The Memphis Grizzlies are the hottest team in the National Basketball Association.
Do they possess the league’s best record? No, that belongs to the Phoenix Suns. How about the second-best? That’s a no as well. However, with the third-strongest record in the league, no team is defeating teams in a more dominating and entertaining fashion than the Grizzlies.
Winners of four-straight, Memphis put together three decisive victories in the past week against the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, and Detroit Pistons. The Grizzlies defeated each opponent by 20-plus points while registering 130-plus points of their own. The team tied a franchise record for consecutive wins by such a margin. Additionally, they put together their longest streak, scoring at this frequency.
They may not be the highest-regarded contender, but it is becoming much more difficult not to consider the Grizzlies as the real deal.
Morant and Jackson Jr. Continue to Thrive
No surprise to anyone, the Grizzlies’ success this past week is due in big part to the continued high-level performances from its two young stars. Ja Morant has averaged 28.7 points per game with a 57.9 FG percentage through the past three games. Recording six assists a night, the second-year point guard put together at least a handful of highlight-reel passes. Though not necessarily in the NBA’s official top-five list, Morant is making a solid push for league MVP.
When in doubt. Find 12. ?@JaMorant with 16 points. pic.twitter.com/ofGysIqLeb
— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) February 11, 2022
Jaren Jackson Jr. continued to solidify his role as the organization’s pillar of the frontcourt, posting 19.7 PPG and 7.7 rebounds per contest. His focus on the defensive aspects of the game makes opposing players enter the painted area with caution. It’s abundantly clear that Morant and Jackson Jr. play significant roles in dictating Memphis’s overall pace and attitude. When firing on all cylinders, so is the rest of the squad.
A Slight Hiccup for Bane
As Memphis’s primary sharp-shooter, Desmond Bane’s scoring efficiency experienced a dip in three outings. Bane shot just 37.5 percent from the field and 26.7 from three, considering the small sample size. Connecting on just four of his 10.7 shots per game, Bane’s slump has some questioning whether his hot streak is not an accurate depiction of the player’s ability. Yes, he might have produced at an uncharacteristically high rate considering his age and experience. Yes, performing at that level efficiency level is challenging to maintain. Still, it is entirely unfair to claim this version of Bane is the reality moving forward. Every shooter experiences a slump, and three games is not a large enough sample size to panic over.
Filling the Void
While Bane experienced a shooting slump, players off the bench stepped up to fill the void. This week, Brandon Clarke averaged the third-most points, averaging 14 points per game. Of course, Clarke will not assist in making up for Bane’s three-point production. Luckily, De’Anthony Melton and Ziaire Williams answered the bell. Averaging 9.7 points per game this week, Williams shot 70 percent from three-point range. Melton, connecting on three of the 6.7 attempts a game, average 12 points. Steven Adams also added his fair share of scoring, producing over 12 points per contest.
Ja Morant, Ziaire Williams and De’Anthony Melton showed some flare for the AT&T Fast Break of the week! pic.twitter.com/X1fyY9vGqV
— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2022
Memphis’ roster depth is part of the reason they are such a dangerous team to face. Players are going to go through cold streaks during an 82 game season. The key is to have pieces in place to pick up the slack when that happens. The Grizzlies continue proving that they possess more than a few players capable of doing so.
Grizzlies Travel Through Deadline Unchanged
No one expected the Grizzlies to participate in Thursday’s trade deadline festivities actively. However, some felt a minor deal involving Jarrett Culver might occur. Memphis chose to stay entirely out of the moving and shaking, trusting this group to make a serious postseason push.
In reality, Zachary Kleiman made the right choice. The Grizzlies provided him no reason to feel that this roster could not go out and contend in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Are they favorites to win the Championship? Well, no. They might not even crack the list of top five contenders. Still, there was more risk tied to making a move than rewards.
Memphis appears comfortable seeing how far they can get this year with this current group of players. However, expect management to look to move the needle with a more significant move this summer.
What’s Next?
The Grizzlies have three more games left on their schedule until the All-Star Break. They head to Charlotte to take on the Hornets Saturday before traveling to New Orleans to play the Pelicans Tuesday. Then they head back home to face the Portland Trailblazers on Wednesday.
Charlotte and New Orleans find themselves in similar situations battling for a spot in the play-in tournament. Portland is currently outside the play-in picture looking in and going through a transition period with its roster. On paper, this looks like three very winnable games for Memphis. But as we know, no win is ever guaranteed.
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