Jerome Breaks Morant's Record — Curry's Warriors Are Next
GOATIFYThe player who replaced Ja Morant as Memphis' starting point guard has already erased one of Morant's franchise marks. Ty Jerome poured in 45 points in Wednesday's 123–103 win over Utah, the highest-scoring season opener in Grizzlies history. The celebration lasted one night. On Friday, October 23, Jerome and the new-look Grizzlies visit Stephen Curry and a Golden State Warriors team desperate to respond to a 22-point opening defeat.
That contrast makes the matchup more revealing than the records suggest. Memphis is 1–0 after a spectacular offensive display; Golden State is 0–1 after a 127–105 loss to the Lakers. One team must show that its new identity can travel. The other must prove that an ugly first game does not define its season.
Jerome's 45 points did more than break Morant's opening-night record
Jerome's first regular-season start of 2026–27 was the kind of performance that changes the conversation around an entire roster. He scored 45 points on 17-for-25 shooting, hit five of his 10 attempts from three-point range and added seven rebounds and six assists. The Grizzlies beat Utah by 20. More importantly for the team's new identity, Jerome surpassed Morant's previous Memphis season-opening record of 44 points, set in 2020.
Those numbers are extraordinary even without the Morant comparison. Jerome converted 68% of his field-goal attempts and scored 36.6% of Memphis' 123 points. His previous NBA career high had been 33, reached with Cleveland against Philadelphia in January 2025. Wednesday was not simply an efficient 20-point game inflated by a few late free throws; it was an unusually high-volume scoring performance from a guard who had not previously been the face of a franchise.
The context matters. Morant's departure to Portland in the summer removed Memphis' most recognizable offensive creator and opened a starting job. Jerome arrived in Memphis in 2025 after stops with multiple NBA teams, including a spell with Golden State, but injuries limited him to 15 appearances last season. A 45-point opener does not retroactively erase those interruptions, and it cannot by itself establish that Jerome will score like an All-Star for 82 games.
What it does establish is that defenses must respect more than a replacement ball-handler. Jerome punished Utah inside the arc and from deep, and his six assists made the performance more than a one-man shooting exhibition. He can score when a defense stays attached and distribute when it sends help. Against the Warriors, the question becomes whether those reads remain sharp when Golden State changes coverages, crowds his driving lanes and asks other Grizzlies to finish possessions.
There is an obvious narrative temptation to call Jerome the new Morant after one night. The better test is simpler: can Memphis generate good shots on the possessions when Jerome does not have a hot hand? The answer will matter far more to the team's season than any individual scoring record.
Grant, Boozer and the new Memphis core offer a second path to winning
Memphis' opening win was not a 45-point solo act. Jerami Grant, acquired from Portland in the Morant deal, scored 15 points. GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells contributed 12 apiece. Rookie Cameron Boozer managed only seven points, but his 11 rebounds and five assists helped the Grizzlies win the rebounding battle 55–38. Those contributions explain why the margin grew even while some of Memphis' most intriguing players struggled to shoot.
Boozer's box score is particularly revealing. The No. 3 draft pick made two of 15 field-goal attempts and missed all six three-pointers. On a night when a highly touted rookie might have become the story for the wrong reasons, his rebounding and passing kept him useful. The lesson is not that shooting does not matter; Memphis cannot expect to survive that efficiency against elite opponents indefinitely. It is that Boozer can still influence the game while he adjusts to NBA length and defensive speed.
Grant gives the roster a different sort of balance. He is the only Grizzlies player older than 30, a veteran scorer joining a group deliberately getting younger. His 15 points against Utah were a useful counterweight to Jerome's eruption. When Jerome attracts a second defender, Memphis needs a teammate comfortable catching, attacking a rotating defense or taking a timely jumper. Grant is one candidate to provide that answer, with Jackson and Wells supplying further options.
The team's advantage on the glass also deserves attention. A 17-rebound margin gave Memphis room to absorb missed shots, including Boozer's rough offensive debut. Zach Edey collected nine rebounds, while Jackson added eight. Rebounding does not make a young offense automatically reliable, but it reduces the cost of cold stretches and limits opponents' second opportunities.
Coach Tuomas Iisalo has emphasized speed, quick decisions and collective effort as the foundation for the rebuild. Those principles are easier to sustain than a nightly 45-point explosion. If Memphis can move the ball before the defense gets organized and keep its rebounding edge, the new lineup has a route to competitive basketball even when Jerome comes back to earth. Friday is the first chance to see whether that formula works away from FedExForum.
Utah's 103 points left Memphis a warning beneath the blowout
The scoreboard says Memphis cruised. The sequence of the game tells a more complicated story. Utah actually led 31–29 after the first quarter. Memphis seized control with a 35–20 second period and carried a 64–51 lead into halftime. An 18–4 burst to open the third stretched the gap to 82–55, and the Grizzlies led by as many as 27 before closing out a 123–103 win.
That run was a statement about pace and pressure. It was also a reminder that a big lead can hide small habits. Jerome acknowledged afterward that Memphis stopped getting back on defense consistently during part of the second half. Against Utah, the cushion was large enough to survive those lapses. Against Curry and Golden State, loose transition defense can turn a comfortable possession into an open three before a coach has time to call for adjustments.
The Jazz still had productive individual performances. Keyonte George scored 22 points, Lauri Markkanen had 18 points and nine rebounds, and former Memphis standout Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 before fouling out in his return to FedExForum. Utah played without center Jusuf Nurkic, sidelined by a foot injury, which limited the visitors' available size. The Grizzlies' 55–38 rebounding advantage was real, but the opponent's missing big man is relevant when projecting whether it will happen again.
For Memphis, the best sign was the ability to respond after falling behind early. The Grizzlies did not need Jerome to manufacture every point of the comeback. Their second-quarter improvement, Grant's contribution and the collective work on the boards created a more sustainable lead. Yet the game also exposed how quickly defensive focus can drift when an offense is making shots.
The next opponent changes the punishment for that drift. Golden State has a long history of creating high-value looks through movement, screening and Curry's shooting gravity. Even if the Warriors are short-handed, Memphis cannot assume that a poor Lakers performance will carry over unchanged. Friday's most useful indicator may be how the Grizzlies defend immediately after a miss or turnover, not how many points Jerome has at halftime.
Curry's Warriors have their own 22-point problem to solve
Golden State's opening result was almost the opposite of Memphis' celebration. The Warriors lost 127–105 to the Lakers on Wednesday and trailed by as many as 35. Curry scored 23 points, but no teammate reached 15. The Warriors are entering their first home game with an immediate question: where does dependable offense come from when Curry is pressured or resting?
That is not a problem solved by asking the 38-year-old guard to shoot more on every trip. Golden State needs cleaner possessions, better support from its secondary creators and more reliable defense. The opening loss showed what can happen when those pieces fail together. Curry remains one of the league's most dangerous long-range threats, but the team around him must create enough space and movement for his shooting to matter throughout the game.
Availability is part of the challenge. Golden State began the season without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porziņģis, while Brandin Podziemski also missed the Lakers game. The exact lineup for Friday remains subject to team updates, so it would be premature to declare every absence unchanged. What is clear is that the Warriors are still trying to establish a dependable rotation after an uneven finish to last season and a disappointing opener.
Memphis will arrive with a different concern: how to prevent the Warriors from turning missed assignments into three-point runs. Curry scored 23 against Los Angeles despite the blowout. A couple of defensive possessions with poor communication can still change the mood of a home crowd. Memphis should test Golden State's interior defense through Jerome's drives and Boozer's activity while resisting the temptation to trade quick, low-quality jumpers with a team built around one of the greatest shooters ever.
There is a useful historical counterpoint. Golden State won all three meetings with Memphis last season, but these are not the same rosters. Morant now plays in Portland, Jerome has a larger role, Grant has changed teams and Boozer is beginning his NBA career. The head-to-head record offers context, not a forecast.
Friday's game at Chase Center is therefore a test of adaptability on both sides. The Grizzlies want to show that their new system can create offense without relying on another 45-point night. The Warriors want to prove they can compete with better balance than they showed against the Lakers. Both goals are achievable, but neither has been established by a single game.
Jerome's 45-point debut deserves the headlines, especially because it surpassed Morant's franchise opening-night record. The bigger story is whether Memphis can turn that unexpected explosion into an identity based on speed, rebounding and shared decision-making. Golden State offers the first serious road test, and Curry's Warriors have their own urgency after losing by 22 to Los Angeles.
Watch Jerome's efficiency when Golden State sends extra help, Boozer's value when his shot is not falling, and how consistently Memphis gets back on defense. For the Warriors, watch who creates shots when Curry is denied easy touches. The answers will reveal more about both teams than the final score of either opening night.
