The Memphis Grizzlies will have a chance to tie their longest winning streak in franchise history when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Monday’s 30-point rout of the Phoenix Suns extended the Grizzlies’ streak to 10, and they are now one win away from tying the 11-game streak from the 2014-15 season with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, which was matched last season.
Over their last 10 games, the Grizzlies have been a juggernaut on both ends of the court, scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions to rank third in offensive rating while also boasting the best defense in the NBA , allowing only 106.5.
Meanwhile, the team the Grizzlies passed to grab the top spot in the defensive rankings was the Cavaliers, who still sit in second for the season.
Another key indicator for true contenders is net rating – which measures how much better a team’s offensive rating is compared to their defense – and both of these teams have excelled during the first half of the season. The Grizzlies are second overall with a 5.8 net rating, while the Cavaliers are third at 4.7.
Two very similar teams, the Cavaliers and Grizzlies use two defensive anchors in their starting lineups, veering away from the more prevalent “small ball” roster structures seen around the league.
For the Grizzlies, Steven Adams is arguably the strongest rebounder in the league, while Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the NBA in blocks per game with 3.3. On the Cavaliers side, All-Star Jarrett Allen and defensive prodigy Evan Mobley roam the interior.
While these teams are nearly identical defensively, how they attack offensively, especially through their star players, could decide their fate.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is, without a doubt, one of the best guards in league history when it comes to finishing at the rim. He’s averaging five steals per game within five feet of the basket — the only guard in the league to do so — while converting at an impressive 61 percent clip.
The problem with that is how well both of these teams defend the basket, as it begs the question of what happens when an unstoppable force — Morant — meets an immovable object — the rim protection of Allen and Mobley.
On the other hand, the combination of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers is much more malleable with how they create their offense.
Garland excels in the ‘floating range’ from five to nine yards out from the box, sitting 15th in the league with 1.3 assists per game at 50 percent efficiency, while Mitchell provides the long-range offense.
Mitchell is averaging 3.1 steals per game on deep threes (more than 25 feet), trailing only the Golden State Warriors’ Splash Brothers Stephen Curry (3.8) and Klay Thompson (3.2).
It should be a head-to-head clash between two of the league’s best defensive teams, both of which have all of their young stars healthy and ready to go as they look to strengthen their playoff positions.
MAJOR PERFORMANCES
Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen
It’s no secret that Morant is the driving force behind the Grizzlies’ success, and for him to dominate games, he needs to control the paint.
Allen is the Cavaliers’ primary rim protector and will be tasked with preventing Morant from producing more of his big finishes, and if he can turn Morant into a jump shooter for the night, Cleveland will consider it a massive win.
Memphis Grizzlies – Desmond Bane
Desmond Bane is the perfect counterbalance to Morant, providing the Grizzlies with a dynamic shooting threat that keeps the defense’s attention at all times.
Through three seasons, Bane owns a ridiculous career three-point percentage of 43.3. It’s not just a solid number, it’s the seventh-best career mark of all time and puts him at the absolute top of the league for pitchers in today’s game.
If he can hit a couple early and force the Cavaliers defense to take some of the attention away from Morant, Bane could open things up for the Grizzlies offense.
KEY BATTLE – Can the Cavaliers figure out how to win on the road?
Heading into this contest, both the Grizzlies (19-3) and Cavaliers (19-4) are tied for third in the NBA’s best home records.
The Grizzlies will have the honor of waiting this time, leaving the Cavs as underdogs as they try to figure out what’s behind their disappointing 9-13 record away from home this campaign.
HEAD FOR HEAD
This will be the first time this season that these two teams have met, although the Grizzlies have won each of the last three games.
The Cavaliers beat the Grizzlies once during Morant’s rookie season in 2019, but the former Rookie of the Year hasn’t lost to them since.
