Dallas Mavs vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 3 Big Things to Watch
The Dallas Mavericks seek to achieve their first win of the 2022-23 season when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
In their regular-season opener, the Mavs fell short 107-104 to the Phoenix Suns despite holding a 22-point lead at one point. Luka Doncic finished with 35 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Christian Wood chipped in 25 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The Grizzlies will play the second night of a back-to-back when they take on the Mavs. They are coming off a 129-122 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday, which featured Ja Morant scoring 49 points while key players Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks were sidelined.
Here are three key things to monitor when the Mavs take on the Grizzlies on Saturday.
3. Desmond Bane Due for Major Bounce-Back?
If there is one team that Desmond Bane seems to enjoy having a strong performance against the most, it's arguably the Mavs. If being passed up in the NBA Draft still isn't motivation enough, perhaps the need to get back on track after a slow start to the season will be enough.
Through two performances, Bane is averaging 15.0 points while shooting just 23.7 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent from 3-point range. While Dillon Brooks may return to the lineup against the Mavs, the Grizzlies still need Bane to have strong performance.
Bane has averaged 15.5 points in six career games against the Mavs but has elevated his impact in his most recent three matchups. Since scoring 29 points against the Mavs on Dec. 4, 2021, he's averaged 19.7 points against Dallas while shooting 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.
2. Christian Wood Against Grizzlies
One of the advantages of having Christian Wood come off the bench is that he can go up against lesser defensive talents. It worked in the Mavs' season opener as he totaled 25 points against the Suns — making him the NBA's highest scoring bench player in part of any season opener.
The Grizzlies have struggled to handle backup centers as they deal with frontcourt injuries. Alperen Sengun produced 23 points and 12 rebounds on Friday while Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists when playing against Memphis in their season opener.
During the minutes that Doncic is not on the floor, Wood's impact will play a key role in deciding the outcome. Given he only played 24 minutes against the Suns, seeing if his workload increases will be another thing to monitor.
1. Luka Doncic & Ja Morant Showdown
Anytime there is a matchup that features two of the NBA's best players like Luka Doncic and Ja Morant, it will be the foremost draw of attention. Seeing which player has the better performance will be intriguing in itself.
Morant is coming off an explosive 49-point performance against the Houston Rockets on Friday. He's averaging 41.5 points per game through two performances — making him the highest way-too-early scoring leader in the NBA entering Saturday. He's also averaging 8.5 assists per game as he carries a shorthanded team.
Doncic has only played once since the start of the season but while in the spirit of small sample size theatre, he's scoring average of 35.0 points per game trails only Morant.
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