Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Phoenix Suns: Predictions, Starting Lineups (1/7/24)
After an electric road win against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Memphis Grizzlies look to string together a second consecutive road win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. Below are our Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns predictions, preview, betting picks, and full breakdown.
Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Phoenix Suns Prediction
Finally! The Memphis Grizzlies strung everything together and secured an improbable road win against the Los Angeles Lakers; however, the Lakers have been struggling, and their organization is currently in complete and utter disarray.
How impressed should we be with this road win, and should it affect how we view this matchup against Phoenix?
Everything comes down to availability. Will Kevin Durant play against the Grizzlies after missing the last three games? How about Ja Morant, who is listed as questionable with shoulder soreness?
If we assume that KD and Morant can “give it a go,” the Suns still have a massive advantage over the Grizzlies. Memphis does not have any players who match up well with Kevin Durant. Well, except for (sort of) Jaren Jackson Jr.
However, if JJJ is deployed on KD as his primary defender, that would bring him away from the rim where he is at his best defensively, allowing the Suns to attack the paint relentlessly without fear or concern of being contested at the rim. So that won’t work.
Santi Aldama is one of the poorest defenders in the league, and David Roddy doesn’t have the length to contest Durant on his patented mid-range jump shots. The Grizzlies could decide to play 6-foot-3 Marcus Smart on Durant, but that would force Jaren to defend a smaller guard like Eric Gordon or Grayson Allen, as the Suns have been playing three-guard lineups recently.
Basically, it comes down to this: if Durant plays, we are backing the Suns.
If Durant does not play, though, and Morant’s injury designation does not prevent him from taking the floor, we will look to back the Grizzlies.
As mentioned above, the Suns have been running a lot of three-guard lineups featuring Grayson Allen, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, which should bode well for the Marcus Smart-Ja Morant-Desmond Bane starting backcourt that the Grizz deploy.
Memphis showed a sizable improvement on the glass and in its three-point shooting in its last game against the Lakers, but it is hard to say whether that will translate in this one, as this season the Grizz rank dead-last in 3P% despite shooting the fifth-most three-pointers per game.
Still, Memphis should keep the game within five points without Durant simply due to its overall solid road play (9-10 this season) and favorable matchups.
Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Phoenix Suns Prediction: Wait and See
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Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Phoenix Suns Best Odds
Memphis enters this matchup against Phoenix as 4.5-point road dogs after knocking off the Lakers at home on Friday. The Grizzlies have Moneyline odds of +160 to steal another road win, where they have been surprisingly effective so far this year (9-10 record), while the Suns are -192 favorites to win their sixth game in their past seven outings. The point total for tonight’s bout holds steady at 227.5 points but could change depending on the availability of some key players who are listed as questionable.
Memphis Grizzlies Starting Lineup
PG: Ja Morant
SG: Desmond Bane
SF: Marcus Smart
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr
C: Xavier Tillman Sr
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
PG: Devin Booker
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Grayson Allen
PF: Chimezie Metu
C: Jusuf Nurkic
Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Phoenix Suns Injuries
There are a lot of questions for the Phoenix Suns ahead of their home matchup against Memphis. Phoenix will still be without Nassir Little (knee), Bol Bol (ankle), and Damion Lee (knee), while Kevin Durant and Eric Gordon are going to be game-time decisions due to their hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.
Memphis is in a similar position, as Steven Adams (knee), Brandon Clarke (Achilles), and Derrick Rose (knee) will not suit up for the Grizzlies. Vince Williams Jr. (foot) and Ja Morant (shoulder) are listed as questionable ahead of tonight’s Western Conference bout.
