2026-10-16 · 7:00 PM CT · Preseason
Charlotte Hornets44-38
Memphis Grizzlies25-57ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
Charlotte Hornets2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 116.0 | 13 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 46.1 | 5 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 26.3 | 15 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 14.4 | 22 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 7.0 | 29 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 4.5 | 21 / 30 |
| FG% | 46.0% | 25 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 37.8% | 3 / 30 |
| FT% | 81.8% | 2 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 55.2% | 12 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.8% | 24 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.244 | 23 / 30 |
Memphis Grizzlies2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 114.7 | 20 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 42.1 | 23 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 27.8 | 10 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 14.6 | 24 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 8.8 | 10 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 4.8 | 16 / 30 |
| FG% | 45.6% | 27 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 35.3% | 22 / 30 |
| FT% | 79.3% | 9 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 53.3% | 24 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.7% | 22 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.251 | 21 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
This is preseason. Use the team numbers as background and watch how the new lineups play together. No spread or Lab win probability is published for this game.
Last season 44-38 | 9th in the East | Lost in SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
2025-26 efficiency 118.4 offense | 113.5 defense | +4.9 net per 100 possessions
Charlotte finished ninth at 44-38 and lost in the Play-In. Its 118.4 offensive rating and plus-4.9 net rating made the season more impressive than that ending. LaMelo Ball was important to the improvement, and the offense was 12.6 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. Removing that creation changes what the returning shooting can accomplish.
Jeff Peterson shifted the core toward Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, trading Ball and Miles Bridges while adding Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Dennis Schroder. Coby White provides another guard option. Late trades reshuffled the supporting guards without replacing Ball's established offensive responsibility. The central plan is more balanced development around the young wings.
The concern is creating good attempts without the passer who made so many of them available. Miller's shoulder recovery and Knueppel's hamstring injury also complicate the opening weeks. Management has assembled shooting and useful veterans, but the immediate creation burden still shifts toward players adjusting to larger roles. Keeping the floor spread does not help enough if the ball never reaches the open player on time.
Projected finish is 11th in the East. We respect the efficiency baseline, but discount it for the departure of Ball and early availability questions. Charlotte should remain competitive and can get back into the Play-In race. The clearer long-term identity is a positive. The next proof is that it can produce an efficient offense without borrowing the credit from last year's point guard.
Last season 25-57 | 13th in the West | Missed postseason
2025-26 efficiency 112.4 offense | 118.4 defense | -6.0 net per 100 possessions
Memphis finished 13th at 25-57 with a minus-6.0 net rating. Its old core had already begun to dissolve when Jaren Jackson Jr. moved to Utah during the season. Ja Morant's summer trade to Portland makes the change of direction unmistakable. The next successful Grizzlies team will need to establish its own strengths.
Zach Kleiman drafted Cameron Boozer and added Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post among the roster changes. Boozer provides the potential centerpiece, with Cedric Coward coming off an encouraging rookie season. Stewart supplies toughness and frontcourt support. Zach Edey's availability is important because his size can give the young lineup a concrete advantage rather than only future promise.
The concern is how the frontcourt functions together and who consistently starts the offense. A collection of big players can rebound well without defending effectively in space. Ty Jerome's productive scoring came in a small sample last season, so it should not be treated as established full-season starter production. Kleiman has made the timeline clearer, but the young players still need dependable guard play and a more stable defensive structure.
Projected finish is 13th in the West. Boozer's skill and the frontcourt additions should keep Memphis from being an automatic win for opponents. We remain cautious about an immediate Play-In leap after a 27th-ranked defense. The productive version of this season would identify sustainable combinations and give Boozer a team to grow within, rather than asking a rookie to become the entire operating system.
A matching published game video is not available in the verified archive yet.
