3 Takeaways From Grizzlies' 123-103 Season-Opening Win Over Jazz

There's always a temptation to overreact to season openers, but it's going to be especially hard to do so in these three takeaways from the Memphis Grizzlies' first game.

This was not what anyone expected.

Yes, Memphis was seen as a potential surprise team in 2026-27. We knew they might be more competitive than expected, but nobody thought they'd smack the Utah Jazz in a 123-103 season opener.

How did this even happen?

Jerome wasn't simply good last night:

He was the best player on the floor by a country mile.

Jerome had 45 points on 17-of-25 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 shooting from downtown, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. He did everything for Memphis last night.

Anyone questioning whether last season's production was due to a small sample size had their question answered in this contest.

Jerome also broke the Grizzlies' opening-night scoring record, surpassing Ja Morant's previous mark of 44.

We've talked a lot about Jerome as a potential trade chip. The season is long, but if this continues, he may be the answer to Memphis' "who's the point guard of the future?" question instead.

Memphis looked ready to win:

And their most important player even had a difficult night.

It wasn't a picturesque opening night for Boozer. He had 7 points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field.

It was ugly:

But it wasn't a big deal whatsoever.

If you watched this one, you know Boozer did a lot of good. He had 11 rebounds to go with 5 assists, but that assist total could have been higher. Boozer was making great passes all night, many of which led to free-throw attempts for the Grizzlies.

He was also setting strong screens all night.

Boozer played the right way, and the shot just wasn't falling. Rookies are expected to struggle, and Grizzlies fans should be encouraged by his debut showing.

That fits with what Boozer said before the season about how his feel for the game would translate to the NBA.

If there was any player to worry about, it wasn't him.

Edey was excellent last night — in the 21 minutes he played.

That's the problem.

He's not officially on a minutes restriction, and that's almost the most concerning part. For Memphis to unlock its potential, it needs to be able to rely on Edey as a full-time contributor.

There's no reason to panic.

Head coach Tuomas Iisalo may have deemed it wise to pull Edey with the Grizzlies dominating the game. That's fine, but this is something to keep an eye on as the season continues.

Edey's health was already one of Memphis' biggest questions entering the year, even after he returned during the preseason.

It's just not something to overreact to.