A Closer Look at the 2023-2024 Grizzlies Schedule

While all is mostly quiet on the NBA front for now, Thursday brought some excitement as the league released the 2023-2024 schedule for all 30 NBA teams. And for the Memphis Grizzlies, the start of their schedule was of particular interest due to the absence of Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season.

Twitter (excuse me, now X!) and other social media platforms were abuzz with plenty of reaction and takeaways from the schedule release. For the Grizzlies specifically, the annual schedule breakdown from sideline host Rob Fischer and the @bcmgrizzlies social media accounts provided instant and in-depth looks at some of the biggest parts of the Grizzlies schedule.

Without a doubt, plenty of exciting dates are on the schedule. New and old Grizzlies will be experiencing their returns to Memphis (Dillon Brooks, Tyus Jones) and others will return to their former homes as Grizzlies (Marcus Smart). And of course, for the Grizzlies roster, the tentative return of Ja Morant will likely occur right before Christmas.

But beyond moments of nostalgia and excitement that are a part of the the schedule release every year, there are also potential stretches of struggles and successes. And for the Grizzlies this upcoming season, the challenges will emerge quickly.

To start the season, 22 of the Grizzlies first 25 games will come against Western Conference opponents. That is a big chunk of the Grizzlies slate of games against teams in their own conference without Morant. While early season games may at times not seem as important as late season contests, this part of the schedule will certainly have a big impact on the Grizzlies potential playoff seedings and division title chances.

For instance, the Grizzlies play their division opponents a total of 16 times each season. By the time Morant returns, the Grizzlies will have played Dallas three times, Houston three times, New Orleans twice (Morant eligible to return the second contest against the Pelicans), and San Antonio once. That is more than half of their games against division opponents during the 2023-2024 season. Without a doubt, the need for the Grizzlies to get off to a good start is a bit more important than it has been over the past two years. Depending on their start to the season, the Grizzlies could be on the fast track to success or find themselves in a hole when it comes to playoff seeding tie-breakers and the division race by the time Morant returns.

The story of the success for the Grizzlies over the past few seasons has been navigating an up-and-down first few months and then really taking off in December to finish near the top of the Western Conference. And with Morant expected to return some time around Christmas, that could be the case again. However, the December schedule for the Grizzlies is quite tough this year. Of the Grizzlies 13 scheduled games that month, nine will be against likely playoff contenders and nine will be on the road. This is on top of how the Grizzlies will be impacted by the to-be-determined details of the inaugural in-season tournament.

Beyond December, the other tough parts of the schedule in terms of frequently being on the road will be early November (two trips out West), late January (five of six games on road against Eastern Conference teams), and late March into early April. The stretch in late March particularly stands out (seven of eight games on the road) as the Grizzlies could be in the middle of a tight playoff race. Each of these parts of the schedule shine a spotlight on the importance of the need for Memphis to improve their performance on the road this year compared to last season, as getting big wins away from the Bluff City can certainly make things a bit easier as the season progresses.

Fortunately, the tough stretch of the schedule in March is sandwiched between two parts of the schedule that are bit more positive. Memphis should enjoy a bit of a recharge in February. Seven of the Grizzlies final ten games of the first half of the season will be at home. In total, eight of the twelve Grizz games in February will be at home, plus the All-Star Break. This could be an ideal time for the Grizzlies to have one of their longer stretches of winning during the season. Furthermore, Memphis will end the year with five of their last six games at home. With the last two games of the season being against last year’s Western Conference Finals participants in the Lakers and Nuggets, it will be a big benefit to have them take place in Memphis.

Beyond when Memphis will be at home or on the road, a few other parts of the schedule stand out in terms of quality of opponents. The early part of December, the start of February (right before the All-Star Break), and the beginning of March are multiple-week parts of the schedule where Memphis will be facing many opponents they should be favored against. This again points to the importance of Memphis ending the first half of the season and starting the second half of the season in good form. If the Grizzlies can win at a high rate during these parts of the schedule, it could put them in a favorable position for the home stretch of the season.

On the other hand, the toughest part of the Grizzlies schedule could be right after Ja Morant returns. Not only will Memphis be on the road during Christmas, but they also will face many potential playoff and title contenders between the middle of December through the middle of January. This includes games against the Nuggets, Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Clippers (2X), Mavericks, Pelicans (2X), Knicks, Timberwolves, and Kings over a 17-game stretch. An effective return for Morant and good health for the Grizzlies will be critical heading into the New Year.

Overall, the schedule seems pretty fair for Memphis, with plenty of rest built-in and only one trip out to the west coast after the middle of January. Memphis has shown it can successfully navigate the regular season, even with long stretches of winning while being without its best talents. This year, the big key is getting off to a good start, remaining healthy, and staying focused on the task at hand on the court.