Memphis Grizzlies: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener

The Memphis Grizzlies kicked off their 2017-18 campaign with a win. We’ve got everything you need to know about how things played out.

The Memphis Grizzlies welcomed the New Orleans Pelicans to the Grind House Wednesday night for the team’s first tilt of the season, an affair which they won by a score of 103-91. The Grizzlies struggled to defend in the game’s first quarter, but returned to their traditionally stifling roots the rest of the way.

It was clear that the preseason was over for players like Andrew Harrison and Jarell Martin, both of whom performed considerably less impressively in their first real NBA minutes of 2017-18. They did enough though, and the Grizzlies’ reliance on Mike Conley paid off, as it often does.

Conley led the way with 27 points, Marc Gasol chipped in 14 points, 11 boards and four assists, and rookie Dillon Brooks surprised off the bench with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

Memphis looked to be the better team by a considerable margin, the game’s first quarter notwithstanding. Add in a return visit from the Grind Father himself, and the fact that the Grizzlies were able to secure an early win against a team they may be competing with for a playoff spot, and it made for an enjoyable and encouraging opening night.

It wouldn’t be wise to put too much stock in just a single game, particularly given all the new faces in Memphis, but we can still acknowledge the most interesting aspects of what of what occurred. We’ve compiled the three most compelling takeaways from the first game of the year.