On Dec. 20, the Memphis Grizzlies suffered a devastating defeat at home against the Washington Wizards. Despite leading by 20 points, their second-half collapse was largely fueled by poor rebounding and defense. The team is currently shorthanded, but the most noticeable absence is second-year center Zach Edey.
Edey missed the first 13 games of the season due to offseason surgery on a left ankle sprain. The Grizzlies went 4-9 in his absence and faced significant struggles with defense and half-court offense. Despite Memphis losing the first two games after his return, he was a major driving force in their recent stretch of victories.