Grizzlies 2010-2011 Schedule Released

Sorry I've been away from the blogosphere for a while, Grizzlies fans. We, the Grizzlife team, have been working on revolutionizing the blog and becoming a beneficial member of the Memphis community through the development of a multi-faceted marketing strategy. We'll provide more information about that in the coming days and weeks. But enough about us; let's talk Grizzlies.

As you might be aware, the NBA released its full 2010-2011 schedule on August 10. Here is a link to the full schedule, but I want to point out some of the highlights. First, the Memphis Grizzlies will kick off their 2010-2011 season at home against the Atlanta Hawks on October 27. The Forum is sure to be rocking that night as Memphis gets its first look at a (hopefully) playoff-bound team.

The first month of the season will arguably be the most interesting. Twelve of the first eighteen games on the Grizzlies' slate are against teams that made the playoffs last season. By November 30, the Grizzlies will have hosted the Hawks, Suns, Mavericks, Celtics, Trail Blazers, Heat and Lakers. Additionally, we will have traveled to play the Mavericks, Magic and Cavaliers. I'm not going to sugarcoat it: the first month of the season will be brutal. If we can steal some games from elite teams and beat the teams we're supposed to, we could enter December with a great record. What hurt the team so much last year was the 1-8 start. Although we eventually ditched AI and started playing as a team, that start proved to be too much to overcome and ultimately kept us out of the playoffs. We have a chance to reverse that trend this year.

Outside of the first month of the season, there are many other great matchups throughout the season. On December 29, University of Memphis alum Tyreke Evans leads the Sacramento Kings into FedEx Forum. In my opinion, the Kings are one of the best young teams in the NBA and have a chance to win a title or two down the road. On January 4, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder come to town. The Thunder have become a psuedo-rival of the Grizzlies and are arguably the most well-run team in the league. In a two-week span in January, two elite Eastern Conference teams, the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic, visit the Bluff City.

There are certainly many more exciting games on the schedule, but those are some that intrigued me. I encourage you to buy a season ticket (or at least come to as many games as you can). This year's Grizzlies team needs us more than ever and we as a city need to come together and show ownership that we have what it takes to support an NBA franchise.

Meet me at the Forum,

Owen