Ten games into the season, the Memphis Grizzlies are 7-3 and on pace for 57 wins, about double what many expected before the season, Daily Memphian columnist Chris Herrington wrote in his 10-game review.
Herrington said the Grizzlies do not quite look like a 57-win team when you look under the hood, but they certainly look better than anticipated. He said the 10-game mark is when he first studies a team's statistics and lines them up with what he has seen on the court.
According to Herrington's numbers, Memphis has been a strong rebounding team, ranking second in the league in rebound rate, and a strong outside shooting team, ranking third in 3-point percentage. The weak spots: the Grizzlies rank 28th in rim frequency and last in blocks against, along with 21st in turnover rate and 27th in fouls.
Even so, he wrote, it has added up to a team with the NBA's ninth-ranked offense and eighth-ranked defense, one of only four teams in the top 10 at both ends of the floor.
Herrington's full column is available to Daily Memphian subscribers.
The numbers line up with what Memphis has shown so far. The Grizzlies opened 6-0, lost three straight at home, then won 118-102 at Toronto on Monday to move to 5-0 on the road, a franchise first, according to Field Level Media. Rookie Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick, had 22 points and eight assists in that game, and Ty Jerome scored 27.
Turnovers have been a recurring theme. Coach Tuomas Iisalo said after the Toronto win that reducing mistakes is the next step for one of the youngest rosters in the league.
The Grizzlies host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT at FedExForum.
Sources: The Daily Memphian; Field Level Media; Yahoo Sports