Ranking the 2022 NBA Christmas games by intrigue
NBA Christmas Game 1. Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors, 8:00 PM ET
For some reason, this game feels like it could signal the passing of the torch from one of the greatest dynasties in sports history to a franchise that could become the next big thing in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors, of course, are the defending champions. The core is back in place for yet another run this season, where the Warriors will be hunting for its fifth championship in nine years. It will be intriguing to see how Steve Kerr deploys his best players after the injuries issues that have faced Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in the last year.
There’s frankly never a time when watching the Splash Brothers hoop is not intriguing. There’s only so much longer this can go on, even if they’re loath to admit it. That’s reason enough to tune in. Golden State isn’t a relic yet, but the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the teams nipping at their toes. With a core built around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies are becoming a serious factor in the Western Conference.
Memphis actually finished ahead of Golden State in the standings last year. They won the Southwest Division for the first time and won their first playoff series in seven years.
The Grizzlies met their end last season at the hands of the Warriors in a series that may have been the most entertaining of the postseason. Both teams play entertaining brands of basketball, but there were also a lot of chippy moments and physicality to the series. It had the feel of a developing rivalry as Morant tries to usurp Curry on the point guard pedestal.
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Morant has already been chirping at Green on social media about the upcoming Christmas clash. The hype for this game should only grow as the holidays draw near.