3 Reasons to Watch: Grizzlies vs. Jazz Season Opener

Six months and nine days removed from a 132-101 finale in Houston that closed out a 25-57 season, the Grizzlies are back.

Memphis opens its season and home slate Wednesday against Utah at FedExForum, 7 p.m. CT, the first look at the Coward-Edey-Boozer era.

Here are three things worth keeping an eye on.

Peterson vs. Boozer, part two

Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer entered the league one pick apart in June, and the two already have history.

Utah took Peterson No. 2, one spot ahead of Memphis taking Boozer at No. 3, and the two met in Summer League, where Peterson got the better of him, posting 25 points and 12 assists in a 109-100 Jazz win.

Boozer wasn’t bad either, 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, but it was Peterson’s night.

Wednesday is round one of three this season between the top picks, with the rematch Oct. 26 in Salt Lake City and a third in January.

These two will be in competition and conversation all year, and it’s a rivalry worth watching, especially if they keep playing anything like they did in college.

Peterson left Kansas as the highest-scoring freshman in program history at 20.2 points a game on 44% shooting.

Boozer left Duke with the Naismith Player of the Year award, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 55% shooting.

Both continued that production into preseason.

If both show up anywhere close to that Wednesday, and for the two matchups still to come, this should be fireworks.

Jaren Jackson Jr. comes home

Once a franchise cornerstone, Jackson spent eight seasons in Memphis after the Grizzlies drafted him fourth overall in 2018, winning Defensive Player of the Year and making two All-Star teams.

Memphis traded him to Utah on Feb. 3, the centerpiece of an eight-player deal that brought back Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks.

After Clayton Jr. was cut yesterday to get the Grizzlies under the maxium allowed players, all of those players who returned to Memphis in that trade, except Hendricks, have been waived.

While fans might remember when Utah visited Memphis on Feb. 20 after the trade, Jackson did not play that game.

His season had already ended after just three games with the Jazz, following surgery to address a growth in his left knee.

He still got a video tribute and a loud ovation from the fans that night.

Now healthy, Wednesday will be his first time actually taking the court against his former team. Will the emotions still be there, or is it all business from the opening tip?

Either way, expect a big pop from the crowd and memories to come flooding back when his name is called during introductions.

A healthy and focused team

Memphis lost 564 man-games to injury and illness last season, an NBA record, alongside playing forty-eight different starting lineups and a league-record 29 players who made at least one start.

That was Tuomas Iisalo’s first full season as head coach, and it showed, with a 25-57 finish that ended with the Grizzlies dressing eight players and starting two 10-day signees in Houston.

At media day, Iisalo said Memphis is in a far better spot entering this camp, specifically on health.

Edey, who played just 11 games last season before a second ankle surgery in March, was cleared for full activity in September and made his preseason debut Oct. 7, and has not disappointed since.

He’ll be anchoring the frontcourt out of the gate on Wednesday alongside Boozer and fellow projected starters Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward and Jerami Grant.

How Boozer and Edey mesh in their first regular-season game together is also worth watching.

One thing Grizzlies fans barely have to worry about for the opener is the injury report.

Grizzlies PR announced Tuesday that Isaiah Stewart, who sprained his ankle in the preseason opener and was initially ruled out at least two weeks, has been upgraded to doubtful for Wednesday and is the only name on the report.