There was a span of 15 seconds inside FedExForum on Monday that made it feel like the Grizzlies were really, truly back.

The sequence started with Dillon Brooks on the floor tangled with Magic guard Jalen Suggs in the middle of the second quarter. As he dove for the loose ball, Brooks climbed over his opponent, putting him in a quasi headlock before staggering out of the pile with a villainous grin on his face. 

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But it only would get worse for Suggs, because on the very next possession Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant jumped the passing lane and raced to the other end for an open dunk while spinning 360 degrees in mid-air. 

.@JaMorant making 360 dunks look easy. ?? pic.twitter.com/AwymQ3oYlt

— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) October 4, 2022

Everyone in the arena could have nodded their heads in unison. This season’s version of the Grizzlies looked exactly like the team that left Memphis for San Francisco one last time in May. 

They are still high flying, still lightning quick, still unapologetically brash and still talented enough to beat up on some of the league’s rebuilding teams. The flashy dunks, no-look passes, profanity-laced trash talk and lopsided score stamped it true. 

“Preseason, regular season, playoffs, if I’m out there on the court, I’m giving it 100% at all times,” Morant said. “That’s my mindset coming into any game.”

Memphis dismissed Orlando, 109-97, in the second preseason game. It was the first exhibition of the Grizzlies with their typical starters available. They handled their business with relative ease.

Aldama looks sharp

As expected, second-year forward Santi Aldama got the nod as the starting power forward in the Grizzlies’ first preseason game using the stars. He looked like he belonged as much as the rest of them. 

Aldama knocked in his first two 3-point shots from the extended elbow and grabbed two rebounds before Brandon Clarke checked in to replace him. When he returned, he doubled that production with two more triples, including one on a bank from the top of the key. 

The forward’s outside shot might have the biggest impact in replacing injured teammate Jaren Jackson Jr.’s offensive production as he recovers from offseason foot surgery. The Spanish big man struggled from the outside during his rookie season but made more than 40% of his attempts from beyond the arc at summer league. The spacing helps keep the lane clear for superstar Morant to attack the basket, which he did repeatedly against Orlando. 

So for those hoping to jump on the Aldama bandwagon: This is your chance to get in relatively early. 

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Aldama’s four triples and 14 points in the first half aided the Grizzlies in quickly building a double-digit lead during the first quarter. They went on to extend their advantage to 14 by halftime. 

HAVE ALL THE SANTI TRIPLES!

4/4 for @santialdama pic.twitter.com/sxZZ5sIq0l

— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) October 4, 2022

Aldama’s final stat line: 21 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. It was an extremely encouraging night for the big man that several Grizzlies players promised would surprise fans this season. 

“I really like what I’ve seen from Santi all summer,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “The last two games he’s had an aggressiveness on the offensive end, and he’s done a great job spacing the floor and finding his spots. His teammates are finding him and he’s shooting it with confidence.”

Ready for the show

Tee Morant, father of Ja, promised a show in his pregame lap around the lower bowl of the arena a few minutes before tipoff. Like usual, his son delivered.

But it wasn’t just the 360 dunk. It was the full Morant package.

The speedy point guard posted a 22-point, seven-assist and four-rebound performance in just 22 minutes on the floor. Morant hit lob passes to Clarke and outlet flings to Ziaire Williams. He also had no trouble getting to his signature left-handed scoop layup, which he dropped in at least three times. 

“Yeah that was easy,” Morant said about his drives. “I have been working on a lot of agility stuff, landing and jumping to get my legs stronger. It felt like I had a little burst today. I can credit that for getting to the rim and getting by my defender.”

Morant spent much of the offseason working on shooting so he can free space for himself on the perimeter. It worked perfectly in his first preseason game.

After he knocked down his first try from 3-point range on Monday, he drove past the closing Orlando defenders the rest of the way. Five times he went to the free-throw line for foul shots, making seven of 10 tries. 

“As far as how I play, that was pretty much it,” Morant said. “Attack the paint and make reads out of it. Today I was able to get to the rim for layups and kick-outs.”

12. ?? pic.twitter.com/PUcFKSzdAw

— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) October 4, 2022

Morant limped off the floor when he was subbed out for the final time during the third quarter, but clarified to coach Taylor Jenkins that it was only a cramp. 

Rotation notes

The preseason is a time for trying new things but also reading between the lines. Jenkins shared a bit of an early blueprint for the start of the regular season, although no decisions are final until Oct. 19. 

• Aldama, as previously noted, was the player who started in place of Jackson at power forward. If he was already the frontrunner for the job, he is close to a lock for that spot now. 
• Desmond Bane was the first substitute out of the game, which set him up to play more minutes with the second unit. His pairing with Tyus Jones gives the Grizzlies two outside shooters and point men in that grouping after De’Anthony Melton was traded to Philadelphia this offseason. 
• Rookie Jake LaRavia played rotation minutes with the bench unit, essentially taking Kyle Anderson’s old positioning. His fellow first-round draft pick, David Roddy, didn’t enter the game until the beginning of the fourth quarter. 

“That was my first crack (at a rotation) with our guys not playing the first game,” Jenkins said. “I like what I saw out of Santi the last two games. I liked what I saw from Jake in this game, and Roddy the first game. All these guys are playing well. It’s going to be a great topic for us to discuss. We have three more preseason games, I may change things up.”