Mavs-Grizz preview: First of three meetings with no Ja Morant

MEMPHIS – In the NBA, the hoop gods can often be unfair. So you take your good fortune when you can get it.

The Mavericks will see the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night at FedEx Forum for their first meeting of the season. The teams will meet again on Dec. 1 in Dallas.

And again on Dec. 11 in Memphis.

The importance of this? The Mavericks will have three of their four meetings this season against the Grizzlies while star point guard Ja Morant is serving a 25-game suspension.

This isn’t to suggest that Memphis is doomed without Morant in their lineup. But it certainly doesn’t help their situation.

The key is that it’s up to the Mavericks to take advantage of the schedule. Don’t let the old “wounded tiger” theory get you. That’s when you think a tiger, or any other animal, is injured and can’t hurt you. Lots of folks have been bitten by “dead” snakes.

NBA teams are always dangerous, especially when they are 0-3, as the Tigers – oops, I mean Grizzlies – are. They have been in all of their games, which were losses by 7, 7 and 4 points.

Without Morant, they are missing his 26 points and eight assists from last season.

They do have defensive grit with Jaren Jackson Jr. and newly acquired Marcus Smart. The Mavericks will find it more difficult to pile up points like they did in their opening two wins at San Antonio and at home against Brooklyn.

What to look for against the Grizzlies:

• The Mavericks are hoping the Luka Magic just keeps on rolling. Luka Dončić has averaged 41 points in the first two games and has been unstoppable when the games were on the line. If you were looking for somebody who is making a (very) early season push for the MVP award, Luka’s the man. And he’s kicked in 11.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists on top of that.
• The Mavericks tentatively will stick with Luka and Kyrie Irving starting in the backcourt, with Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr. and either Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell or Maxi Kleber at center. The Grizzlies have started Desmond Bane, Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman, Smart and Ziaire Williams in their first three games.
• Bane, the former TCU standout, has averaged 24 points in the first two games with center Jackson adding 15 points and three blocks per game.
• The Grizzlies are having trouble scoring early in the season, hitting just 42.7 percent of their shots and averaging just 104 points, 22^nd in the league.
• The Mavericks lost the last three meetings to the Grizzlies last season after winning the first of the four matchups. They own a 73-35 all-time record against the Grizzlies, including 34-20 in Memphis.

Mavericks (2-0) at Memphis Grizzlies (0-3)

When, where: 7 p.m. Monday at FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn.

TV: Bally Sports Southwest.

Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

X: @ESefko