Memphis Grizzlies: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener
1. Temper all expectations
The Western Conference is loaded with roughly 11 teams that have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. While the Grizzlies are certainly one of those teams, opening night showed flaws that need to be fixed moving forward to make the playoffs. Teams with elite defenses that struggled on offense have made the playoffs many times in the past, but the team showed it might have some work to do on both ends.
Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. was the absolute correct pick for them on draft night, but he showed that his performance during Summer League was 100 percent indicative of what he can do this year. Rookies take time to develop and adapt to the NBA level of play, and Jackson will be no different. While he did play 25 minutes to start the season, he wasn’t overly effective while doing so. His plus/minus on the night was -21, which was the second-worst mark on the team.
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This team can make some noise because it is always fundamentally sound. Memphis’ main enemy has always been its ability to stay healthy. If Parsons, Conley and Gasol are able to stay on the court and play up to expectations, this team could finish with the 7- or 8-seed. However, it’s likely the Grizzlies underachieve in their first full season under Bickerstaff and finish ninth or 10th in the conference.