Memphis's First Loss Explained the Grizzlies Better Than 6-0 Ever Could

The NBA's last unbeaten team finally lost Monday night, and the way it happened said more about these Memphis Grizzlies than the six wins that preceded it.

New Orleans outlasted Memphis 135-134 in overtime at FedExForum, ending a 6-0 start that had become the league's most unexpected story. Ty Jerome, the guard who has quietly turned into the team's leading scorer, poured in 40 points on 14-of-22 shooting with five three-pointers and five assists. His game-winner at the buzzer fell short, and Isaiah Stewart's postgame jawing with the Pelicans bench became the night's footnote.

Here's the thing: a team that spent the summer tearing down its core shouldn't be in a one-possession overtime game against anyone, let alone as the last undefeated roster standing. That it stings is the story.

The teardown nobody expected to work this fast

Memphis shipped Ja Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, then moved Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. The rebuild was supposed to take years. Instead, after a home win over Utah in the opener, the Grizzlies ripped off four straight road wins, including a 124-103 dismantling of a previously unbeaten Trail Blazers team in Portland — a game that doubled as Morant's payback opportunity and Memphis's statement.

The engine is rookie Cameron Boozer. The Duke product posted 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in that Portland win, becoming the second-youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. Through seven games he's averaging 17.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 32 minutes — numbers that make the "rookie" label feel like a formality. He set a franchise record for a debut (seven points, 11 rebounds, five assists against Utah) without his shot falling at all.

The supporting cast is doing real work

Jerome is averaging 28.2 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 41.1 percent from three, including a 45-point opener against the Jazz and a 31-point night in Sacramento. Cedric Coward has been the season's most efficient surprise: 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds on 58.3 percent shooting from deep. Zach Edey gives them 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 20 minutes a night.

Collectively, Memphis scores 123.0 points per game and wins by an average of 12.9 — the top net rating in the league at 18.0, ahead of Houston (13.3) and Minnesota (13.1). The Grizzlies are shooting 42.4 percent from three as a team, a full nine points clear of Indiana's 33.3 percent entering Wednesday's home matchup with the Pacers.

The caveat worth keeping in your pocket

Memphis's résumé is softer than the record. Their strength of schedule sits at minus-4.3, and a points-based power rating still slots them around 12th league-wide at +2.52 — up 13 spots in a week, but not top-five. The Pelicans loss was a reminder that this team's margin comes from effort and shooting variance, and both can vanish on a given night.

The immediate schedule will test that. Indiana visits Wednesday before Oklahoma City — a 5-2 team with a legitimately stingy defense — comes to Memphis on Friday. If the Grizzlies split or better that pair, the 6-1 start stops being a curiosity and starts being a problem for the rest of the Western Conference.

Either way, the rebuild's timeline just moved up. The question is no longer whether Memphis can be competitive this season. It's how much of this start is real.