Grizzlies tore down their core. So how are they the NBA's last unbeaten team?

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.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:NBA: Spike Lee hopes Knicks skip Trump White House visit despite Dolan's wishesCameron Boozer is Grizzlies' next starYaxel 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.Cam Boozer starred in last night's Memphis win!27 PTS (career-high, 17 in 3Q)9 REB26 MINThe Grizzlies are 6-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 NBA season 🔥pic.twitter.com/1GMWqHQyRp— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2026NBA misjudged Grizzlies' depthThe 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.Grizzlies' schedule has been softMemphis 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?