Exploring the Dominant Offense of the Grizzlies

Memphis' defense has been exceptional this season, earning them the seventh spot in the league's defensive ratings. A vital contributor to their defensive success is Jaren Jackson Jr., whose outstanding performance on that end of the floor has put him in strong contention for the prestigious Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

It’s not the team’s defense that stands out though when assessing why the Grizzlies have been successful this season. It’s their

league-leading scoring

, which isn’t just special in the context of this season. It’s one of the most prolific in the league’s history. 

After putting up 138 points on the Raptors last night, including 85 in the second half, Memphis is now averaging 123.8 points per game. The last time a team averaged more was the Denver Nuggets (126.5) during the 1981-82 season. 

Memphis’ ability to put up points at a furious rate is rooted in their propensity to create scoring opportunities. They’re leading the league in

pace

, and their 104.59 possessions per game average, is the most in the NBA since 2021. 

This surplus of opportunities to score and their

league-leading 93.5 field-goal attempts per game

are being created via multiple avenues. It starts with dominating the glass. Their

13.3 offensive rebounds per game

, which ranks second in the league, is fueling their third-best 17.0 second-chance points per game. 

The old adage that the best offense is a good defense is also a factor. The Grizzlies rank in the top six in both steals and blocks and are second in rebounding, helping create 16.9 fast break points per contest. 

It’s not just the field goals being created either. The Grizzlies lead the league with 21.0

personal fouls drawn per game

, and subsequently, their 24.1

free throw attempts per contest

also rank first and are creating 18.6 points per game from the charity stripe. 

Of course, it doesn’t matter what you do to create opportunities for buckets, if you’re ultimately not hitting your shots. Fortunately, Memphis is No. 5 in

field-goal percentage

, at 48.7%, and seventh in 3-point percentage, at 37.4%. 

In all, it’s not one specific factor that is charging this offense. They’re creating opportunities to put points on the board at or near league-leading rates in several categories. This diversity makes it difficult to keep Memphis’ offense down. 

You can catch Memphis’ epic offense in action again Saturday when they host the West-leading Thunder at

8 ET on NBA League Pass

.