After a lackluster campaign that saw them win a mere 27 games and finish on the outside looking in on a playoff spot for the first time in four years, the Memphis Grizzlies are champing at the bit as they wait to kick off what is presumed to be a redemption season of sorts in 2024-25.
Per recent reports, the NBA will release its schedule for the upcoming campaign this Thursday and, in turn, will provide Grind City nation a glimpse at what kind of foes await their beloved team.
Considering just how bad things were in 2023-24, the franchise’s faithful followers are likely hoping for this coming season to start with an absolute bang.
Be it in the form of highlight-reel dunks or heated, hard-fought exchanges with opposing players, after what they went through with the bevy of core player absences and a record-setting number of injuries, Grizzlies fans deserve to feel a sense of excitement early on in the new year.
Hopefully, they come across such emotions as soon as opening night, and there are a few teams, in particular, that we’d love to see them square off against right from the jump.
Opening night matchups Memphis Grizzlies fans would love to see
Golden State Warriors
Starting off a season filled with new hope against an old foe could be a great way to get things going, and the Golden State Warriors just may be the perfect team to get 2024-25 kicked off.
A rivalry that started to catch serious steam during their 2022 second-round playoff bout, over the years since the two clubs have found themselves taking part in quite a number of intense and high-energy face-offs.
Even last season during Memphis’ lackluster campaign, things proved to be quite entertaining in each of their outings against one another, with GG Jackson leading the charge (dropped 23 in their January 15 game) toward a surprise win in one and bench-clearing scrums in another.
BENCHES CLEAR AFTER DRAYMOND AND SANTI ALDAMA GET INTO IT 👀 pic.twitter.com/FRS2atUiIJ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 21, 2024
A matchup between the Grizzlies and Warriors has become must-see TV, and having the two square off on opening night could be a great way to grab the attention of fans early on into their comeback season.
OKC Thunder
Before last season, the Grizzlies were tabbed as the highly talented, up-and-coming team who had the flair, flavor, and captivating star power that convinced everyone that they were the main threat to become the future juggernaut out in the West standings.
Due to injuries and off-court issues, however, it appears Memphis has fallen by the wayside in regard to being seen in such a light, and essentially taking their place when it comes to holding this promising status is the OKC Thunder.
Spearheaded by the likes of superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while accompanied by several other budding stars in Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and a plethora of quality role players, Oklahoma City finds itself fresh off a 57-win season and their first semifinal appearance in nearly a decade.
Now, coming into this new year, the Thunder are sporting one of the best odds of vying for the Western Conference crown, similar to how this Grizzlies team was last they were coming into a season healthy and fully intact.
A matchup such as this could provide Memphis with a specific kind of drive to remind not only OKC but the league as a whole that they were here first and that, now presumably injury-free, they can get back to the 2022-23 version of themselves that won 51 games and clinched the second seed along with their second-straight Southwest Division Championship.
Washington Wizards
While a matchup with the Washington Wizards may not generate as much excitement or intrigue among prospective viewers as the other two clubs mentioned on this list would, it could, in theory, prove to be one of the more beneficial ways for the Grizzlies to kick off their restart season.
Losing, losing, losing… and more losing.
That’s what Memphis endured during a 2023-24 season that, coming in, actually held some serious promise following their busy summer filled with free-agency signings and splashy trade acquisitions.
Through 82 games played, they dropped 55 of them, saw losing streaks of five or more on five separate occasions, and even witnessed one stretch that ballooned to a whopping nine losses in a row.
Simply put, the Grizzlies and their fanbase need a big win in a big way, and who could give them better odds of seeing such a turnout take place than a Wizards team that won a league-worst 14 games last year and did nothing all that noteworthy this offseason other than offload their best player in Deni Avidja via trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Following a year where a majority of Memphis’ core players took chomps from the injury bug, having guys like Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart enter into the shallow end may be the best course of action heading into 2024-25.
On top of that, it also could help rookies such as Zach Edey get up to snuff when it comes to the professional pace of play.
