Despite winning 48 games in a competitive Western Conference last season, the Memphis Grizzlies earned the 8th seed and could not avoid being in the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament. They lost a heartbreaker to the Golden State Warriors in their first play-in game before beating the Dallas Mavericks at home days later. Ultimately, they were swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
To start the offseason, the Grizzlies made the difficult decision to trade Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. This sparked significant retooling efforts to build a more balanced team around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., while gaining more flexibility for the 2026 offseason.
It remains to be seen the impact new players such as Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Cedric Coward will make; however, there are reasons to expect improvement. With the increased competition in the Western Conference, multiple things still must go right for the Grizzlies, but there are three things the Grizzlies can do to guarantee themselves a top-six seed.
1. The Grizzlies need to improve against teams above .500
Last season, the Grizzlies went a very impressive 34-9 against teams below .500, with the Thunder being the only Western Conference team to win more games against sub-.500 teams. Unfortunately, the Memphis Grizzlies went 14-25 against teams above .500, which was the second worst of the top 10 seeds in the Western Conference.
This stat provides an immediate area of improvement for the Grizzlies heading into the season. With a new-look roster, it should not be expected for the Grizzlies to immediately beat the best teams in both conferences. However, if they can win at least four or five more games against teams above .500, the Grizzlies can easily avoid the Play-In Tournament.
2. The Grizzlies must stay healthy throughout the season
Last season, the Grizzlies had 20 players deal with injuries, which resulted in 341 total missed games as a team, some of the highest numbers in the league. It will be important for the Grizzlies to get Jackson Jr. and Edey back as soon as possible and for the team to remain healthy during the regular season. Building chemistry early and learning Tuomas Iisalo's system sooner is a major priority for the Grizzlies.
This season, Ja Morant only played 50 of the 82 regular season games. It is difficult for any team to overcome their #1 option missing almost 40% of the regular season. The Grizzlies must have Morant healthy for 65+ games to win more games, which would also make Morant eligible for NBA awards. With Morant healthy, the Grizzlies have proven to be a very difficult team to beat in recent years.
3. Jaylen Wells must make a significant leap as a starter
Jaylen Wells is coming off an impressive rookie year that saw him finish third in the NBA Rookie of the Year race. Even as a rookie, Jaylen Wells has already proven to be a disruptive defender, but there is still room for growth offensively. Keys to unlocking his offensive game include being a more consistent shooter later into the season and continuing to improve his shot creation off the dribble.
Following the Bane trade, the Grizzlies will look to replace Desmond Bane's scoring through multiple players, but they will likely need Wells to average at least 13 to 14 points per game while continuing to guard some of the best scorers in the NBA. If Jaylen Wells can make a sophomore leap, the Grizzlies should improve a lot defensively and continue having a dangerous high-pace offense.