Memphis is 4-0, third in the conference and 2.5 games clear of 11th after grinding out a 110-105 win in Utah. The numbers say this team defends and has scorers, but four games prove only so much.
Is the defense really this good?
Memphis is allowing 105.9 points per 100 possessions and outscoring opponents by 9.7 per 100. That is the edge this franchise was built on, and it comes right after a season with the 27th-ranked defense. What it does not prove: two of the four wins came against a Utah team that is 1-3, and the Jazz still put 31 on them in Monday's second quarter.
Can Ty Jerome keep scoring 29.8 a night?
Jerome is averaging 29.8 points and 6.5 assists on 37.0 percent from three, and Action News 5 reported he was named Western Conference Player of the Week. Monday showed the other side: 4-of-15 shooting. He still found 15 points, going 6-of-7 from the stripe, and scored 8 in the fourth. The average proves he can carry this team. It does not prove he can do it all winter.
Is Cedric Coward's 72.7 percent from three for real?
Coward is shooting 72.7 percent from deep across three games, and he went 4-of-4 in Utah on the way to 16 points and 11 rebounds, plus-8 in 32 minutes. He was listed out with a left wrist issue on October 23 and has since been cleared. That percentage will come down. What should stay is a 23-year-old guard pulling 9.7 rebounds a game.
How much is the bench giving?
Forty-eight of the 110 points in Utah came off the bench. Jerami Grant had 13 on 3-of-4 from three and finished plus-12 over 24 minutes. Quinten Post scored 12 on 5-of-6 shooting in 12 minutes, plus-10. Cam Spencer added 8 points and 5 assists. Cameron Boozer and Jaylen Wells both finished minus-9, so one night of bench numbers says more about matchups than about who should start.
What does $161.1M in payroll mean for a trade?
Memphis is under the cap at $161.1M, about $39M below the $200.4M tax line. Grant's $34.2M is the biggest contract, then Isaiah Stewart at $15.0M and Boozer at $11.8M. That leaves room to deal, and Jake Fischer has reported Memphis among teams exploring trades, though he named no player. Seconds owed to Charlotte and Brooklyn, plus swaps in 2029 and 2030, limit what the front office can offer.
Who leads the Grizzlies in scoring this season?
Ty Jerome, at 29.8 points per game through four games, with 6.5 assists.
When do the Grizzlies play next?
Memphis plays at Portland on Thursday, October 29, then hosts Sacramento on October 31.
