Having lost 13 of of their past 17 games, the Golden State Warriors simply haven't been the same team that we saw through their exhilarating 12-3 start to the season.
Nothing typified that more than the December 19 visit to Memphis where the Grizzlies blew out the Warriors 144-93. That remains the biggest winning margin in any NBA game this season, with Memphis having led by 50 through three-quarters.
Ja Morant is likely to miss the next matchup between the Warriors and Grizzlies
Fortunately for Golden State, they will get a quick opportunity to exact revenge when they host the Grizzlies at Chase Center on January 4. With the supremely congested nature of the conference, any matchup with a West rival is going to be pivotal in the Warriors aspirations of rising back up the standings.
Golden State's hopes of turning the tables on Memphis may have received a boost, with Grizzlies star Ja Morant likely to miss the weekend's matchup due to injury. According to NBA insider Marc Stein on Monday, the 2x All-Star is considered week-to-week after suffering a shoulder injury.
The Grizzlies say Ja Morant is now considered week-to-week after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 31, 2024
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The Grizzlies are a different proposition without their superstar guard in the lineup, as demonstrated on November 15 when the Warriors beat a Morant-less Memphis 123-118 at Chase Center.
The problem for Golden State is that Memphis are incredibly good even without Morant's influence, with the 25-year-old only going for nine points and three assists in the 51-point blowout win earlier in the month.
Morant is averaging 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists to start his sixth NBA season, but the Grizzlies are still a very respectable 8-5 in the 13 games he's already missed. Memphis are 22-11 overall with the fifth-best offense and fifth-best defense in the NBA, sitting second in the West only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Warriors will be taking it just one game at a time after Monday's 113-95 to the Cleveland Cavaliers that bore witness to a woeful offensive display. Golden State shot just 33.3% from the floor and 23.7% from beyond the arc, finishing the December period with the 26th-ranked offense in the league.
They'll turn their attention to Philadelphia on Thursday before the Memphis meeting, with the 76ers having found some form in going 910-3 in their last 13 games after a disastrous and injury-plagued 3-14 start to the season.
Golden State will also face the Grizzlies on April 1 at FedExForum, with the Warriors having lost seven of their last eight regular season games on Memphis' home floor.