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Three Things to Watch as the Grizzlies Open Preseason in Atlanta

Memphis's exhibitions begin tonight, and questions start to get answered
Sam Trigg|
Apr 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo looks on during the second half of the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Apr 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo looks on during the second half of the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis opens its 2026-27 preseason tonight against the Hawks at State Farm Arena, the first live look at the roster built around Cam Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and the rest of the group general manager Zach Kleiman has spent the offseason assembling.

None of it counts until the regular season whistle blows, but here are three storylines to watch as preseason action begins.

Cam Boozer gets his first test

This is one of the moments all Memphis fans have been waiting for.

Boozer, the 6-foot-9 Duke product and No. 3 pick in the 2026 draft, is projected to start at power forward against Atlanta, and eyes will be on how the newest Grizzly performs in his first preseason NBA action.

Iisalo has already pointed to his post scoring, shooting range and passing as problems for opposing defenses, and that could be on full display tonight.

Kleiman wouldn't put a limit on him at media day last Monday.

"He is going to obviously play a significant role," Kleiman said. "We'll give him what he is ready for, and I suspect he will find a way to make even more of an impact than people expect of him."

Isaiah Stewart backed that up at the same press conference, calling Boozer "a very smart basketball player" who is "going to make an impact right away."

Tonight is the first time any of that gets tested against someone other than a teammate, and Boozer look to continue to dominate as he has done at all his previous stops.

Does Edey even play tonight?

Memphis may not get a look at its starting center at all in its first preseason game.

Damichael Cole of the Commercial Appeal reported Sunday that Edey likely won't play against the Hawks, with the regular-season opener remaining the priority.

Edey arrived at No. 9 in the 2024 draft after back-to-back Purdue player of the year honors, and has caught the injury bug since arriving in Memphis.

In two seasons as a Grizzly, he has missed 87 games. At Purdue, across four seasons, he missed just one.


His second season in Memphis ended after just 11 games, when a stress reaction in his surgically repaired left ankle, suffered after a Dec. 7 win over Portland, was ruled season-ending.

He was averaging career-best marks of 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds at the time.


The numbers back Edey's impact, too: Memphis outscored opponents by 16.6 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor last season and was outscored by 5.5 without him, a 22.1-point swing.

Kleiman called him "exactly where we hoped he would be" at media day, saying Edey is cleared for full-speed, full-court work.

But he stopped short of a guarantee, saying Edey "is not ruled out" with "possible" limited minutes, while the team plans to "be smart" with him through the exhibition schedule.

If Edey sits, that workload shifts to Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post, along with a likely look at newly signed two-way center Carson Cooper, who competed in Summer League with the Grizzlies.

How many of Memphis' four preseason games actually include Edey, and how much he plays, will say more than one precautionary sit-out in Atlanta.

Who's the third point guard to check in, and who does not check in at all?

With an abundance of guard talent on a roster that still needs to trim down a few spots, it will be interesting to see who gets the first nod off the bench after Ty Jerome or Scotty Pippen Jr. comes off the floor.

I think it will likely be Javon Small.

The 2025 No. 48 pick raised his stock with a strong Summer League and averaged 9.7 points and 3.7 assists over 41 games last season in a score-first role, and is looking to play his way out of a two-way contract.

Cam Spencer, who bumped his scoring average up 6.9 points to 11.1 per game last season, is looking for a bigger role of his own. Will that mean leading an offense, or staying off the ball as a catch-and-shoot scorer for Memphis?

Walter Clayton Jr. struggled after arriving in Memphis at the trade deadline, sat out Summer League and has been rumored to be on the chopping block amid the roster crunch.

So if Clayton Jr. is given an opportunity tonight, he will have to show why he is worth keeping over forwards Kris Murray, Micah Peavy and recently cut Jordan Hawkins.

How Iisalo splits time behind Memphis' top two point guards in Atlanta is an early signal of who he trusts first when the games start to count.

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Sam Trigg
SAM TRIGG

Sam Trigg is a Memphis native and sports journalist who recently graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in journalism and communications. In addition to covering University of Memphis athletics for On3, he worked for the Memphis Hound Dogs during the team’s inaugural season while also covering the team for The Daily Helmsman.

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