{"id":949007,"date":"2026-11-01T18:14:22","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T18:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/949007\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T18:14:22","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T18:14:22","slug":"the-grizzlies-are-nbas-last-remaining-unbeaten-team-whats-clicking-and-are-they-for-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/949007\/","title":{"rendered":"The Grizzlies Are NBA\u2019s Last Remaining Unbeaten Team. What\u2019s Clicking and Are They for Real?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"al\">The Memphis Grizzlies are 6\u20130, the last unbeaten team standing nearly two weeks into the NBA season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"aq\">It\u2019s the beginning of a new era. None of the former core remains with Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane all traded elsewhere. Cameron Boozer\u2019s arrival as the No. 3 pick in the draft brought Memphis a new franchise player, but this team wasn\u2019t expected to be good immediately. Zach Edey\u2019s return from injury and some solid offseason acquisitions gave the Grizzlies an intriguing roster. A tough team that no opponent would have fun against. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"av\">But nobody saw this coming. Ty Jerome was on fire to start the season. Boozer and Edey look like a dominant force. Even Isaiah Stewart has brought scoring and hard-nosed defense off the bench. The roster is surprisingly deep and clearly has the ability to win games. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"b0\">Still, though, it\u2019s very early in what\u2019s a long season. How sustainable is this Grizzlies run? And what have they done well that has resulted in the NBA\u2019s best early story? <\/p>\n<p>Through six games, the Memphis Grizzlies are the NBA\u2019s best all-around team<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/01m6c1q9heh4sr8d6rqh.jpg\" alt=\"Ty Jerome\" title=\"Ty Jerome\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"bh\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ty Jerome\u2019s early scoring outbursts started the Grizzlies\u2019 season off on the right foot. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bn\">Memphis is scoring more than any team through six games alongside a top defensive unit. With 727 total points, the Grizzlies set a franchise record for the most points through six games. Their 121.2 points per contest is the best mark in the league, which narrowly inches out the Cavaliers at 121.0 points per game. The offensive outbursts are in large part due to the Grizzlies\u2019 efficiency from three-point range. As a team, they have connected on 41.6% of their 38.5 three-point attempts per game. That amounts to 16 made threes each game, more than any other team.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bs\">The shooting excellence goes up and down the roster. Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, GG Jackson II, Quinten Post and Stewart are all rotation players that are shooting above 40% from deep. Javon Small operated the second unit in Saturday\u2019s win over the Kings with Jerome sidelined and he went 2-for-4 from three-point range. Even Edey drained the only three he\u2019s taken this year!<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c2\">That\u2019s all before you even get to the volume shooters in Jerome, Boozer and Jaylen Wells. Memphis has gotten 6.3 three-pointers per game thus far out of that trio. Inside the arc, the frontcourt depth has been outstanding. Edey hasn\u2019t contributed a ton offensively, but he operates as a true force near the rim who gets a handful of easy buckets per game. Then you have Post and Stewart off the bench who are shooting 83.3% and 73.9% so far on two-pointers, respectively.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c7\">On the defensive end, Memphis has given up 106.0 points per game. That\u2019s the best mark in the Western Conference and ranks third across the entire league behind only the Pistons and the 76ers. Edey\u2019s a force as a rim protector while him and Boozer can grab any rebound. Coward, Jerome and Wells have been great perimeter defenders early on, too. Even Jerami Grant has played some good defense and made some shots in his minutes.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cc\">Everyone has contributed to the Grizzlies\u2019 incredible start, from Boozer\u2019s immediate arrival as a potential All-Star to Small facilitating the offense and knocking down shots in his first appearance of the season. And the group effort makes Memphis the NBA\u2019s best team both record wise and statistically in the early going.<\/p>\n<p>Stat<\/p>\n<p>Grizzlies\u2019 mark<\/p>\n<p>Rank amongst all NBA teams<\/p>\n<p>Points per game<\/p>\n<p>121.2<\/p>\n<p>1st<\/p>\n<p>Offensive rating<\/p>\n<p>118.8<\/p>\n<p>3rd<\/p>\n<p>Defensive rating<\/p>\n<p>104.1<\/p>\n<p>3rd<\/p>\n<p>Net rating<\/p>\n<p>14.7<\/p>\n<p>1st<\/p>\n<p>Three-point percentage<\/p>\n<p>41.6%<\/p>\n<p>1st<\/p>\n<p>Three-point field goals per game<\/p>\n<p>16.0<\/p>\n<p>1st<\/p>\n<p>Rebounds per game<\/p>\n<p>49.8<\/p>\n<p>1st<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cl\">The flip side to Memphis\u2019 6\u20130 start is its schedule. With two wins against the Kings (0\u20136) and two more against the Jazz (1\u20135), the Grizzlies had nothing close to the tough schedule out of the gate some title contenders did. There were nice wins over the Trail Blazers and the Warriors. Boozer even made a go-ahead jumper with 20 seconds left to get past Steph Curry and Golden State in the second game of the season. The win over Portland came while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/trailblazers\/ja-morant-renaissance-speed-bump-worst-possible-time\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Morant was still healthy<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cq\">Difficult tests are ahead as Memphis will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/thunder\/now-chet-holmgren-injured-too-can-thunder-survive-absence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">host the banged-up Thunder<\/a> on Friday. Oklahoma City is without Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, but dealing with back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his supporting cast remains a good measuring stick for the young Grizz.<\/p>\n<p>NBA Cup Power Rankings: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/nba-cup-power-rankings-team-has-best-chance-win-in-season-tournament\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Which Team Has the Best Chance to Win In-Season Tournament?<\/a>Do the Grizzlies have a legitimate shot to make a run in the Western Conference?<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"d5\">Easy schedule or not, 6\u20130 is 6\u20130. Memphis has yet to lose, which no other NBA team can say. At the start, it was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/eight-overreactions-from-first-week-of-2026-27-nba-season\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jerome\u2019s incredible scoring performances<\/a> on his way to Western Conference Player of the Week honors. He put up 45 points in the first game of the season, then followed that with performances of 28 and 31 points\u2014104 total over three games!<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"da\">The best news for the Grizzlies, though, is Boozer\u2019s early play. He put up a new high of 27 points along with nine rebounds and three assists in the win over the Kings Saturday. On Thursday, he recorded his first career triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists against the Blazers.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">CAM BOOZER SETS A NEW CAREER HIGH AS MEMPHIS MATCHES BEST START IN FRANCHISE HISTORY \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n<p>27 PTS (career-high, 17 IN 3Q)<br \/>9 REB<br \/>26 MIN<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">@memgrizz<\/a> are 6-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 NBA season! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0cfCpY9qny\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/0cfCpY9qny<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2116726941646762456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">November 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-20\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dk\">Thus far, Boozer is averaging 17.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. He\u2019s had trouble with turnovers at times and hasn\u2019t been as efficient as you\u2019d want him to be near the hoop, but he looks like he could be an All-Star as soon as this year. Jerome provided the early scoring burst, but his numbers already started to level out and a nagging back injury kept him out of Saturday\u2019s game against Sacramento. No matter if Jerome is having a night or not, Boozer will get plenty of opportunity. He put up 25 points against the Warriors, a game where Jerome had 28. <\/p>\n<p>NBA Jersey Rankings: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/nba-jersey-rankings-every-team-uniform-set-2026-27-ordered-from-worst-to-best\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Every Team\u2019s Uniform Set in 2026\u201327 Ordered From Worst to Best<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-22\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"du\">Boozer\u2019s immediate arrival coupled with the team\u2019s depth makes the Grizzlies\u2019 sudden playoff hopes legitimate. It\u2019s still early, but their style of punching opponents in the mouth on defense and scoring fast on the other end is sustainable. We still need to see them play some of the league\u2019s best teams and the shooting numbers will level out, but the 6\u20130 start can\u2019t be scoffed at. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-23\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dz\">Every year, a team seems to come out of nowhere to throw a wrench in the playoff picture. This year, the Grizzlies look like the NBA\u2019s surprise squad, especially<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/10-biggest-injuries-already-thrown-this-nba-season-off-the-rails\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> with injuries wreaking havoc<\/a> across the league. Memphis has a true star in Boozer and the complementary pieces around him to finish much better than expected this season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"e8\">PODCAST\u00a0\ud83c\udfa7: Listen to SI\u2019s NBA podcast,\u00a0Open Floor, below or on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/open-floor-sis-nba-show\/id1050847009\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Apple<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0Bgxp9XcFMTysIDB5mC04P\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a>. Watch the show on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9i6BJNwOGe0&amp;list=PLRxhb-2QRi1ANkVYPH0QjIMZM4G4dYytQ\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SI\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\" class=\"shrink-0\"\/>Add us as a preferred source on Google<a aria-label=\"Follow si.com on Google News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=si.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" preventdefault:click=\"\" class=\"flex h-[30px] w-[30px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary font-group-large text-sm font-medium text-white transition-colors hover:bg-secondary focus:bg-secondary md:w-auto md:gap-2.5 md:px-4 md:py-[5px]\" on:click=\"q-BuzMUIXO.js#s_lDqay9E5m5g[0]\" q:id=\"ep\">Follow<\/a><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Memphis Grizzlies are 6\u20130, the last unbeaten team standing nearly two weeks into the NBA season. It\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":949008,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-949007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=949007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/949008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=949007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=949007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=949007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}