Although the Grizzlies are the 2nd seed in the Western conference and have the 2nd best record in the league, even better than the #1 seeded Heat in East, people are still doubting the Grizzlies. It’s odd to see a team that was a borderline playoff team have such a meteoric rise, but that’s exactly what happened. They showed flashes of being great last year in the playoffs with Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant putting on a show in the first round vs Jazz. Brooks averaged 25 PPG and Morant 30 PPG in the playoffs and it seems both have gotten much better this year.
Ja Morant has taken the next leap that many expected to see in his second year and has been nothing short of stellar this season. He’s averaging an impressive 27.6 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 5.7 RPG while shooting 49.3% from the field. He’s also improved his three point stroke to about 34% which is great from about 30% last year.
The thing is… Morant isn’t the only player on the Grizzlies that has taken a huge leap to cause them to improve this much. Sure, Morant is the superstar on the team, but let’s not forget about Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., and… Desmond Bane. All three players are on the verge of stardom and are averaging over 16 PPG. Dillon Brooks has become a solid wing option and one of the best two-way players in the league. Desmond Bane is a premiere shooter in this league and has proven he can be more. Jaren Jackson Jr. is one of the best big men shooters in the league and also one of the best defensive anchors in the league that isn’t talked about enough.
They are 20-2 without Morant… 20-2.
They have players that are more than capable of stepping up when Morant wasn’t available and it’s showing. Not to mention, one of the best benches in the league with De’Anthony Melton, Brandon Clarke, and Tyus Jones starring off the bench and providing a boost defensively and also a presence in the scoring department when the starters are out.
The Grizzlies are 2nd in points per game as a team at 115.4 and it’s because you need to pick your poison on who to stop with this team. Want to stop Morant? Alright, who’s stopping Dillon Brooks or Desmond Bane? Oh wait, forgot to mention.. Jaren Jackson Jr. as well. Then you have an inside presence like Steven Adams that can rebound and pass out of the post.
The Grizzlies are a top 4 team in offensive rating and a top 6 team defensively. They are a well-balanced team all around. Definitely not a team you want to face in the playoffs. Other than the Phoenix Suns, there’s not a more complete team than the Grizzlies. You need inside scoring? They got that. You need defense? They got that. You need shooting? They also got that. I don’t see a weakness at all on their team. It’s actually insane to see how much chemistry can help a team and the Grizzlies chemistry has been a huge reason for their success. They seem to play for each other and know how to play with one another, that’s something that is of champion material.
Watch out rest of the league, the Grizzlies are coming.
