Don’t look now, but the Memphis Grizzlies are coming for that number two seed in the Western Conference.
At 43-20 with just 19 games remaining, Memphis is so close to the Golden State Warriors in the standings they can reach out and touch them. With their hold on the two-seed down to just half of a game, the Warriors certainly hear the Grizzlies’ thundering footsteps.
On the heels of Ja Morant’s 52-point performance, where he managed to produce a “dunk of the year” and “shot of the year” candidate in the same quarter, Memphis and its fanbase are riding high. Winners of two straight, the Grizzlies are 8-2 in their last ten games, allowing many to forget about their brief losing streak.
i broke down Ja Morant's dunk + buzzer beater pic.twitter.com/brIGrxZ0iR
— Mike Camerlengo (@MCamerlengo) March 1, 2022
The Warriors, on the other hand, are experiencing slightly different vibes. Suffering a 129-114 road loss at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State has now coughed up two consecutive defeats. Of course, missing key pieces to the roster, such as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, played a significant role. However, this is a reality the Warriors will deal with for the duration of the season and playoffs.
Winners of only four of their last ten games, Golden State, find themselves amid a downward trend. One they cannot risk continuing they want to avoid getting jumped in the Western Conference standings.
Warriors Road Ahead
To come out and claim that all of Golden State’s losses were at the hands of obviously inferior teams would come with some falsehoods attached. Yes, the month of February included losses to the Clippers and Knicks. However, they also suffered defeats to far more respectable opponents like the Mavericks, Nuggets, Jazz, and T-Wolves (to a lesser extent).
Unfortunately, the road does not get much easier for Golden State.
According to Tankathon, the Warriors possess the eighth-most challenging schedule for the remainder of the season. With 20 games remaining, their toughest matchups include Memphis, Phoenix, Miami, Utah, Milwaukee, and Dallas. On the flipside, they also play the Lakers, San Antonio, and Washington twice. Additionally, the schedule also includes games against Orlando, Sacramento, and New Orleans.
Memphis’s looks quite different. They possess the second-easiest remaining schedule, only behind the Portland. The challenging opponents include Phoenix, Golden State, Utah, Denver, Milwaukee, and Boston (twice). The easier games include two against Houston, Indiana, and New Orleans. They also play Orlando, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio one more time.
Will the Grizzlies Capture the Two Seed?
For the sake of being bold, yes.
A conversation around which team will go further in the playoffs is a debate for a different time. When thinking solely about the rest of the season, Memphis is riding an energy that should propel them to far more wins then losses. Thrown in the disparities in schedule strength and there appears to be a clear path for the Grizzlies to pass the Warriors.
Now would I go and put a substantial of money down on that bet? No, I wouldn’t.
Golden State is still a very good team capable of going on an impressive run. They have the pieces, if healthy, to not only stay at the two-seed, but also make the Suns worry a little at the top. However, health with the Warriors is worrisome. They also have a tough road ahead.
Considering all of the factors, one can picture the Grizzlies finishing in second place quite confidently.
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