Preseason opener revealed Grizzlies' concerning flaw

The Memphis Grizzlies escaped Dallas with a win and a major injury scare from superstar point guard Ja Morant. While emotions ran wild for the Grind City fans, seeing the stars back in action was a welcoming sight.

As the preseason unfolds, we'll discover more about the team and where it stands among the other Western Conference giants. On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks were without their three best players. But there were still some positive takeaways on the night, perhaps none bigger than the Ja news, and the entire roster exited the evening healthy.

The Grizzlies also showed some things fans hope aren't harbingers of future things. While rust is expected in the preseason, especially for a team reuniting its core players after significant time off, it is something to watch as we march toward the start of the regular season.

Was a significant weakness exposed?

Despite Morant rolling his ankle, he finished the night with a strong output across the board, scoring 13 points and a highlight reel-worthy moment when he brushed his head on the rim when executing a gorgeous chase-down block.

Memphis was also met with an impressive performance by emerging big man Brandon Clarke, who returned late last season after a long recovery from a torn Achilles. Fans saw the 28-year-old operate with complete confidence and full health, tallying 17 points on the night.

Red flag: Turnovers

While individual performances were noteworthy, and the team won, there was a particular red flag. The team committed a whopping 23 turnovers — 12 by the starters — to just 14 for Dallas. If the opposing team had its full roster available, that number of Grizzlies turnovers would have been enough to trigger a blowout in the home team's favor.

"That [turnover] number is far too high," said Joe Mullinax from the Locked On Grizzlies show. "No matter how much ball movement is happening, no matter how excited I am about Ja Morant being off the ball a little bit... I think that turnover number is concerning. I'm sure it'll go down as they get more comfortable. But this offense does not have the firepower; they do not have the scoring — especially from beyond the arc — to be losing those many scoring chances."

"No defense is going to overcome that," he added. "They have to protect the ball better."

Excellent passing game

There must be more than this small sample size to cause a huge concern. But if it happens again in the preseason, it can become bulletin board material for the team leading up to its regular-season opener against the Utah Jazz.

The Grizzlies did, however, tally a stunning 35 assists compared to 26 for Dallas in Monday's win, which helped the final assist-to-turnover ratio look a lot better.

That number of assists is a recipe for success, but success can only happen if the opponent is not gifted with scoring opportunities.

While there were more positive takeaways than negative, turnovers are something to watch for in Thursday night's contest.

Related: Brandon Clarke shines as Grizzlies win preseason opener