Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Just when it looked like the San Antonio Spurs season was teetering on the brink, they came out with a resounding 126-102 victory over Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. They will need to ride that momentum into their next two games as they host the Memphis Grizzlies for a homestand.

The Grizz have fully bounced back from an underachieving season last year and look like one of the best teams in the NBA. Jaren Jackson Jr. takes a big leap, while Ja Morant and Desmond Bane continue to be one of the league’s strongest back-court duos. San Antonio will have their hands full with the team that scores the most points in the NBA right now.

As tough as Memphis is offensively, they are just as good on defense. Jackson Jr., Bane and rookie Jaylen Wells are problems on the defensive end. The Grizzlies are 5th in defensive rating. San Antonio will need to bring more of the offensive versatility and aggressiveness they showed against the Lakers if they want to defeat Memphis at home.

San Antonio Spurs (19-19) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (25-15)

January 15, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. CT

See: FanDuel Sports | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs injuries: Jeremy Sochan – Out (Back), Sidy Cissoko – Out (G League), Riley Minix – Out (G League), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League)

Grizzlies injuries: Jay Huff – Probable (knee), GG Jackson – Out (G League), Marcus Smart – Out (finger), Cam Spencer – Out (thumb), Vince Williams Jr. – Out (Ankle), Zyon Pullin – Out (G) League)

What to look out for:

The battle within

Teams rarely have the talent and size to match Victor Wembanyama. The Grizzlies have just that. Jackson Jr. is a year-caliber defensive player who can guard inside and outside. The rookie, Zach Edey, is a 7-foot-4 giant who is tough to guard and stay off the glass despite his slower feet. Wembanyama is up for any challenge and just had a good matchup against the Lakers’ superstar big man, Anthony Davis. San Antonio needs a big game from him that can set some kind of tone to win the game on the interior.

Can Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell keep it up

Wembanyama finally got some help scoring against the Lakers. Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle were fantastic in the Spurs’ latest win. Both guards were aggressive going downhill and did a good job of finishing at the basket. Vassell finally found his jump shot and hit five of his nine three-pointers. San Antonio needs consistent offensive performances from their guards, especially without Jeremy Sochan. These two will be key on Wednesday night.

The Non-Wemby Protocols

Memphis is a deep team with talent up and down the roster. Their player development staff has done some incredible work filling out the squad over the past few seasons. They won’t be pushovers when their starters go to the bench. San Antonio needs to be competitive when Wembanyama isn’t on the floor. Either Charles Bassey or Zach Collins will have to step up against Edey and Santi Aldama. Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones can help the Spurs stay afloat by aggressively getting to the basket and keeping pressure on the defensive end. The bench minutes will be huge.