The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors meet Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET in the NBA Summer League. The Warriors have opened their Las Vegas schedule with an 11-point win over the Dallas Mavericks and a huge 25-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Memphis is 1-1 in Las Vegas after narrowly defeating the Chicago Bulls and losing 96-88 to Dallas on Monday, giving Golden State a meaningful rest advantage against a Grizzlies squad playing on consecutive nights.
The Warriors are 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total for this game set at 185.5 points.
Grizzlies vs. Warriors prediction, preview
Golden State’s summer has been led by Yaxel Lendeborg, whose path to becoming the No. 11 overall pick was considerably less direct than that of most lottery selections. The New Jersey product received little attention out of high school and began his college career at Arizona Western, where he developed into a two-time junior-college All-American. Lendeborg averaged 17.2 points and an NJCAA-leading 13.0 rebounds during his final season there before transferring to UAB. He became a two-time American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year with the Blazers, then spent his final college season at Michigan, winning Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors while helping the Wolverines capture the national championship. Most importantly, he’s also been campaigning for LeBron James to join the Warriors.
Lendeborg is 23 years old and already has extensive experience playing through physicality, so dominating younger competition is not necessarily evidence of untapped potential. The more important development is how complete his game has looked. Lendeborg recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists against Dallas before contributing 14 points, four treys, and three steals in the victory over Oklahoma City. He has shown he can rebound, initiate transition offense, make quick reads, and space the floor instead of functioning only as an energy forward. We’ll see if his shooting can stick at this level, though.
The Warriors do not have time for a lengthy development project. Golden State finished 37-45 last season and was eliminated in the Play-In Tournament, while Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are recovering from serious knee injuries. The franchise’s focus remains on maximizing the final stage of Stephen Curry’s career, which is why an experienced rookie capable of defending several positions and moving the ball fits better than a more speculative prospect with maybe higher upside. Golden State has retained De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford, but allowed Quinten Post to leave for Memphis after declining to match his offer sheet.
The larger offseason question is whether another established star will join Curry. Golden State has been prominently connected to LeBron James, who informed the Lakers that he intends to play elsewhere next season. Curry has publicly acknowledged the appeal of playing with James, and reporting indicates Warriors players have been involved in the recruiting process, such as the aforementioned Lendeborg. No agreement has been reached, but the pursuit underlines Golden State’s approach in taking one last shot with the remains of Curry’s NBA career. He’s still highly effective when he’s on the court.
Memphis is unfortunately moving in the opposite direction. The Grizzlies have dismantled the core that once included Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, with Morant traded to Portland this summer after Jackson and Bane previously departed. Things took a turn for the worst, and quickly, since their top three-seed finish a few seasons ago. The franchise is now building around No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and its collection of younger players and future assets. Veterans Jerami Grant, D’Angelo Russell, Isaiah Stewart and former Warrior Quinten Post can provide structure, although it remains unclear which of those players will be part of the long-term plan. Probably none of them.
Boozer especially has offered encouraging early evidence that he can become the centerpiece of that rebuild. He scored 23 points with six rebounds and four assists against Chicago, then produced 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals against Dallas. However, he logged 29 minutes Monday after already participating in the Salt Lake City Summer League, so Memphis could reduce his workload or hold him out on the second half of the back-to-back. Even with Boozer available, the Grizzlies have allowed both of their Las Vegas opponents to find consistent offense and surrendered 50.8% shooting to Dallas.
Grizzlies vs. Warriors pick, best Bet
Best bet: Golden State Warriors Moneyline (-175)
Golden State has been the more organized and deeper team in Las Vegas. The Warriors shot 48.6% from the field and outrebounded Dallas 56-36, then placed six players in double figures while limiting Oklahoma City to 79 points. With Memphis carrying the heavier schedule and potentially managing Boozer’s minutes, Golden State is the safer side to win outright.
