{"uid":"Entry:6cecaf92-8ca1-48fb-ab3d-54c4623aced6","title":"Quick Recap: Grizzlies cook Nuggets in resounding win","dek":{"html":"The Memphis Grizzlies put together a massive win over the Western Conference’s top seed, Denver Nuggets."},"createdAt":"2023-02-26T01:20:21.000Z","url":"https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2023/2/25/23615255/quick-recap-memphis-grizzlies-cook-denver-nuggets-in-resounding-win-morant-tillman-nba","wordCount":777,"updatedAt":"2023-02-26T04:01:15.000Z","author":{"fullOrUserName":"Parker Fleming"},"authorProfile":null,"contributors":[],"communityGroups":[{"name":"Front Page"},{"name":"Quick Recap"}],"body":{"components":[{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"JvyufK","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Memphis Grizzlies returned to FedExForum for their first home game after the All-Star break, as the top-seeded Denver Nuggets rolled into town. The Grizzlies (Steven Adams) and Nuggets (Aaron Gordon) were both missing key players, but it still served as an anticipated bout on this Saturday slate of games."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"B6S8t9","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies and Nuggets started with a fast, back-and-forth pace. Xavier Tillman quickly scored 6 points off the bat. The Nuggets started off fine, but they cooled off significantly towards the end of the quarter. Ja Morant was pretty much able to get wherever he wanted on the floor, attacked the paint at will. The Grizzlies closed with a 28-20 lead after the first quarter."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"Dyiifk","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies made it rain from deep in the 2nd quarter — drilling 6 three-pointers in the quarter. Tyus Jones led the charge here, connecting on 4 triples, which really generated some flow in the offense when Morant sat. The Grizzlies used a 14-2 run to start the quarter to blow the doors open a little bit, generating a sizable double-digit lead quick. The Grizzlies finished with a 66-42 lead at halftime."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"kkc4wP","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies built their lead up past 30 points, and they didn’t budge. Their offense was still crisp, and they were going after 50/50 balls too — Morant included:"},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyEmbed","placement":{"id":"5chwY3","alignment":null},"embed":{"embedHtml":"

It's such a tone-setter when your star player goes after 50-50 balls this hard

And obviously the silky finish from Ja Morantpic.twitter.com/TazQjeT6Up

— Grizzly Bear Blues (@sbnGrizzlies) February 26, 2023
\n\n","provider":{"name":"Twitter"}}},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"Su2lAZ","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies closed with a 94-62 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"FGXpeu","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Nuggets pulled Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. at the start of the 4th quarter. Nothing totally eventful happened in the quarter. Luke Kennard and Tyus Jones hit a couple of 3’s to bring their totals to 4 and 5, respectively."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"06FwYI","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Grizzlies ended the game with Kennedy Chandler, Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. The fans got treated with some good Jr. moments."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"TABBqq","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"Memphis Grizzlies close with a resounding 112-94 win."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyHeading","placement":{"id":"soyN84","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"Quick Takeaways"},"level":2},{"__typename":"EntryBodyList","placement":{"id":null,"alignment":null},"items":[{"line":{"html":"Stones back rolling. Tyus Jones went on an absolute heater in the 2nd quarter, and it was great to see him snap out of a funk lately. In his last 11 games, Jones has averaged 4.5 points and 3.6 assists on 33.9% shooting from the field and 14.3% from 3. He played with extra swagger and confidence on the offensive end, and when he’s doing that, the offense tends to hum and work its way around in the halfcourt. For the Grizzlies to officially navigate out of this weird month stretch of play, getting the “Tyus Stones” version of Jones will be crucial."},"placement":{"id":"BsqcVt"}},{"line":{"html":"X solid again. Xavier Tillman go the starting nod, so that the Grizzlies had a physical option against Nikola Jokic. He played rock-solid defense against Jokic, holding him to 15 points and 13 rebounds. The biggest difference was Jokic was minimized as a playmaker, only generating 3 assists. Tillman also was ready offensively, as he connected on all 6 of his attempts for 12 points, while also dropping 3 dimes. I don’t know his standing in the rotation once Steven Adams returns, but he’s reemerged as a good player to have in emergency situations."},"placement":{"id":"2u4lnp"}},{"line":{"html":"Sneaky Dillon game. We don’t need to delve much into the 2023 it’s been for Dillon Brooks, but he put together a sneaky steady game — probably his best in awhile. He connected on 5 of his 9 shot attempts, while making 2 of his 4 three-point tries. Everything he sought offensively came within the flow, nothing was forced. He was also instrumental in holding Jamal Murray into a 3-13 shooting night (1-5 from 3). It’s not the most eye-popping game we’ve seen from Dillon Brooks, but he doesn’t need to be on this version of the Grizzlies. He served as the perfect complementary piece within the system."},"placement":{"id":"4mfrlU"}},{"line":{"html":"Much-needed Grizz win. This is the kind of win that can turn the tide for the Memphis Grizzlies. From start to finish, they laid the smackdown on top-seeded Denver Nuggets. They minimized their star, made his supporting cast complete non-factors, and kept things flowing offensively. The Grizzlies have now won 4 of their past 6 games, but this one seems like it could be the foundation for a bounce-back into a massive month of March on the horizon."},"placement":{"id":"R5QTxN"}}],"ordered":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"Ocov0D","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"The Memphis Grizzlies will get a couple days off before they play the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Tuesday February 28th."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__typename":"EntryBodyParagraph","placement":{"id":"2hiC3a","alignment":null},"contents":{"html":"Grizzly Bear Blues will be moving to Bluff City Media on 3/1, and you can subscribe here for insider Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Tigers content. Use promo code “GBBLIVE” for 10% OFF an annual subscription. Follow Grizzly Bear Blues on Twitter and Instagram. For more Grizzlies talk, subscribe to the Grizzly Bear Blues podcast network on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and IHeart. "},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false}]}}
top of page
Search
Writer's pictureParker Fleming
Aug 13, 20234 min read

What are the best and worst case scenarios for the Memphis Grizzlies 2022-23 season?

Original Date: 2022-10-14



  • Roster Additions: Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and Kennedy Chandler (draft); Danny Green (trade); Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Vince Williams (two-way contracts, undrafted and 48th pick)

  • Roster Losses:</strong> De’Anthony Melton (via trade), Kyle Anderson (free agency), Jarrett Culver (free agency), Yves Pons and Tyrell Terry (two-way contracts, free agency)

  • Last season’s team record: 56-26

  • Last season’s conference ranking: 2nd

  • Last season’s offensive and defensive rating: 115.5 (5th); 109.9 (4th)


Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies took the NBA by storm as the surprise team of the league. After a slow 9-10 start, they surged their way to a 56-26 record — ranking 2nd in the league with a comfortable 3 game lead over the 3rd-best team.


Going into this season, the Grizzlies’ expectations are all over the place. There are few that have said they could potentially be the best team in the West, others think last season was a fluke and they’re destined for the play-in, and then there are some in the middle that consider them a solid playoff team.


To continue their success, they’ll have to get through the buzzsaw of the Western Conference — a group that’s reloaded through blockbuster trades and star, some cases superstar, returns.


With saying that, what are some realistic outcomes this season? What must they do to reach NBA immortality and win a title? What would go wrong for the naysayers to be correct?


What’s the ‘Best Case’ scenario for your team this season?


For the first time since the 2014-2015 season, the preseason ‘best case’ scenario for the Memphis Grizzlies is winning an NBA championship. That ceiling was determined after their breakout last season, and despite the offseason turnover, they still have the pieces to win a title. As said from local/national radio host Chris Vernon, the Grizzlies are returning 8 of their 9 best players by net rating. The losses of De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson will be felt, but given the developmental success in Memphis, who’s to say the “next man up” won’t emerge.


The Grizzlies got the infrastructure for success in the modern NBA: the superstar engine, the elite shooter/co-star, the elite modern-big defender, a perimeter defensive stopper, and a plethora of good pieces (Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, Ziaire Williams) the Coach of the Year runner-up can strategically use in different matchups. The Grizzlies were the ones to not catch a break last season, after never getting their full starting lineup for the whole Warriors series — and losing their superstar point guard for the last 3 games. With the right breaks — like any title team — the young Grizzlies could be the ones hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy.


What’s the ‘Worst Case’ scenario for your team this season?


Obviously, besides injury, it’d be developmental stagnation that drops them to the play-in tournament. What would this involve? Jaren Jackson Jr. had a rough offensive season from an efficiency standpoint, and not fixing it could be costly to the team’s ceiling. Dillon Brooks not dialing it back with his erratic shot selection could do so in too. Ziaire Williams and John Konchar not making the expected leaps could make the losses of Anderson and Melton more impactful. Then, the Grizzlies’ trend of “day 1 rookies impacting winning basketball” having an off year would hurt the team’s depth.


If they fall to the play-in tournament, it’d likely make the 2023 offseason the most defining period for the future of this iteration — and it’d be the first disappointing season of the “GrzNxtGen” era.


What’s the ‘Most Likely’ scenario for your team this season?


Could you teleport me to the future to when I know Jaren Jackson Jr. is coming back? If he’s back by Thanksgiving — which seems to be likely given tealeaves from the team’s comments — then they should be a top-4 seed. Morant, Bane, Jackson, and Brooks were a devastatingly great two-way quartet (+21.4 net rating per Cleaning the Glass), and their strengths help the Grizzlies destroy teams.


If it’s closer to Christmas like everyone on the outside expects, then they’ll fall closer to the play-in range, but they’d finish a few games ahead of it as a 5th or 6th seed. It’s tough to trust them to hold it up as a top-3/4 seed while relying on unproven talent to fill in Jackson’s spot — especially given his transcendent defensive impact.


What are you most excited for going into this season?


The most obvious answer is the spectacular magic of Ja Morant. There has not been a talent like him in Memphis; the flair and swagger he plays with can make the Forum poppin’ Tuesday night against a lottery team in January.


But let’s use something else — I’m excited to see the further development of other complementary players. Ziaire Williams pops to mind here, and it’ll be interesting to see how he develops as a 3&D+ wing off the bench. Santi Aldama’s preseason breakout could lead to fun moments for him as well. The coaching staff has fostered a system that bodes well for player development, which leaves a more optimistic view of if a player can hit closer to their ceiling than their floor.


Predict your team’s win/loss record for the season.


Again, I just want to know when Jaren Jackson Jr. is going to be back. That’d be great. Alas, let’s roll with 52-30 if he’s back by Thanksgiving. If not, 47-35.


A 4-game slip shouldn’t be seen as a disappointment in the eyes of the fanbase or analysts, given the strength of the NBA as a whole right now. In the case of this projected record, any sort of disappointment would be regression in the eye test.


Predict your team’s conference seeding.


Instead of using my prior excuse, I’m going to roll with the 4th seed. Memphis is often pegged as the team due for a big regression, but the Grizzlies’ continuity and ~immaculate vibes~ should bode well for this team. There will be teams competing with them for playoff — not play-in — positioning, as the young New Orleans Pelicans and revamped Minnesota Timberwolves are teams hyped up to do so. However, the Grizzlies have surpassed expectations each other, so I’m not going to underestimate them as vastly like most people.

11 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

コメント

bottom of page