The Memphis Grizzlies take their perfect start on the road to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Oct. 23, with tipoff set for 10 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco. This Grizzlies vs Warriors preview looks at how a 1-0 Memphis team coming off a 45-point outburst from Ty Jerome matches up with a Golden State club still searching for its first win and dealing with a thin frontcourt.
Grizzlies Vs Warriors Game Information
- Date: Friday, Oct. 23
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
- TV/Streaming: NBA League Pass
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
What Does Each Team’s Form Look Like Entering Friday
Memphis sits at 1-0 and fifth in the Western Conference after a 123-103 win over the Utah Jazz on Oct. 22, a game that followed a string of results reported by Yahoo Sports. The Grizzlies are averaging 123.0 points through their first game of the 123-103 rout of the Jazz, with a field goal percentage of 47.3% and a three-point mark of 38.2%, both well above Golden State’s early numbers.
The Warriors enter at 0-1 and 11th in the West after an opening loss. Golden State is shooting just 41.3% from the field and 22.2% from three through its first outing, scoring 105.0 points per game so far. Last season the Warriors went 37-45 overall and 24-28 within the conference, averaging 114.6 points while allowing 115.2, a differential that points to defensive issues that carried into this season’s opener.
Memphis, by contrast, finished 25-57 a year ago while giving up 120.7 points per game against an average of 114.7 scored. The early returns suggest a different team: Memphis is out-rebounding opponents on the defensive glass at 40.0 boards per game compared to Golden State’s 21.0, and the Grizzlies have forced more giveaways while committing fewer of their own, with 13 turnovers to the Warriors’ 15.
Who Is Dealing With Injuries Heading Into This Matchup
Golden State’s injury report is the longer of the two. Jimmy Butler III is out following knee surgery with a projected return date of Jan. 2, 2027, and Moses Moody is also out after knee surgery with a projected return around Dec. 1. Kristaps Porzingis is out with an illness, also projected to return around Dec. 1. Brandin Podziemski (back soreness) and Charles Bassey (knee) are both listed as day-to-day for Friday’s game, meaning their availability is a projection rather than a confirmed absence.
Memphis has a lighter report. Isaiah Stewart is day-to-day with a left ankle sprain, as detailed in a recent injury update on Stewart, while Cedric Coward is also day-to-day with a left wrist sprain. Both are projected to be game-time decisions rather than confirmed outs.
Who Is Expected To Carry The Offensive Load
Ty Jerome is the headline figure for Memphis after his 45-point, six-assist, seven-rebound performance against Utah, numbers that currently lead the Grizzlies in points per game, assists per game and overall rating. Cameron Boozer leads Memphis on the glass at 11.0 rebounds per game. How Memphis distributes shots with Jerome drawing this level of defensive attention is one of the open questions for Friday, especially with Stewart’s and Coward’s statuses still projections rather than certainties.
For Golden State, Stephen Curry remains the team’s leading scorer at 23.0 points per game, adding two steals per game, though he is also dealing with an ankle issue that has him day to day. Draymond Green leads the Warriors in assists at 8.0 per game, and Will Richard tops Golden State’s rebounding at 5.0 per game, a modest figure that reflects the frontcourt absences of Butler, Moody and Porzingis.
What To Watch
Friday marks the first meeting between these two teams this season, and both are trying to establish early identity in a young campaign. Memphis is attempting to open 2-0 for the first time this season after last year’s 25-win finish, while Golden State is looking for its first win after an 0-1 start that has already been complicated by injuries to three frontcourt players. The Grizzlies’ rebounding and turnover margins from their opener stand out as the clearest statistical edges entering Friday’s game, while Golden State’s response without Butler, Moody and Porzingis remains the bigger unknown. Memphis returns home after this trip, and the Grizzlies’ next update on Stewart and Coward is expected closer to tipoff.
More NBA news from Total Apex Sports.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
