The game that announced the Memphis Grizzlies' rise into the NBA stratosphere came against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-2022 season. Visiting the struggling Lakers, the Grizzlies came in, wrecked shop, and talked smack all game.
Since then, the Grizzlies have established themselves as one of the best teams in the West. They made it to the Western Conference semifinals last season and clinched the second seed in this postseason.
On the other hand, the Lakers looked to be spiraling. After trading valuable players for an ill-fitting star in Russell Westbrook and a spurt of injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers looked on the verge of a second straight postseason absence. But a fruitful trade deadline saved their season and allowed them to skirt into this postseason as the seventh seed.
Most compelling storyline
As mentioned, the Grizzlies started beef with the Lakers last year and have just continued to season that steak since. We got great games on the court and a lot of mind games off it like the Shannon Sharpe incident.
On the Grizzlies side, Ja Morant’s antics and legal drama have caused quite a stir throughout the season. From an alleged assault of a minor in the preseason to his Colorado strip club IG Live, it was a tidal wave of distractions coming from Morant. Still, the Grizzlies were able to persevere and, despite not having Morant for three weeks, kept their place on top of the West.
And they get rewarded with a matchup against the Lakers. It’s no hyperbole to say that the Lakers front office saved their season at the trade deadline. They swapped Westbrook and first round pick for young players who can shoot and defend. They were 17-9 after the deadline, the second-best record in the league during that stretch.
This series is definitely going to feature plenty of jawing and antics. But the two main prevailing questions are going to be: Can Ja Morant be a leader? And did the Lakers do enough to bring them success in the postseason?
X-factors
You’re going to hear a lot about Xavier Tillman in this series. The 2020 second round pick has stepped into a bigger role since the Grizzlies front court absorbed injuries to Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.
A burly six-foot-eight big man, Tillman was a serviceable bench piece that played great defense and kept the offense flowing in the 12 to 15 minutes he played a game. Since the injuries to Adams and Clarke, he’s started several games and has been a constant in Memphis’ closing lineups.
Aside from Tillman, Memphis has Defensive Player of the Year finalist Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Kenny Lofton as their bigs. JJJ can probably hold his own against Anthony Davis, but he’s foul-prone, leading the league in fouls per game at around five. Memphis is going to need Tillman to be solid on the boards and in stopping Los Angeles’ drives.
For the Lakers, they need scoring from their guards. D’Angelo Russell gets to right his ship in the postseason, where his stats have plummeted compared to the regular season. He was atrocious from the field in the play-in against Minnesota.
If the Lakers can't get much from Russell, they need Dennis Schröeder to muster some big performances. He’s had his ups and downs this season, but his highs have been magnificent and have come at a time when the Lakers truly needed him to be great.
Winning blueprint
The Lakers need to take advantage of the Grizzlies’ thin frontline by slowing the game down and forcing action in the paint. This has been how the Lakers have gone about their business throughout the season, leading the league in free throw disparity and sixth in points in the paint. If they can consistently get JJJ in foul trouble through Anthony Davis touches or LeBron James drives, the Grizzlies won’t have much to resist their assault.
Memphis, in turn, has to speed the game up. The Lakers may have gotten younger, but their star is old. LeBron James looked gassed at the end of their play-in game against Memphis and he’s also playing through a foot injury. A constant, up-and-down shootout greatly favors Memphis with guys like Morant, Desmond Bane, and Dillon Brooks pushing the pace.
