The 2008-09 Memphis Grizzlies season was a challenging campaign for the franchise, marked by rebuilding efforts and the development of young talent. The Grizzlies, under head coach Marc Iavaroni, started the season with hopes of improving their standing in the Western Conference, but struggled to find consistent form. Iavaroni was replaced midseason by Lionel Hollins. The Grizzlies ended the season with a 24-58 record, placing them 14th in the Western Conference and well out of playoff contention.
The team was led by promising youngsters, including Rudy Gay, who averaged 18.9 points per game, and rookie O.J. Mayo, who was impressive in his debut season averaging 18.5 points per game and earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Another key player was Marc Gasol, who showed potential as a reliable center, averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his rookie season. His development was a highlight in a largely disappointing season.
The Grizzlies’ struggles were partly due to their defensive issues, as they allowed opponents to score an average of 102.5 points per game, which ranked them near the bottom in the league defensively. The season was seen as a stepping stone for future growth, focusing on building around their young core and acquiring additional talent through the draft and trades to become competitive in subsequent seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 24-58
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Memphis Grizzlies Roster and Stats for 2008-09 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Rudy Gay | 79 | 18.9 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 35.1 | |||||||
| O.J. Mayo | 82 | 18.5 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 38.4 | |||||||
| Marc Gasol | 82 | 11.9 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Hakim Warrick | 82 | 11.6 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 21.7 | |||||||
| Mike Conley | 82 | 10.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 40.6 | |||||||
| Kyle Lowry | 49 | 7.6 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 24.6 | |||||||
| Darrell Arthur | 76 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Darko Miličić | 61 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Quinton Ross | 68 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 37.5 | |||||||
| Darius Miles | 34 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 16.7 | |||||||
| Javaris Crittenton | 7 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Marko Jarić | 53 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 39.3 | |||||||
| Hamed Haddadi | 19 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Greg Buckner | 63 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 25.5 | |||||||
| Adonal Foyle | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Memphis Grizzlies 2008-09 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2008-09 season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2008 | @ Houston Rockets | L 82-71 | |
| Oct 31, 2008 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 86-84 | |
| Nov 01, 2008 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 96-86 | |
| Nov 03, 2008 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 90-79 | |
| Nov 05, 2008 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 100-95 | |
| Nov 07, 2008 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 109-104 | |
| Nov 09, 2008 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 100-90 | |
| Nov 10, 2008 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 107-102 | |
| Nov 12, 2008 | vs. New York Knicks | L 132-103 | |
| Nov 14, 2008 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 101-96 | |
| Nov 18, 2008 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 109-94 | |
| Nov 21, 2008 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 91-76 | |
| Nov 22, 2008 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 103-94 | |
| Nov 24, 2008 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 94-81 | |
| Nov 26, 2008 | @ Utah Jazz | L 117-100 | |
| Nov 28, 2008 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 109-98 | |
| Nov 29, 2008 | vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | L 111-103 | |
| Dec 03, 2008 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 105-95 | |
| Dec 05, 2008 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 93-81 | |
| Dec 06, 2008 | @ New Orleans Hornets | L 106-87 | |
| Dec 08, 2008 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 109-97 | |
| Dec 10, 2008 | @ Oklahoma City Thunder | W 108-102 | |
| Dec 12, 2008 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 103-96 | |
| Dec 14, 2008 | vs. Miami Heat | W 102-86 | |
| Dec 16, 2008 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | L 91-84 | |
| Dec 19, 2008 | vs. Charlotte Bobcats | L 112-83 | |
| Dec 22, 2008 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 105-96 | |
| Dec 23, 2008 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 100-82 | |
| Dec 26, 2008 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 108-105 | |
| Dec 27, 2008 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 106-103 | |
| Dec 29, 2008 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 108-98 | |
| Dec 30, 2008 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 101-89 | |
| Jan 02, 2009 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 91-80 | |
| Jan 04, 2009 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 102-82 | |
| Jan 06, 2009 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 94-87 | |
| Jan 07, 2009 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 100-89 | |
| Jan 09, 2009 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 103-82 | |
| Jan 13, 2009 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 102-87 | |
| Jan 16, 2009 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 101-91 | |
| Jan 19, 2009 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 87-79 | |
| Jan 21, 2009 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | L 101-86 | |
| Jan 23, 2009 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-88 | |
| Jan 24, 2009 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 99-88 | |
| Jan 27, 2009 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 100-85 | |
| Jan 28, 2009 | @ Oklahoma City Thunder | L 114-102 | |
| Jan 31, 2009 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 115-98 | |
| Feb 02, 2009 | @ Washington Wizards | W 113-97 | |
| Feb 04, 2009 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 104-93 | |
| Feb 06, 2009 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 126-105 | |
| Feb 07, 2009 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 78-70 | |
| Feb 09, 2009 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | W 85-80 | |
| Feb 11, 2009 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 91-87 | |
| Feb 17, 2009 | @ Utah Jazz | L 117-99 | |
| Feb 18, 2009 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 94-90 | |
| Feb 20, 2009 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 115-106 | |
| Feb 24, 2009 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 94-79 | |
| Feb 25, 2009 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 104-99 | |
| Feb 28, 2009 | vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | L 99-92 | |
| Mar 03, 2009 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 99-89 | |
| Mar 04, 2009 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 118-95 | |
| Mar 07, 2009 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 110-105 | |
| Mar 08, 2009 | @ Houston Rockets | L 93-83 | |
| Mar 11, 2009 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 104-79 | |
| Mar 13, 2009 | @ Boston Celtics | L 102-92 | |
| Mar 15, 2009 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 89-84 | |
| Mar 16, 2009 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 103-92 | |
| Mar 18, 2009 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 111-109 | |
| Mar 20, 2009 | @ New Orleans Hornets | L 96-84 | |
| Mar 21, 2009 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 105-87 | |
| Mar 23, 2009 | @ Miami Heat | L 94-82 | |
| Mar 27, 2009 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 113-95 | |
| Mar 28, 2009 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 86-66 | |
| Mar 30, 2009 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 114-109 | |
| Apr 01, 2009 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 112-107 | |
| Apr 03, 2009 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 107-102 | |
| Apr 04, 2009 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 107-102 | |
| Apr 07, 2009 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 96-93 | |
| Apr 08, 2009 | @ Orlando Magic | L 81-78 | |
| Apr 10, 2009 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 106-89 | |
| Apr 12, 2009 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 92-75 | |
| Apr 13, 2009 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 119-110 | |
| Apr 15, 2009 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 98-90 |