New Orleans Pelicans: A Budding Rivalry With the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021

Don’t be surprised when the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies begin playing competitive games in 2021

I love the idea of rivalries because not only do I get to enjoy rooting for a team to win, I also love rooting for someone to lose. It becomes a near obsession being able to look at the schedule and circle those games and saying “Man, I wanna blow that team’s doors off”! So far in their NBA existence, the New Orleans Pelicans haven’t had a rivalry like that but I think that’s going to change this season.

Enter the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are a team in the Pelicans’ own Southwest division, and in people in league, circles are viewing them as one of the league’s biggest risers next to the Pelicans. It’s all because of the young talent.

Every day, we talk about the burgeoning young talent on the New Orleans Pelicans roster, writing a lot about the development of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson. We like giving fellow youngsters Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker love as well. What about the youth on the Memphis Grizzlies?

The Memphis Grizzlies have their own impressive young core led by Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Just like the Pelicans, they also have young complementary pieces like Justice Winslow and De’Anthony Melton. There’s the fuel to the rivalry, but here’s where the rivalry comes alive.

The Ja Morant-Zion Williamson relationship is the reason for a New Orleans Pelicans-Memphis Grizzlies rivalry.

That’s right, this matchup comes alive because of the duo of Ja Morant and Zion Williamson. Not only were these two amazing talents taken with the first two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, but they also have a history dating back to childhood hoops.

Long before playing on the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson was running the AAU circuit with Ja Morant by his side. These two players were teammates and friends with a healthy commroduary that lives to this day.

The debates between Morant and Williamson are now heating up. It started with Williamson winning on draft night, becoming the number one overall pick everyone regarded as a generational talent. Now, Morant is delivering his blow by winning the Rookie of the Year award receiving 99 out of 100 first-place votes.

Historically it’s always the two stars that make the rivalry and that’s the case here as both these young stars are having their careers intertwine from the beginning like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson so many years before.

Why the New Orleans Pelicans-Memphis Grizzlies Rivalry Begins in 2021

The reason why I see this rivalry beginning in 2021 is because of the one game that the duo played in the NBA bubble. A 109-99 win for the New Orleans Pelicans back in August is the preview for this rivalry.

This is the game where we saw Morant and Williamson both play on an equal playing field and it’s just the beginning. Next season, we’ll see Morant and Williamson both healthy in year two with upgraded rosters surrounding them.

Just imagine, four games with between the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans where Morant and Williamson lead rosters of young stars and battle down to the wire. Those games will make or break division standings, which is a deciding factor in playoff standings.

I think this past August was just the beginning and I can’t wait to see the New Orleans Pelicans develop a full-fledged rivalry with the Memphis Grizzlies for years to come!