Mavs Game Preview: Game 22 vs Grizzlies [Game of the Week]
A renewed rivalry as two Western elites go head-to-head in a key NBA Cup game
Two of the West's top teams meet in a high-stakes showdown, both ranking in the elite group of NBA squads with top-10 offense and defense. It’s the Mavericks' first game against Ja Morant since October 22, 2022—a matchup that feels like a lifetime ago when Luka Dončić shared the court with Spencer Dinwiddie, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, and JaVale McGee.
If we add that it’s also the final day of group play in the Emirates NBA Cup, it was another easy choice for our Game of the Week. Game of the Week previews and post-game notes are fully available to everyone. For other games, certain insights will be exclusive to paid subscribers, so if you're able, please consider upgrading to support my work!
For all who are interested in the final day of Group Play of the Emirates NBA Cup, you can find the current standings here and the latest clinching scenarios, including the Mavericks' path to advance, here.
Mavs (13-8) vs Grizzlies (14-7)
Rest: DAL on 1 day of rest; MEM on 1 days of rest
DAL 2024-25 home record: 7-3
MEM 2024-25 away record: 4-4
DAL injuries: Dereck Lively II (questionable), Klay Thompson (questionable), Dante Exum (OUT), Naji Marshall (OUT)
MEM injuries: Zach Edey (OUT), GG Jackson (OUT), Vince Williams Jr. (OUT)
MEM projected starting 5: Ja Morant (G), Desmond Bane (G), Jaylen Wells (F), Brandon Clarke (F), Jaren Jackson Jr. (F/C)
MEM key reserves: Marcus Smart, Santi Aldama, Jake LaRavia, Luke Kennard, Scotty Pipen Jr., Jay Huff
MEM Rotation:
Three key questions heading into the game
Is this the game to do it the old Mavs style and try to keep the wild Grizzlies in the half-court?
Can Dallas contain the ‘Grit and Grind’: limit turnovers, transition, and Grizzlies' offensive boards?
Who wins the battle of the deep benches?
Mavs on offense | Grizzlies on defense
Forever in the Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane Grizzlies era, the key Mavericks path to success has been to control the pace and turn it into a half-court battle against the fast-paced, athletic Grizzlies. Taylor Jenkins’ Grizzlies have always been an average half-court offense—while Dallas has been elite in that area with Luka Dončić—but they’ve made the difference on the margins: crashing the offensive glass, generating turnovers, and getting easy buckets in transition.
This year, not much has changed. Dallas is still elite at 4th, while Memphis is only 18th in half-court offense. But the Mavericks are now a team that has fully embraced pushing the pace. Whether they adjust their style for this game or get into a running race with the Grizzlies will be something to watch closely.
The next thing to watch is how—or rather who—the Grizzlies use to defend Dončić. They’ve been starting 6-foot-7, 21-year-old rookie Jaylen Wells in place of Marcus Smart, who is coming off the bench. It’ll be interesting to see if Jenkins trusts the inexperienced wing with the first crack at that tough assignment, or they maybe start Smart. Vince Williams Jr., who was feisty and competitive in that role last season, is out with a right ankle injury.
The Grizzlies have primarily been a drop coverage team this year, not only with rookie big man Zach Edey (currently out), but also with their more mobile bigs, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke. That’s always a tough challenge when Dončić and Irving are hitting their mid-range shots, so we’ll see if Jenkins decides to adjust his defensive schemes against them.
But with the Grizzlies, what's more intriguing than their on-ball defense is the activity on the backline—specifically, observing whom Jackson Jr. is defending, or rather not defending, as he built his Defensive Player of the Year résumé by protecting the paint as a roamer. I guess they’ll put Jackson Jr. on Washington initially and see how P.J. handles it—either by knocking down corner threes or attacking the gaps off the dribble. It’s not something new for P.J. or the Mavericks; Kevin Durant and the Suns used the same strategy in both matchups earlier this season.
Grizzlies on offense | Mavs on defense
I mentioned the Grizzlies aren’t a great half-court offense, so how do they rank as the 5th-best offensive team overall?
The answer is Grit and Grind, by playing hard and fast on both ends. Crashing the offensive glass has been one of the Grizzlies' strategic priorities—they’ve ranked in the top three in offensive rebounding percentage in four of the last five seasons, only falling out of the top five last year due to injuries. They are among the most, if not the most, aggressive teams in how many players they send crashing the offensive glass. Dallas will need to battle that collectively, especially if Lively (listed as questionable) isn’t available.
Next element of the Grizzlies’ success is their pace and getting easy looks in transition. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Grizzlies have the best and most frequent transition offense in the league (they rank 3rd in overall pace), especially excelling at pushing off missed shots. Dallas will need to be extra careful in planning how to contain that, whether off Dončić’s misses or others.
Another defining characteristic of the Grizzlies’ offense is their relentless attack on the paint. Morant, Jackson Jr., Bane, Smart, and even Jake LaRavia attack the rim at every opportunity, with Memphis ranking in the top five in drives. As a result, the Grizzlies lead the NBA in paint points by a significant margin. With a new offensive coordinator, the Grizzlies have built their paint attack around pace, tempo, spacing, cutting, and passing, making their drive game incredibly difficult to contain (more on this in the next Scouting section). Without Marshall, there will be more pressure on Grimes and others to stay in front of their assignments, and Lively’s availability could play a crucial role in how the Mavs protect the paint.
Memphis' biggest weakness this season has been their shooting. The Grizzlies rank 19th in three-point shooting overall and 28th (third worst) on corner threes—an area the Mavs often help off on to defend drives. Their three stars—Morant (27%), Bane (31%), and Jackson Jr. (34%)—are all having subpar three-point seasons. With Clarke as a non-shooter in the starting lineup, it’s easier for opponents to pack the paint and limit their driving game.
However, the Grizzlies' bench mob features much more shooting with Luka Kennard, Jay Huff, Jake LaRavia, and Santi Aldama. They rely heavily on their bench and shift their style, making them even more dangerous and unpredictable.
Scouting the Grizzlies
The first thing that stands out about the Grizzlies is how they are almost the opposite of what the Mavs faced against the Knicks a couple of games ago. While Tom Thibodeau leans heavily on his starters playing big minutes, Taylor Jenkins (much like Steve Kerr) uses a deep rotation. The Grizzlies consistently play 10-12 players, with no one averaging more than 28 minutes per game, occasionally even using hockey-style five-man substitutions. This approach enables Memphis to maintain their high-energy, fast-paced style throughout the entire game.
Another standout aspect of the Grizzlies is the contrasting styles they play between their starting lineup and bench units. While the starting five often includes a non-shooting big like Edey or Clarke, the bench features Santi Aldama as a stretch five. These units push the pace even more, cutting and driving from all angles, making them especially tough to defend.
The Grizzlies brought in European offensive guru Tuomas Iisalo as an assistant coach, a move many credit for the reinvention of their offensive system and rebounding tactics. I mentioned pace and drives, but the Grizzlies' offense also emphasizes movement, cutting, and passing. Memphis ranks in the top five in drives, cuts, and assist ratio, showcasing their dynamic offensive approach. If one of the smartest—if not the smartest—defensive playmakers in the league, Draymond Green, describes the Memphis offensive movement as “unconventional” and “weird,” and even says it’s something he hasn’t seen before (?!), then there’s clearly something special behind it.
The Mavericks have struggled to adapt to fast-paced, ball-moving offense in their loss to the Pacers earlier this season, so how they respond to the Grizzlies style will be another thing to watch. Again, having Lively in the lineup—who, despite his age, is a much better defensive decision-maker than Gafford—would make a big difference tonight.
Final thoughts
Apologies for the longer preview, but this game is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing matchups, and not just because of the Cup implications. The Mavericks, who have made significant strides during their recent winning streak, will face a hungry and motivated rival tonight. How they respond, and how the clash of contrasting styles plays out, is exactly what makes the NBA so fun and unique to watch.