Nobody plays a make-or-break game in their season opener. The Clippers are not broken just because they lost to a bunch of journeymen wearing Lakers uniforms last night. The Bulls will be fine — but they got another taste of how far they have to go in order to be able to compete with the Heat.
But that was last night.
What about Wednesday?
The Grizzlies-Spurs game represents Dave Joerger’s first game at the helm of an NBA team, and we’re going to find out if the motivational master (as he has been called) can get his team to bring their best against the opponent who swept them out of the playoffs in the Western Conference finals a year ago. And he is going to have to do it on the road, in one of the toughest buildings in the NBA.
If they win, they get a morale boost that can carry them through November.
If they lose, they can become overwhelmed by self-doubt.
So is it a make-or-break game for Memphis? Maybe it is, to a degree. More on that, and more on last night’s Miami romp in this podcast with Eric Hasseltine of 92.9 ESPN radio in Memphis.