A new season without Ja Morant: Hawks vs Grizzlies prediction
Atlanta Hawks
Memphis Grizzlies
The Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies will meet in the early hours of Tuesday, October 6, in an NBA preseason matchup. The game will be held at State Farm Arena, with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Central European Time. I am backing a winner in this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- Atlanta have won seven of their last 10 games against Memphis.
- Ja Morant left the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer and joined Portland.
- The Hawks have beaten the Grizzlies just once at home over the past three years.
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta enter the new season after one of the most intriguing stretches of last year's campaign. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 46-36 record and reached the playoffs, where they put up serious resistance against the eventual champions, the New York Knicks. At the same time, the team had already begun rebuilding following Trae Young's trade, with Jalen Johnson emerging as the face of the project after receiving his first All-Star invitation.
In the offseason, Atlanta opted not to pursue another superstar, instead investing in depth and defense. The Hawks added Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City, as well as Ryan Nembhard. The team also retained CJ McCollum, handing the veteran guard a new contract. At the same time, Atlanta parted ways with Zaccharie Risacher and several rotation players.
Dort will be under the spotlight in particular. His arrival should bolster Atlanta's already strong defense and create a formidable partnership with Dyson Daniels. Last season, the Hawks entered the NBA's top 10 in defensive rating for the first time since 2016-17, and now they want defense to become one of the team's defining characteristics.
The Hawks do have some personnel concerns. Mouhamed Gueye will miss at least the start of the season, while rookie Henri Veesaar suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the entire campaign. However, Atlanta's roster depth should allow the team to absorb these losses.
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis enter the season in a completely different situation. The team finished last season with a 25-57 record and 13th place in the Western Conference, prompting the front office to embark on a sweeping rebuild. The trade sending Ja Morant to Portland became the defining move of the new era — the former Morant–Jaren Jackson Jr. partnership is now firmly a thing of the past.
The franchise's biggest bet is third overall pick Cameron Boozer. Memphis plan to gradually build a new competitive team around him. In the offseason, the Grizzlies also acquired veteran Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, while a trade with New Orleans brought Jordan Hawkins and Myka Peavy to the roster. Meanwhile, D'Angelo Russell, whom the team acquired in the summer, was waived before the season even began.
Another crucial task is getting Zach Edey back to full strength. The center played just 11 games last season because of left ankle problems and underwent two surgeries after his rookie campaign. Memphis now urgently need to determine whether Edey can consistently handle the workload and become the foundation of their frontcourt.
Memphis do have an intriguing young core. After an impressive rookie season, Cedric Coward was named to the All-Rookie First Team and must now take the next step. The preseason meeting with Atlanta will be one of the Grizzlies' first serious tests of their new structure — especially on defense and in organizing the offense without Morant.
What is the best bet?
Atlanta look more prepared for the start of the regular season: the team have retained their core, strengthened the defense and already gained valuable experience from last season's successful campaign. Memphis are at the beginning of a major rebuild, so the coaching staff will likely experiment with lineups and minute distribution. With home-court advantage and greater cohesion, the Hawks look like the favorites in this preseason matchup.
