The Grizzlies and the Pelicans could be the NBA’s next great rivalry

Jan 27, 2023 - 1:45 PM

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It is NBA Rivals week and while intense rivalries are less common in 2023, the Memphis Grizzlies have antagonized many teams and fanbases, placing a target on their back. Whether it is griddying on a team’s logo or dismissing the entire Western Conference, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies are no longer the hunters as they were last season.

They are the hunted.

The Grizzlies have already developed bad blood with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors after last year’s playoff battles. Memphis was scheduled to face both of these teams during NBA Rivals week; the Grizzlies lost to the Warriors on Wednesday and face the Timberwolves Friday. However, this era of Grizzlies basketball is only just starting and there is plenty of time for Memphis to grow its circle of enemies.

As the NBA marches toward the playoffs, the Western Conference has become more and more crowded. Only three games separate the fourth seed from the thirteenth seed, meaning the Grizzlies could see a wide variety of teams in the first round. The Grizzlies have their sights set on much more than the first round, however. So as the field narrows down, who might they face? Expect Denver to be there but as the Grizzlies and Nuggets have pull away from the pack, a matchup between the teams is unlikely to come until the conference finals. The Warriors are always a threat in the postseason and it is certainly possible the Grizzlies draw a semifinals rematch with the champs. The upstart Sacramento Kings could make a run to the second round as well. When looking further and considering dark horses, there is one team that, if fully healthy, could give the Grizzlies a load of trouble.

The New Orleans Pelicans.

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The Pelicans and the Grizzlies could be one of the NBA’s next great rivalries. The seeds have already been planted. Three of the most important elements of a sports rivalry are history, disdain and electric matchups. As of now, Pelicans-Grizzlies only crosses off one of the three. The two teams have a history dating back to the 2019 lottery when both teams jumped to the top of the draft order and claimed Zion Williamson and Ja Morant with their respective picks. That night, the two teams, as well as Williamson and Morant, were immediately connected.

Two years later, the teams made a surprising trade, essentially swapping centers and picks in the 2021 NBA draft. Steven Adams has been a revelation since coming to Memphis and Jonas Valančiūnas is still the dominant paint scorer he was when he was a Grizzly. Ziaire Williams has had his ups and downs but the potential is still obvious and Trey Murphy III has become a valuable rotation player in New Orleans.

Since Morant and Williamson debuted in 2019, the two have only played seven times against each other. Williamson is 5-2 against Morant in his career. In the past three seasons, only two of 13 games between the Grizzlies and Pelicans have been decided by single digits. So, while the two teams have a history, there have yet to be any memorable matchups between the squads. The season series is 2-1 in Memphis’s favor, the last game being played in Memphis on New Year’s Eve. So while these two teams have not had electric matchups like Memphis has had against the Timberwolves and Warriors, if they were to face off in a seven-game series, there is too much talent on both sides to not generate a series of electric matchups.

The Pelicans had climbed toward the top of the Western Conference but Brandon Ingram and Williamson have missed considerable time, and New Orleans has lost nine of their last 11 games. Ingram returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing two months with a toe injury. It was recently reported that Williamson’s hamstring is healing as expected and he is going to be re-evaluated in two weeks.

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The trash talk both on and off the court sparked animosity (and respect) between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. While there has been a lack of jarring and back-and-forths between Memphis and New Orleans, it is only a matter of time until the two teams’ competitiveness gets the best of them. Morant and Williamson might have played AAU ball together, but when real stakes are on the line in the playoffs, their friendliness will be thrown out of the door. Morant and Williamson are aware that they will be compared forever and when legacies are on the line, all bets are off. As for the rest of the team, it is no secret that the Grizzlies’ confidence can rub teams the wrong way. Jose Alvarado also has a tendency to get under the opponent’s skin. The bad blood may not be evident yet but give it time and the sides will have no love lost.

Rivalries are heating up in the NBA. Wednesday night was the perfect example. Tensions were high when the Nets took on the 76ers and the dismay between the Grizzlies and Warriors is certainly real. The Playoffs are the height of competition and if the Grizzlies are to meet the Pelicans in the postseason, there might be a new rivalry brewing. Memphis and New Orleans meet for the fourth and final time on April 5, which could be a pivotal game for playoff seeding.

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