Good morning. Let’s basketball.

Vanitas; Pieter Claesz; 1630

It actually hasn’t been that long since the Memphis Grizzlies last lost five straight games.

Last January, Memphis had a five-game losing streak. When it began, the Grizzlies were 31-13, still in a close battle with the Nuggets for the No. 1 seed in the West at the halfway mark. By the time the streak was over, Denver had established itself as the clear frontrunner in the conference.

That streak began auspiciously: with large human and Lakers booster Shannon Sharpe getting into a verbal altercation with Dillon Brooks, Ja Morant’s dad and the broader Grizzlies ecosystem.

However, it should be noted that the Grizzlies’ January 2023 losing streak came in games entirely on the road against teams that would eventually make the playoffs. In three of the games, Memphis couldn’t score. In the other two games, Memphis couldn’t stop powerful opposing offenses.

The context for this new 5-game losing streak to open the 2023-24 season is totally different. Three of the losses have been at home. The two road losses are against teams that didn’t make the playoffs last season and expect to be among the lottery teams again this season. In fact, four of the five teams that have beaten the Grizzlies this season didn’t make the playoffs last season. There’s no silver lining on paper here: Memphis is losing every game, usually against teams a contender should beat.

There’s more context, of course: Ja Morant is suspended for 20 more games, Morant’s trusted back-up was moved in a trade to get a replacement for Dillon Brooks, both of the team’s high-impact centers are out for months at minimum with injuries and the Grizzlies’ once heralded depth is all but dried up.

The offense is the clear and expected problem here. I’m not sure anyone thought it would be this much of a problem. Memphis has the worst offense in the league eight days in: worse than the Blazers, the Rockets, the Magic, the Spurs.

Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart have actually been relatively efficient shooting the ball despite far bigger roles than they are suited for. Everything else on offense has been an unmitigated disaster. Grizzlies other than Bane and Smart are 40/130 from three on the season (30.7%). Only two players (Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.) have more than 11 free throws for the season. In other words, only Bane, JJJ and Smart are drawing the equivalent of more than one shooting foul per game. (Smart is at 2.2 FTAs per game.) There are no easy points for the taking.

Memphis is bottom-5 in assist-to-turnover ratio, speaking both to a collective inability to make plays for each other and a high propensity to cough up the ball. You can’t shoot this bad and give the ball away at high rates and survive. If you do, it’s because you’re controlling the offensive glass. But the Grizzlies, without all-timer o-boarder Adams, aren’t doing that either: they sit No. 21 in offensive rebound rate after finishing sixth last season.

Xavier Tillman has started all five games in Adams’ absence. He is shooting 37% from the floor. He is a center.

Ziaire Williams has been put in the difficult position of starting at small forward. He is doing basically nothing on offense but turning the ball over. He’s not shooting much. He has six assists in 144 minutes (and more turnovers than assists). He’s rebounding well, and what I’ve seen of the defense has been fine. It’s not enough, through little fault of his own.

David Roddy is the most used reserve so far. He’s played about as well as you can expect David Roddy to play in these conditions. His usage rate is 14% and the team is -12 per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.

Luke Kennard is 1/14 from the floor in two games. Thirteen of those attempts and all of those that makes make were three-pointers.

Derrick Rose is shooting 32% from the floor. Jake LaRavia has been better: he’s shooting 35% from the floor.

John Konchar played 7:31 in the first half on Wednesday against the Jazz as Taylor Jenkins searched for offensive help. Here was John Konchar’s offensive production in those 7 minutes and 31 seconds: 1 offensive rebound and 1 assist.

In Wednesday’s loss to the Jazz, the following players received first-half minutes:

• Jacob Gilyard

• Kenneth Lofton Jr.

• Vince Williams Jr.

The Grizzlies will not have Steven Adams all season. They will not have Brandon Clarke until at least the spring. And they have 20 more games without Ja Morant.

I suspect some of the bench players will shoot better. Kennard, certainly, will not hit just one out of every dozen threes. Williams and Tillman might start doing … something when Memphis has the ball.

But the warning alarms are buzzing deafeningly loud about the Grizzlies offense. And the standings do not care that Memphis won 56 games two years ago and 51 last year. The standings do not care that the prediction models had Memphis near the top of the West again this season despite Morant’s suspension. The standings do not care that this team has been snakebitten early on, suffering both bad injury luck and self-inflicted venom.

We said all summer how brutal this Western Conference would be, how unforgiving the seedings and play-in slots could get. Someone had to feel that pain. Why not the Grizzlies?

Refer a friend

Scores

Bucks 111, Raptors 130 | Full game highlights
Toronto came out of the gate like they were getting shot into the sun if they lost. The defense absolutely frazzled the Bucks, and the Bucks’ defense — a legitimate concern early this season, and not surprisingly so after swapping top-tier defender Jrue Holiday for … less-respected defender Damian Lillard — was absolutely frazzled.

The Raptors starting lineup went 40/59 from the floor. Their effective field goal percentage was 78%. And that’s maybe the best defensive starting lineup in the league.

Blazers 110, Pistons 101 | Full game highlights
Detroit should win games like this if they are going to climb out of the basement this season, but they were missing Jalen Duren and Alec Burks. But then again, the Blazers — even with Anfernee Simons on the shelf — have some players. And Shaedon Sharpe might be the best of them.

James Wiseman in his first action of the new season: 4 points on 2/4 shootings, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover and a -15 in 6:11 of playing time. It seems like it’d be best for everyone if he had an opportunity to get more robust playing time at a level where he can thrive and build confidence.

Deandre “DominAyton” Ayton with 16 and 11 plus five steals in the win.

Pelicans 110, Thunder 106 | Full game highlights
The Thunder were in full and complete control of this game … until C.J. McCollum happened.

I was watching this one on ESPN (you can’t compete with Mark Jones and Monica McNutt) but I could still hear Antonio Daniels say “Simple basketball!” on some of these plays. The Thunder still had some chances to grab the victory in the end (in part due to a sloppy finish from the Pels), but OKC went 1/6 in the final three minutes.

Real positive start to the season for New Orleans.

Cavaliers 95, Knicks 89 | Full game highlights
Sweet revenge for Cleveland! Dean Wade got punted out of the starting five just as quickly as he slid in. Absolutely brutal offensive performance for the ‘Bockers: give credit to the Cavaliers’ top tier defense, but 32/92 from the floor? 5/30 from three? As the great Charli XCX would say: Yuck.

30-spot for Donovan Mitchell in Madison Square Garden. I don’t think I’ve noted enough through Spida’s career that I find him deeply pleasing to watch on an aesthetic level. There’s a tension between his uncontrolled athleticism and his penchant for hard dribbles and patient decision-making. He also seems really small when setting up a play — his dribble makes him come off more compact, if that makes sense. Anyways, super interesting to watch.

Nets 109, Heat 105 | Full game highlights
Well, the Heat are off to another rip-roaring regular season at 1-4, with the one win a 1-point victory over the Pistons. Brooklyn took control of this one in late third and early fourth, and then held on for dear life.

Interestingly, the Nets’ bench won them the game: Lonnie Walker IV and Armoni Brooks each had an efficient 17, and all Brooklyn reserves except for Jalen Wilson was at least +15 in their minutes. I did not peg the Nets’ bench as a potential strength. But of course, Miami’s own bench has suffered some talent raids, and they didn’t have Kevin Love or Caleb Martin in this one.

Pacers 104, Celtics 155 | Full game highlights
Boston becomes the first team to drop 155 in regulation on an opponent in regulation since the Warriors dropped 157 on the Blazers last April. So Boston becomes the first team to drop 155 in regulation on an opponent actually trying to win the game since the Hornets put 158 on the … Pacers in January 2022. The only Pacer who played in both games: Isaiah Jackson. Rick Carlisle did coach both of the losses.

Indiana gave up 75 in the first half … and 80 in the second half. Boston’s highest scoring quarter was actually … the fourth, with the human victory cigar lineup! The Celtics scored 155 with only one starter scoring more than 20 (Jayson Tatum had an extremely efficient 30). The Celtics’ True Shooting percentage was 72%. That means that if the Celtics would have scored 155 points in the shooting possessions they had by only taking two-pointers — no threes, no free throws — they would have shot 72% from the floor.

Wizards 121, Hawks 130 | Full game highlights
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love these Wizards. Down 21 in the third, Jordan Poole goes off the glass to Kyle Kuzma for the least joyful in-game Last-Ditch Third Attempt Dunk Contest Alley-Oop you’ve ever seen. You can practically see the sad clown paint on their faces as they pull it off.

If you aren’t going to be good, at least be entertaining. Poozma continues to bring me immense joy on a regular season, and for that I thank them.

Jordan Poole is going to be the 2015-16 Warriors of Shaqtin a Fool this season.

In other news, Quin Snyder put Saddiq Bey back in the starting lineup over Jalen Johnson. Still tinkering!

Nuggets 89, Timberwolves 110 | Full game highlights
The Nuggets have fallen! The Nuggets have fallen! Minnesota, who I appear to have been completely wrong about just a few days ago when I said they didn’t actually bother Denver and don’t have the juice, now holds the Championship Belt.

Denver was ice cold from three (6/33), Nikola Jokic had more turnovers (5) than assists (3) and the Minnesota offense did what it needed to do.

Hornets 119, Rockets 128 | Full game highlights
One of my questions coming into the season was whether Ime Udoka would stick with Alperen Sengun for big minutes given his history of poor defense and his importance to Houston’s offense having some juice. The early answer is a resounding yes, and to his credit Sengun is playing the best defense of his NBA career (a small achievement, but an achievement nonetheless).

Sengun being on the court means we get stuff like this (video should start at the 4:02 mark).

Houston is on the board. Just one winless team remains.

Bulls 105, Mavericks 114 | Full game highlights
DALLAS! One of two undefeated teams remaining and No. 1 in the West. And they’ve won their past two games without Kyrie Irving. Luka Doncic had his most quiet night of the young season (18-7-10 with six turnovers) but was lifted up by seven threes each for Grant Williams and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Also, they were playing the Bulls, who have scored more than 105 points once in five games. (And it wasn’t the time their star dropped 51.) (Teams are averaging about 112 points per game this season.) (I’m not sure I can watch another possession of Bulls basketball this month.) (It’s November 2nd.)

Despite no coaching change and the core roster with an exception or two remaining the same, the Mavericks’ vibes seem immeasurably better to start this season. Was there a secret preseason players’ only hookah lounge meeting we don’t know about? Get on that, Tim MacMahon.

Derrick Jones Jr. can fly.

Grizzlies 109, Jazz 133 | Full game highlights
This will not be the most successful Jazz era ever, but it will be the only era in which Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton can combine for 43 points on 16/23 shooting with eight threes and 11 assists. That’s way more fun than John Stockton-Karl Malone picks-and-rolls. Build them a statue.

Clippers 125, Lakers 130 (OT) | Full game highlights
Wild, wild game. LeBron is holding Father Time’s collar, drilling him in the face with jabs.

Christian Wood with clutch hustle plays and defense?! What planet are we on?

The Clippers’ problem was the non-Kawhi Leonard, non-Paul George minutes. You expect James Harden to alleviate some of that … in the regular season, at least.

I would very much like a playoff series featuring these two teams at full strength.

Kings 101, Warriors 102 | Full game highlights
I do not want another playoff series featuring these two teams at full strength, because I don’t appreciate basketball teams pressure testing my cardiovascular system multiple times per week.

This time, it’s Klay Thompson who broke the Kings’ hearts.

Dear Warriors:

The Kings fought impossibly hard, missed a lot of threes but otherwise played clean. The Warriors were sloppy, soft on the glass … and got away with it, because they have the greatest shooters of all-time and a brilliant big dude playmaker.

One interesting note in this game is that Steve Kerr’s closing lineups didn’t involve Andrew Wiggins: he put the starting five with Chris Paul in Wiggins’ spot for a spell, then removed Kevon Looney to put in Gary Payton II. Worth monitoring as Kerr explores the rotation decisions.

One more note: Chris Paul and Draymond Green provide toxic levels of grit together. Should be an OSHA warning on that. I actually don’t think there is any potential future compatibility issue here. They are too alike.

Schedule

All times Eastern.

Raptors at Sixers, 7, NBA TV
Pistons at Pelicans, 8
Magic at Jazz, 9
Spurs at Suns, 10, NBA TV

These 13-game slates are going to kill me, if the Warriors don’t first. That’s it for today. Be excellent to each other.