. Alperen Sengun is coming off two All-Star seasons and gives the Rockets a polished offensive centerpiece.
Steven Adams remains a major rebounding force, and his screens helped Houston’s halfcourt offense in a big way. Jabari Smith Jr. keeps improving, Tari Eason is back as a solid contributor, and Clint Capela gives the Rockets even more depth up front.
The Rockets’ first-round series against the Lakers did not produce much offensive beauty, but that came in the middle of an injury-hit stretch. Houston won 52 games, and the absence of Steven Adams during the regular season, along with Durant missing most of the first round, hit that halfcourt attack hard.
Memphis has had more success on MLK Day in recent seasons, and this one gives the Grizzlies a chance to make a statement early in the rebuild. With the frontcourt looking like one of their most dependable paths to winning this season, Houston should tell them plenty about how far that group can go.
There will probably be four meetings between the teams this year, but this one stands out. Durant will draw the attention, as he always does, yet the real intrigue may be whether Memphis can hold its own in the frontcourt against one of the league’s most demanding tests.
In Other News...
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The early part of the 2026-27 season already comes with a built-in measuring stick for Memphis, as the Grizzlies landed in West Group B of the Emirates NBA Cup alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans. It is the kind of group that immediately draws attention, not just because of the names involved, but because every matchup carries extra weight in a tournament that has quickly become one of the leagues more watched side competitions.
Memphis will play its group games from Nov. 6 through Nov. 27, with the knockout rounds set to begin in early December. The broader calendar is still to come, with the full 2026-27 schedule due Aug. 13, but the Cup draw already gives fans a clear early-season snapshot of where the Grizzlies will be tested, and against whom they will first have a chance to measure themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Land A Tough NBA Cup Draw With Early Stakes
The NBA Cup picture for Memphis is set, and it is not a soft landing. The Grizzlies were drawn into West Group B with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans, a slate that gives them no easy nights and plenty of early-season measuring sticks as the tournament games run from Oct. 30 through Nov. 27.
Memphis also learned it will have to make its case without the benefit of a nationally televised Cup game, at least on the schedule release that came out this week. The broader season schedule drops Aug. 12, which should bring the rest of the context for how this group stage fits into the grind of travel and back-to-backs, but for now the takeaway is clear: the Grizzlies drew one of the leagues tougher Cup assignments and will have to prove themselves the hard way. [Read more 🡒]