Memphis Grizzlies
Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Spurs and the Warriors in the play-in tournament to claim the 8-seed in the Western Conference. They ultimately lost in the first round to the Utah Jazz, but not before they stole Game 1, defeating the Jazz in Salt Lake City.
At that moment, something clicked for this Grizzlies’ franchise and now, it does not appear that they are rebuilding any longer. Ja Morant has looked like an All-Star guard for Memphis and with Jaren Jackson Jr., Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, and others stepping up around him, the Grizzlies have turned themselves into one of the deeper teams in the league.
It is hard to judge young teams because of all the energy they bring, but what makes this young group in Memphis special is the fact that they all look like multi-year veterans. The Memphis Grizzlies play so well together and not only rank 6th in the league in offensive rating, but they have made huge strides in improving their defense to rank 14th in the league in defensive rating.
This is very respectable for a team that has just three players on their roster with at least five years of playing experience in the NBA!
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Right now, the Memphis Grizzlies are 22-14 in the Western Conference, which is not only good enough for a playoff spot but good enough to be the 4-seed. Having the second-best point differential in the Western Conference and being the best fast-break team in the league, there is a lot to enjoy about this Memphis squad.
As time goes on, they are only going to get better playing together, and with Ja Morant finally, on the mend from a left knee sprain, the Grizzlies truly could be one of the more competitive teams in the Western Conference.
This team is very similar to that of the Atlanta Hawks last season in the sense that they have one star (Ja Morant) and a ton of high-level talents surrounding them.
The Hawks went on to make the Eastern Conference Finals last season and while the Memphis Grizzlies may not have enough to get past the Suns or Warriors en route to the Western Conference Finals, this team can absolutely win a playoff series for the first time since 2015.
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Proceed with caution overlooking this year’s Grizzlies team because they may just wind up beating your favorite team in the playoffs!
