Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction: Grizzlies have a lot of firepower

The NBA Regular Season is on and what a promising start to the season this has been. We have seen some teams start with a bang that was expected to struggle and that is why we are blessed with a fascinating start. The components of high-octane defense can be seen by a few squads but we are yet to see the NBA get to the last season’s level. And how will it be when the Utah Jazz takes on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jazz has a solid start to the season with four wins and two losses. However, they suffered a setback against the Denver Nuggets, losing 101:117 despite a 17 points outing by Lauri Markkanen. They were struggling from the beginning and the Nuggets took a 63:50 lead into halftime in a game where their bench uncharacteristically turned the tables on a deep Jazz bench. Jazz has now won one and lost one against the Nuggets.

One big reason for the loss was Jordan Clarkson’s horrendous shooting night as he made just 10% of his shots. Apart from that, he has been his usual life, dominating the scoring in various ways. Mike Conley has led the playmaking front and the guard depth is admirable. Jarred Vanderbilt has given hustle but undoubtedly, their best bet on offense has been Lauri Markkanen. The trouble is that the Jazz doesn’t seem to have the star power to post a similar record as of now.

The Grizzlies continue to intimidate opponents by using their incredible guard duo of Bane and Morant where Morant deals most of the damage. They have again proven to be a strong team, winning four out of their five games, and in the last game, they dealt a 125:110 blow to the Sacramento Kings as Desmond Bane inserted 31 points. Dillon Brooks has struggled to shoot the ball but the overall complexion has paved the way to accommodate his struggles.

The Grizzlies look primed for another 65%+ win season and despite missing Jaren Jackson, they can turn the tables through their high-octane offense propelled by a driving guard in Ja Morant and a shooting threat in Desmond Bane. Steven Adams continued to pull down boards and also set hard screens while providing inside scoring and playmaking. Santi Aldama has fit in well as a starting Power Forward whereas Brandon Clarke, Jake LaVaria, and Tyus Jones make for a strong bench.

• Grizzlies: OUT: Jaren Jackson, Danny Green, and Ziarie Williams. QUESTIONABLE: John Konchar;
• Jazz: OUT: Simone Fontecchio, Rudy Gay.

The Grizzlies come with an obvious edge here and the Jazz can be buried while guarding the combo of Morant and Bane. The Jazz has been playing well but their defense can get exposed by well-oiled units like Memphis that can be effective both from outside and inside. The Grizzlies are the type of team that can give even elite defenses trouble and the Jazz’s defense is mostly “average”.

However, playing at home, the Jazz’s confidence will be up but the Grizzlies have proven to be a strong away team. Morant is in great touch and I think the Jazz’s perimeter defense will be exposed against him and Bane both, as these two can complement each other’s game well against a so-so defense. That is why I believe the Grizzlies will snag a win here but I think this can down the wire. This will be a back-to-back game for the Jazz so they can struggle finding their legs deep in the game. I see a high-scoring affair with points range in the excess of 230.