Memphis Grizzlies to learn NBA schedule. What it means for Ja Morant, national TV opportunities

Posted by Admin August 12, 2024 NBA

The quiet summer days will soon briefly ramp back up in the NBA world.

Not because the season is close. There’s still two months to go before the first regular season game.

The NBA’s schedule is expected to be released this week. For the Memphis Grizzlies, it will map out a plan for redemption after failing to reach the postseason for the first time under coach Taylor Jenkins last season.

Ja Morant is fully cleared, Desmond Bane is healthy and Grizzlies fans are enamored with the early results from rookie first-round draft pick Zach Edey. This could be a season where Memphis re-establishes itself as a Western Conference contender.

How the schedule shakes out will be the first important step in projecting that journey.

Tone-setting early slate?

Memphis has gotten off to its share of slow starts under Jenkins, but the 2024-25 season has to be different. The Grizzlies must set the tone and put the league on notice.

It’s just not about a favorable schedule. Memphis will need to throw the first punch against other powerhouses in the West. The Oklahoma City Thunder are now the league’s young darlings like the Grizzlies once were. The division rival Dallas Mavericks just went to the NBA Finals after appearing to be on a similar timeline as Memphis. Winning early matchups against those opponents will be eye-opening.

National primetime for Grizzlies?

The Grizzlies were big national TV winners in each of the last two schedule releases. Memphis was in the top 10 of national games two seasons ago. Memphis was essentially shut out of national games while Morant served a 25-game suspension last season, but the Grizzlies were among the team’s with the most big games after the star point guard’s return. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Morant injured his shoulder was lost for the rest of the season and the team struggled, resulting in several of those games being flexed.

Will the league put a healthy Memphis back in primetime? The answer to that question could be set the theme for the season. Remember, during the 56-win 2022-23 season, Memphis players constantly reminded the league that they were underdogs because of their lack of nationally televised appearances.

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NBA in-season tournament Cup draw

When the league released the groups for the in-season tournament Emirates NBA Cup games, the Grizzlies’ group is widely considered the strongest. The group has the last three teams to win the West, plus the surging New Orleans Pelicans and Grizzlies. A group like that will be tightly contested and can come down to which teams have favorable matchups. The Denver Nuggets, for example, have been one of the NBA’s best home teams the past two seasons. Drawing that matchup inside FedExForum would be advantageous for the Grizzlies.

Return of familiar faces

There wasn’t much roster turnover this offseason in Memphis, but playing against former teammates will still be meaningful games. Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has already returned to Memphis, but he hasn’t played against Morant yet. Steven Adams is also playing for the Rockets and would play the Grizzlies for the fist time since being traded away.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.