Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY Mon, November 2, 2026 at 7:16 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There's only one undefeated team left in the NBA , and few would have predicted it before the 2026-27 season began .
The Memphis Grizzlies are raising eyebrows across the league with a perfect 6-0 record after their front office spent the past 18 months recalibrating the team's roster by trading away Ja Morant , Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane . One more victory on Monday, Nov. 2, against the New Orleans Pelicans would set a record for the best start in franchise history.
A Grizzlies' nucleus featuring 2026 first-round pick Cameron Boozer, 2025 first-round pick Cedric Coward, 2024 first-round pick Zach Edey and guard Ty Jerome appears capable of exceeding expectations after they were the only team in the league to not have a player included in USA TODAY's top 100 player rankings prior to the season. Six games later, they could be the Western Conference playoff contender nobody expected .
Signature shoes, rare colorways and player exclusives help NBA stars stand out this season. Take a look at some of the coolest sneakers being worn around the league. A close up of the Li-Ning sneakers worn by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during their game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on October 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) A close up of the Nike sneakers worn by Cameron Boozer of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) A detailed view of of the shoes worn by Jaylen Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) A detailed view of shoes on guard Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) A detailed view of LeBron James' of the Philadelphia 76ers shoes during the first quarter of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) A detailed view of the basketball shoes of Trae Young of the Washington Wizards against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Capital One Arena on October 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) The shoes of Yang Hansen of the Portland Trail Blazers are seen during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) The shoes of Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns are seen during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) The shoes of Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers are seen during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) Detail of the Skechers sneakers worn by Julius Randle of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center on October 21, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) A detailed view of the shoes of Keaton Wagler of the Los Angeles Clippers before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome on October 21, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Luke Hales, Getty Images) A detailed view of Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks shoes prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) A detailed view of Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks shoes prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) A detailed view of LeBron James of the Philadelphia 76ers shoes during the third quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Shoes worn by Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on October 20, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) A detailed view of Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoes during the third quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) A close up of the sneakers worn by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of their preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center on October 16, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) A close up of the sneakers worn by Yaxel Lendeborg of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center on October 16, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) A close up of the sneakers worn by Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 16, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) A detailed view of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoes during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) A detailed view of the KD19 shoes worn by Quadir Copeland of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) A detailed view of the shoes of Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on October 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Luke Hales, Getty Images) Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons shoes during a pre season game against the Phoenix Suns at Little Caesars Arena on October 05, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) A view of the shoes worn by Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Rocket Arena on September 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett, Getty Images) A detailed view of Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets shoes as he poses for a photo during the Houston Rockets Media Day at Hilton Americas-Houston on September 22, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 1 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season Signature shoes, rare colorways and player exclusives help NBA stars stand out this season. Take a look at some of the coolest sneakers being worn around the league. A close up of the Li-Ning sneakers worn by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during their game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on October 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 1 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season Signature shoes, rare colorways and player exclusives help NBA stars stand out this season. Take a look at some of the coolest sneakers being worn around the league. A close up of the Li-Ning sneakers worn by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during their game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on October 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 2 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A close up of the Nike sneakers worn by Cameron Boozer of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 3 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of of the shoes worn by Jaylen Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 4 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of shoes on guard Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 5 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of LeBron James' of the Philadelphia 76ers shoes during the first quarter of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 6 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of the basketball shoes of Trae Young of the Washington Wizards against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Capital One Arena on October 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) 7 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season The shoes of Yang Hansen of the Portland Trail Blazers are seen during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 8 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season The shoes of Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns are seen during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 9 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season The shoes of Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers are seen during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 10 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season Detail of the Skechers sneakers worn by Julius Randle of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center on October 21, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 11 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of the shoes of Keaton Wagler of the Los Angeles Clippers before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome on October 21, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Luke Hales, Getty Images) 12 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks shoes prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 13 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks shoes prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 14 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of LeBron James of the Philadelphia 76ers shoes during the third quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 15 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season Shoes worn by Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on October 20, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 16 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoes during the third quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 17 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A close up of the sneakers worn by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of their preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center on October 16, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 18 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A close up of the sneakers worn by Yaxel Lendeborg of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center on October 16, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 19 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A close up of the sneakers worn by Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 16, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 20 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoes during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 21 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of the KD19 shoes worn by Quadir Copeland of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 22 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of the shoes of Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on October 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Luke Hales, Getty Images) 23 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons shoes during a pre season game against the Phoenix Suns at Little Caesars Arena on October 05, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 24 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A view of the shoes worn by Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Rocket Arena on September 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett, Getty Images) 25 / 25 See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season A detailed view of Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets shoes as he poses for a photo during the Houston Rockets Media Day at Hilton Americas-Houston on September 22, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) During the past 20 seasons, the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA has failed to qualify for the playoffs just three times. No team since the 1998-99 Seattle Supersonics has started a season with at least six wins in a row and not made it to the NBA's postseason.
So how have the Grizzlies pulled off this early season surprise? Here are three reasons why Memphis is the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA before games played on Monday, Nov. 2:
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Yaxel Lendeborg is suddenly the trendy pick to be the NBA's rookie of the year thanks to a batch of big early season performances, but Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer is the only rookie with a game-winner and a triple-double so far. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has quickly become a hub for the Memphis offense, distributing the ball on offense and forming a fearsome pairing inside with Edey.
Though his overall shooting numbers are lagging and he won't wow you with athletic feats, Boozer is still shooting nearly 37% from 3-point range and looks to be a potential cornerstone in the mold of Tim Duncan with his diverse skill set. Perhaps more importantly, his promising production in the first six games have helped shift the narrative after an offseason of uncertainty about the changing roster.
The Grizzlies might not have a star with the commercial crossover potential Morant once had, but the roster was in much better shape than many NBA prognosticators expected after the team traded away Morant, Jackson, Bane and Santi Aldama in various deals. Memphis currently has 13 players averaging at least 12 minutes per game as coach Tuomas Iisalo often uses an 11-man rotation.
Jerome, who missed most of last season after being signed by the Grizzlies, was the league's leading scorer during the first week of the season. Coward and Jaylen Wells have shown growth as 3-point shooters and Edey, despite being on a minutes restriction, has been a dominating rebounder and defensive anchor based on advanced metrics. Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, acquired in trades this past offseason, have provided a veteran presence off a bench that seems to come in waves.
That approach might not work in the postseason, and it caused issues when Morant clashed with Iisalo last year. But it's proving effective during the first month of an NBA season that's been defined by the number of injuries impact players have already suffered.
Memphis has shown undeniable signs that it was overlooked heading into the 2026-27 season and swept a four-game road trip as part of this hot start. But it also hasn't beaten a team expected to contend for either conference title.
The Grizzlies have beaten the NBA's only winless team twice (Sacramento Kings) and have two wins over a team with a 1-5 record heading into Monday (Utah Jazz). They'll be favored against the struggling Pelicans.
But Memphis also orchestrated a comeback over the Golden State Warriors and handed the Portland Trail Blazers their first loss of the season. Morant played against his former team for the first time in Portland and left with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least a month.
Six games don't validate a rebuild, and the schedule toughens in the coming weeks. But as Morant faces another extended absence and the Grizzlies keep piling up wins, the franchise's decision to dismantle the roster built around him looks less like a gamble and more like foresight.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grizzlies tore down their core. So how are they the NBA's last unbeaten team?
Source: Sports
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