Game Preview: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat

When: Wednesday, November 8th, 7:00 PM CST

Where: FedexForum, Memphis, Tennessee

How to Watch/Stream: Bally Sports Southeast

For a moment, It felt like Elvis might arise from his Graceland grave before the Memphis Grizzlies could secure their first win of the season. But alas, the Grizzlies got their first win up on the board last Sunday in their second consecutive road matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. With that, they froze a six-game losing steak right in its tracks and revived a once lugubrious-looking season.

Now, it’s time to build upon that red-hot momentum and head back home to face the Miami Heat, the defending Eastern Conference champions. Currently sitting at 3-4, the Miami Heat, akin to the Beale Street Bears, are underperforming relative to expectations. But, the Heat have started to turn the hands of fate themselves; they have won their past two games and will be looking to hit the .500 mark when they venture into the Bluff City. Needless to say, the Grizzlies will need to play a much cleaner and well-rounded game than they have these past few weeks if they wish to embark upon a winning streak, as Miami will certainly not make it easy on them. 

Let’s dive into what to look for: 

Can a Bench Bereft of Bodies Keep It Going?

Sunday’s win against Portland was undoubtedly the best Grizzlies’ bench performance. They outscored the Blazers’ reserves 25-6 in the first half and finished with 31 points and 10 assists as a unit. It was the first game of the season in which a bench player even scored double digits thus far in the season thanks to a hot three-point shooting night from Luke Kennard (4/6). However, this comes with its share of challenges – the Grizzlies have a confirmed 8 players out on the status report, most likely 9 with John Konchar receiving a “Doubtful” designation due to a left hip strain. There will only be 10 possible players available to dress for the Grizzlies including two-way contract point guard Jacob Gilyard. Now more than ever, depth will be tested, and the Grizzlies will need a nearly flawless performance all around, but especially from the reserve unit. 

Can the Bismack Biyombo Keep Ballin? 

It was a stellar outing for Bismack Biyombo in his Beale Street Bears debut. Having just been on his couch a few days prior to his official call-up mid-last week, The Congolese big man came out and delivered a performance you could call Steven Adams “lite,” finishing with 8 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks and 61% from the field. He was precisely everything the Grizzlies had been sorely lacking in bunches from their dwindled frontcourt rotation thus far – a strong hustler with a nose for protecting the rim and hustling for boards. With Xavier Tillman out for the second consecutive game due to knee soreness, Biyombo will get another opportunity to start at the center position and perhaps cement the job, or at least make it very tough for the coaching staff to keep him out of it. He will be tested in a big way though, as he will likely draw the primary matchup against the two-way monster of Bam Adebayo. It’s something to monitor as Biyombo found himself in foul trouble in his debut with five personal fouls, although he was able to finish the game without fouling out. No disrespect to DeAndre Ayton, but Bam Adebayo is in a different stratosphere in terms of basketball ability. The big guy will have his hands full, but with that comes a chance for him to deliver in a big way. 

Can the Bane Train and the Jackson Jr Jet Keep Coming Ahead of Schedule? 

A lot has been said about how the bench has not shown up as of late, but not enough has been said about how franchise cornerstones Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane have stepped up their respective games in the absence of Ja Morant. Bane is on an All-Star trajectory with averages of 26.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, whereas Jaren Jackson Jr is looking to get back to the game with averages of 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, all of which are career highs. Memphis will be facing a multitude of scoring options against the Heat with the likes of Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, and Triple J and the Fly-By King will most certainly be penciled in on Miami’s defensive game plan. The Grizzlies should expect to see a lot more man-to-man coverage than usual in an attempt to counteract the two young stars.

It’s been said that when there’s a will, there’s a way. With a tested squad, the Grizzlies will need to come out swinging in order to secure their second win of the season and keep things rolling. Let’s see what that will is made of under the bright lights of Beale.