Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction: Flailing Warriors takes on soaring Grizzlies

NBA Regular Season has been on and we have entered a period where we can witness a bunch of trades that can transform the scene in numerous ways. There are teams that have performed below expectations and need to address various depth-related issues. One of these teams, the Golden State Warriors is going to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in an inter-Confernece battle.

The Warriors come into this match after a 116:120 loss against the Durant-less Nets despite a 26 points performance by Stephen Curry. Golden State has now lost six of their last nine games and because of that, they are now at 24 losses and 23 wins. After being a poor team away from home and winning a ton at home, Golden State has also lost their way on their home floor. They have now lost four in a row at home against teams that are either struggling or are below the 50% win mark.

Even the return of Stephen Curry hasn’t changed things. The major reason for their losses has been their awful defense. They are second-worst in terms of turnovers but that wasn’t a problem in the past season when the team made it up with a great defense. However, this season the defense hasn’t been the same. The Warriors’ title defense has been going awful and they can end up vying for a Play-in spot.

The Grizzlies come into this game after losing 100:133 against the Kings as the team scored just 10 points in the final quarter. For the first time in the season, the otherwise dominant Memphis has now faced three losses in a row. They have compiled 31 wins and 16 losses which means that they are having their second successful season in a row. This campaign has raised hopes for the Grizzlies’ fans who have championship aspirations.

They suffered a setback because Steven Adams has been out for around a month. However, the Grizzlies have constantly proven to be a tough challenge despite injuries and even when their Ace Ja Morant gets injured, the team has the depth to turn it around. While they will miss the rebounding of Adams who has enabled them to be an elite rebounding unit, this squad has depth to pull off big nights without him too.

• Warriors: OUT: Andre Iguodala, James Wiseman;
• Grizzlies: OUT: Steven Adams, John Konchar, Danny Green.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Stephen Curry(30-34 Points), Ja Morant(26-33 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Draymond Green(8-11 Rebounds), Jaren Jackson Jr(7-10 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Ja Morant(7-9 Assists), Dramymond Green(6-9 Assists).

The Warriors have been playing some awful basketball lately but the Grizzlies have been struggling as of late too, even the latter’s confidence will be higher. Still, with Curry in the mix, it is tough going for any opponent but he needs more support from his inconsistent team. I don’t think Grizzlies will fumble the bag four times in a row but the Warriors can prove to be a tough match-up despite their recent holes. Overall, I think the Warriors are going to stave off Memphis here and Curry is going to have a big night. I predict a scoreline of 124:120 in favor of Golden State.