MEMPHIS – Media Day is quickly approaching for the Grizzlies, which means the start of training camp and the first set of preseason games are just days away.
They will soon put a relatively quiet offseason behind them and methodically go about the work of setting a new tone for the upcoming season. At least one thing’s clear: the Grizzlies don’t appear to be caught up in any outside noise.
And they shouldn’t be.
The 2025-26 season shouldn’t be defined by any narratives or expectations set by anyone other than the retooled team that gathers inside the locker room each night before hitting the court. The turbulent roller-coaster ride this team has been on the past four years must smoothen out.
The identity and ultimate direction of these Grizzlies will sort themselves out in short order. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant will lead the way for a team coming off a 48-win season that ended with a disappointing slide down the stretch and a first-round playoff sweep by the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Grizzlies have the continuity that Jackson and Morant bring as they embark on their seventh season together in Memphis. There’s also a rejuvenated vibe that comes with coach Tuomas Iisalo entering his first full season alongside rookie lottery pick Cedric Coward, and with second-year players Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey coming off NBA Rookie First Team campaigns.
The next step begins with a five-game preseason slate that opens at home Oct. 6 against the Pistons. The Grizzlies play their regular season and home opener Oct. 22 against the Pelicans at FedExForum. Putting the pieces together will be an intriguing process throughout the season.
The same will be the case for each team in the Grizzlies’ Southwest Division, where fascinating storylines also seem to be endless in Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio. Just take the demoralizing injury news for example from the Rockets, who reportedly may lose veteran starting point guard Fred VanVleet for the season with a torn ACL suffered this week.
With the opening of training camps now just days away, I’ve joined insiders and analysts covering the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Pelicans, Rockets and Spurs to preview the Southwest Division’s plight entering the season. Our six-part series concludes with our perspectives on where each team will end up by the end of the regular season.
Part 6: Bottom line: If you look into the crystal ball to April for your team, what are you seeing?
GRIZZLIES – MW, Grind City Media
I see a Memphis team that fights, scratches and claws its way to a No. 6 seed and avoids having to bother with the Play-In Tournament. I see a rebirth from Jaren Jackson Jr., who plays off the energy and fresh outlook that switching his jersey number from 13 to 8 should provide. I see a Grizzlies team improving month over month after a rugged start to the season until Jackson and Zach Edey are back in rhythm from offseason rehabs.
But more than anything, I see Ja Morant putting together the most durable and complete season of his six-year career after maturing from past challenges on and off the court. My eyes better not deceive me. Bottom line is this Grizzlies team is out of excuses. It’s put-up-or-shut-up time. The onus is clearly on the two anchors and a front-office that staked its salary cap, faith and reputation on this journey.
MAVERICKS – Eddie Sefko, Mavs.com
I’m seeing a fuzzy picture that suggests this season will require all six months to get Dallas to whatever destination it eventually reaches. And when it’s over, a 48-34 record will get the Mavericks into the playoffs.
After that, anything’s possible.
PELICANS – Jim Eichenhofer, Pelicans.com
No one should put much stock in my predictions, because I would’ve been completely wrong last season about how those Pelicans would do. The West is maybe as deep as it’s ever been and New Orleans has been ranked No. 14 in the conference this summer by the likes of NBA.com, ESPN.com, The Athletic, you name it – ahead of only rebuilding Utah.
I expect at minimum that New Orleans will prove there was far too much negativity about its outlook. The Pelicans will leapfrog several West teams, showing that the lack of player availability from last season was at least partly due to some atrocious injury luck. You can’t find anyone who is picking the Pelicans to be a top-10 team in the West. So, even qualifying for the play-in tournament would mean surpassing expectations – at least those from the outside.
ROCKETS – Danielle Lerner, Houston Chronicle
I’m seeing a team that survived some early season growing pains and, after winning around 55 games with Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün as its leading scorers, is heading into the postseason capable of winning multiple playoff series.
How many remains to be seen. (Note: Lerner’s prediction was shared prior to Monday’s reports that Fred VanVleet suffered a potential season-ending knee injury).
SPURS – Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News
The Spurs won 34 games last season, a 12-game improvement from the season before – and that was with Victor Wembanyama missing nearly half the season. With a healthy season from their most important player, the Spurs could make a similar improvement in the win-loss record.
Whether that is enough to propel Wembanyama to his first NBA postseason remains to be seen.