Before the season, supporters of the Memphis Grizzlies certainly would have celebrated the possibility of a 6-3 start. After all, this is a team that won just 25 games last season, and is still in the nascent stage of a rebuild -- with a slew of draft picks coming in the next few seasons.

But it does hit different when you start 6-0 and lose three straight -- including a defensive meltdown against the Oklahoma Thunder, one of the better teams Memphis has faced, even with all the Thunder's injuries.

And so there are some things to fix as the Grizzlies prepare for Monday's game in Toronto, against a Raptors team that is playing reasonably well without Kawhi Leonard.

Sometimes, stats can tell some of the story.

Here are three that warrant watching as the season continues:

1. .339

That's what teenage phenom Cameron Boozer is shooting from the field. For everything that Boozer has done well in his rookie season so far, shooting hasn't been part of that. He's averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, all at or above the most optimistic projections. But the shooting has been rough. The Grizzlies have survived it because Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer have shot so well, but Boozer is second to Jerome in attempts inside and outside the three-point arc, so eventually missing 2 of every shots will bog the offense down -- especially as teams shade toward others to give him open looks. He may not be ultra-efficient for another season or two, but he needs to at least rise to mediocre. His shooting is likely one of the reasons why the Grizzlies have actually had a much better net rating when he sits. He's a very good free throw shooter (95 percent on 4.4 attempts per game) so the tools are there for him to improve, once he finds his NBA spots.

2. 15.1

That's how many more points per 100 possessions that the Grizzlies are allowing when center Zach Edey is off the court, as opposed to on. They're absolutely elite when he plays (97.5), but only average when off. That margin needs to be shrunk a bit. Tuomas Iisalo can't replicate Edey's presence, but the coach should keep tinkering to find combinations and schemes that can keep opponents under control while Edey gets his rest -- he's averaging under 21 minutes per game,, and that may not increase for a while.

3. 6 of 9

That's how many games the Grizzlies have been able to play their core starting lineup -- Jerome, Jaylen Wells, Coward, Boozer and Edey -- so far. And the results have been really good, when it's happened. The group has a plus-11.0 net rating, one of the better starting groups in the league. It has a little of everything. Shooting from Jerome. Playmaking from Boozer. Deterrence from Edey. And multi-faceted wings in Coward and Wells. The more of this, the better the chance that Memphis can sustain what still registers as a strong start.