All 12 of the Grizzlies losses have been at the hands of teams’ who are above .500. On the winning side, only 1 (Phoenix) of the Grizzlies nine wins have come against teams with winning records.
That is rather concerning, but there is plenty of basketball left, the Grizzlies are finding a rythm and have yet to play a fully healthy game.
So, the Grizzlies get a chance to right their wrongs, multiple times this month, even as soon as their next game against the Spurs who will be without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
The Grizzlies come into this matchup on a three-game win streak and currently trail the Spurs in the Western Conference standings by 5 games. With Wemby and Castle on the bench, the Grizzlies need to continue their hot start, and here’s how they can do that against not only the Spurs, but the rest of the winning teams this month.
1. Continuity and the Youth Movement
Nov 26, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) reacts after drawing a foul in overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Winning 5 out of the last 6 has come off the backs of the Grizzlies young core. Highlighted by Zach Edey and Cedric Coward. The two of them have also received help from two other 2024 draft picks, Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer, while Vince Williams Jr. has done a great job as another point guard in Morant’s absence. The Grizzlies young core has begun to mesh and find its footing with Jaren Jackson Jr. and should only get better as more attention comes back to the offensive side (Morant, Clarke, Pippen Jr, Jerome).
2. Ja’s Return
Nov 30, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippin Jr. (1) and guard Ja Morant (12) on the bench during the third quarter against ht eSacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
No matter how the Grizzlies have performed in Ja’s absence, he is still needed. Morant was off to a rough start prior to spraining his ankle, but his return will be a much-needed boost for a Grizzlies team that has found its footing defensively. Adding Morant’s 20+ points per game to a team that is currently the leagues 25th ranked offense will be essential, especially in beating the better teams, like the Spurs. Morant’s playmaking and ability to help space the offense will be crucial down the road.
3. It’s all about the clutch games
Mar 14, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (12) celebrates after making a hard lay up in the 4th quarter of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images | Matthew Smith-Imagn Images
The Grizzlies have been a part of the NBA’s 5th most clutch games (12) and a hold a 6-6 record in such contests. Many of the NBA’s best teams’ close out these games and put teams away. Take the Lakers and Thunder who are combined 14-1, or the Pistons and Heat, a combined 18-6. Winning these close contests matter, for seeding, for proving to be championship contenders, for all of it. This is another reason getting Morant back is so crucial, the Grizzlies need their closer, the Grizzlies need someone to slow the game down, the Grizzlies need their alpha, and the rest of the team just needs to continue its constant growth.
The Grizzlies currently have 4 games against opponents who are above .500 this month and need to show that they can win these games, not only to climb the standings, but to remind themselves what they are capable off.
Coach Iisalo deserves credit for turning the early struggles, rumored disgruntlements, and injuries into a 9-12 record, with plenty of room to grow and things to build on.
The way the Grizzlies have played, it’s not crazy to say they could be a top 6 seed by the end of December.
But that’s how everything looks on paper and in order to make it happen:
The Grizzlies must prove that they can beat winning teams.