The NBA officially kicks off tonight with the Grizzlies' West rivals clashing in a doubleheader. The teams that will play tonight include the Houston Rockets against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers. All of these teams are ranked in the top 10 of ESPN's power rankings to enter the season, an area the Grizzlies would like to climb to.
Memphis enters the season ranked 17th in ESPN's power rankings, including being the 10th-ranked team in the Western Conference. With the injuries that have been added to their roster entering the regular season, the Grizzlies will face a challenging road to surpass the general expectations that have been set by various outlets this summer.