Memphis ranked 27th on defense during a 25-57 season last year. Through seven games this season its defensive rating is 107.1, and that sits under a 6-1 start.
Is this defense a return to Grit and Grind?
It is a start, and seven games is a short run. The Grit and Grind teams of Gasol, Randolph, Conley and Allen won on defense and paint scoring, and the 2012-13 team went 56-26 with Gasol as Defensive Player of the Year. This team's 107.1 defensive rating is a big jump from last season's 27th-ranked unit, and a 119.6 offensive rating backs it up.
Who is doing the dirty work inside?
Cameron Boozer gives 17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in 32.1 minutes, and Zach Edey adds 7.3 rebounds in 20.0. Isaiah Stewart scores 12.8 in 19.7 minutes. Cedric Coward grabs 8.7 rebounds as a guard. That is a rotation built on size and effort, with Ty Jerome's 28.2 points over six games supplying the shot-making.
Did the Pelicans loss expose the defense?
It dented the story without ending it. Memphis lost 134-135 in overtime to New Orleans on Nov. 2, so it gave up 135 in a one-point game. Still, 6-1 with a 12.5 net rating holds up over seven games. The real question is whether the stops come late, when the Grizzlies need one.
What does Indiana bring to FedExForum tonight?
A hurt team on a slide. The Pacers are 2-6 and have lost five straight, with a 113.5 defensive rating and a 110.1 offensive rating. Tyrese Haliburton, Ivica Zubac and Obi Toppin are out, and Kelly Oubre Jr. carries a knee listing. Pascal Siakam still averages 21.4 points, so the Grizzlies have to guard him.
Does Nov. 4 history tell us anything?
Not much. In the games on file for this date, Memphis lost in 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2016, and won 94-85 at Orlando in 2005 and 130-99 over Charlotte in 2022. A better guide is 2010-11, when the eighth-seeded Grizzlies beat top-seeded San Antonio 4-2. Identity carries a team further than the calendar does.
Who do the Grizzlies play on November 4?
Memphis hosts the Indiana Pacers, who are 2-6 and have lost five straight.
How good is the Grizzlies' defense this season?
Through seven games Memphis has a 107.1 defensive rating, after a 27th-ranked defense last season.
