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The Memphis Grizzlies, led by Ja Morant, put on a show in their home opener

The Memphis Grizzlies, led by Ja Morant, put on a show in their home opener
Posted on | Posted on angela

The Memphis Grizzlies stepped out in retro-style white Vancouver jerseys Saturday night to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary. As it turns out, Vancouver wasn't the only throwback honored at FedExForum.

Ja Morant spun in the air and caught alley-ups. Memphis blocked balls and intercepted passes. Even two-way center Jay Huff threw down several reverse dunks in the Grizzlies' 124-111 win over the Orlando Magic.

These weren't the 27-55 Grizzlies of last season. This was the other setback – a reminder of the outstanding teams that struck fear into NBA opponents two and three seasons ago.

“Before I came here, everyone in the league knew that the Grizzlies played fast and explosive and that if you weren't careful, they would outplay you – on their own court or on their home court,” said guard Marcus Smart. “Being on the other side to be with them is a great feeling.”

Balanced attack

Solid basketball games set the tone for the highlights to emerge. Defensively, the Grizzlies tried to match the pace they wanted on offense. This pace led to several players getting involved.

The Grizzlies finished the game with 38 assists, their most since April 2023. At the end of the third quarter, five players were tied for a team-high 11 points.

“I liked the balanced attack best,” guard Desmond Bane said. “We wanted to make sure we included everyone tonight.”

Bane said that after Friday's loss to the Houston Rockets, he and Morant talked about adding more teammates to the plans. Against Houston, they felt like they relied too much on isolated points. Against the Magic, 11 Grizzlies players scored field goals.

Welcome back, Jaren Jackson Jr.

For the first time this season, the Grizzlies had their three core players together. Bane and Morant were joined by Jaren Jackson Jr., who was sidelined with a hamstring injury. The “Block Panther” was unable to record a block in its first game back, but its impact was felt on both sides. In 23 minutes, he reached a team-high plus-26 and finished the game with 13 points and four rebounds.

Jackson's availability made rotation decisions and depth easier, but seeing the 6-foot-2 forward back on the floor with Morant and Bane stood out. The trio played just nine games together last season after previously emerging as one of the NBA's most exciting young cores.

“It's huge for me to be out there with them,” Jackson said. “It brings back a lot of memories of all the years I played with them.”

The unsung heroes

Memphis is currently shorthanded. Luke Kennard, one of the best shooters in the league, is missing from the bench; GG Jackson, 2023-24 second-team All-Rookie member; and breakout two-way guard Vince Williams Jr.

But somehow the Grizzlies carry on. Huff had another strong performance and Santi Aldama scored 22 points, the second time in three games that he led the team in scoring.

Scotty Pippen Jr. finished with 11 points and 12 assists, further solidifying his role as the backup point guard.

Just like the two Memphis teams that secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference before last season, the players are ready to rise to the occasion when their names are called. The Grizzlies have shown solid strength through three games, but the rich are getting richer, according to Bane.

“We’re not close to getting the band back together,” he said. “ . . . We still have some hitters on the way.”

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

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