On the eve of the season 62.4% of our survey respondents predicted Memphis to win fewer than 29.5 games in 2026/27. But after Houston lost at Dallas on Friday, young Grizzlies are currently the only undefeated team in the NBA, currently holding an unblemished 5-0 record.
Memphis’ win at Portland on Thursday was impressive for several reasons Jason Quick of The Athletic (free link). The Grizzlies were up against a Trail Blazers club that entered the night 3-0, and Memphis completely outplayed their opponent en route to a 21-point victory.
The hot start is all the more surprising given that Memphis lost last season after the trade Jaren Jackson Jr in February. Ja Morantthe last remaining member of the team’s former core was traded to portland over the summer and suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain in thursday’s loss.
“First, I believe we are better than people think we are“, Cameron Boozer said, according to Quick. “And secondly, it testifies to our strength and competitiveness. That’s why we won those first five games, because we’re tougher than other teams and more competitive.”
Luck was on the Grizzlies’ side in May when they moved up to No. 3 in the draft lottery. They used that pick on former Duke star Boozer, who on Thursday became the second-youngest player in league history to record a triple-double (18 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists), according to Law Murray of The Athletic (free link).
In summary, although they only won 25 games in the 2025/26 season, several members of the team showed encouraging signs of growth, including an All-Rookie selection Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, H. G. Jackson II and — in a small sample size due to injuries — Zach Edey and You, Jeromereigning Western Conference Player of the Week.
“Even though we weren’t necessarily winning games, we were in every game– said Jerome.And we played with different guys, with different groups. But we were in every game. So we added Booz, Zach is healthy, I’m back healthy. We added straw (grant), Isaiah Stewartbrought everybody back… and I was like, ‘Oh, we’ve got a good team.’ Like, I think everybody’s going to find out what we have as a team.”
The Grizzlies’ depth was a major strength early on. Head coach Tuomas Iisala uses an 11-man rotation, which is unusual for the NBA, and players know they have to play hard and execute to stay on the court, Quick wrote.
According to Quick, this is just the second 5-0 start in Grizzlies franchise history, the other leading to a 55-win season in 2014-15. Only two teams that started 5-0 have missed the playoffs in the last 30 years, Quick adds.
“The word I used is promise” – said Iisalo. “This is just the beginning of the season. We have five games, we all understand that, and anything can happen. But the way the group has persevered through those games … the word we use is poise … very resilient. We find the answer. And it was different guys on different nights. It’s just an incredibly cool feeling as a coach.”
We want to know what you think. Has Memphis’ strong start this fall changed your expectations for what the team is capable of this season? Do you think the Grizzlies will be the next young team to unexpectedly make the playoffs? Head to the comments section to weigh in.
