By T.A. January 26, 2023
Fans would think Shannon Sharpe’s explosiveness is only limited to Skip Bayless(of Fox Sports 1). Well, we were wrong.
If there is a peculiar thing Memphis is good at apart from playing Basketball barbecue and dancing the Griddy, it is trash-talking. The Grizzlies are a confident team no doubt. Although, the way in which the Grizzlies express their confidence is mistaken by the rest of the NBA as arrogance.
Just imagine Dillon Brooks calling Shannon Sharpe a mere pedestrian when asked about how he felt about Shannon Sharpe’s altercation with the Grizzlies after Friday night’s game.
Imagine how many teams took it personally when Ja Morant said he is not scared of any team in the West? The most fascinating thing about the Grizzlies however is that they talk shit about your team and they back it up by beating your team up whenever they have the opportunity to (at least they do so most times).
From Hindsight it was not obvious the Lakers were about to put an abrupt end to the Grizzlies’ eleven-game winning streak on Friday Night. The Grizzlies were the way better team. So even after the loss to the Lakers, If Ja Morant comes out again on live TV and proclaims that he isn’t scared of any team in the West. We should know the boy ain’t really wrong especially when the Lakers may never get the chance to be a threat to the Grizzlies in the playoffs(The Lakers are currently ranked 12th seed in the West).
Did a revelation come from the Grizzlies Lakers- Matchup on how to defeat a healthy Grizzlies team? Were the Grizzlies exposed? In my opinion Yes, they were!
The best way to beat a great team that trash-talks a lot, like the Grizzlies, is to do better with trash-talking back during the game. You can even hire an NBA reporter to assist you in trash-talking (e.g Shannon Sharpe) because you know he won’t get ejected easily from the game.
The other important thing to note about the Grizzlies is their poise in the fourth quarter. Memphis doesn’t have a good run in the 4th quarter of most games they play, especially when it’s a close game and it’s going down to the wire. A team deserving of a championship should be able to control the game possession, especially in the final minutes.
There is one team however that has successfully proven how dispensable the Grizzlies are. That team is no other than the Golden State Warriors
The Warrior’s triumph over The Grizzlies on Christmas day was so humiliating because the Warriors won against the Grizzlies with a short handed roster lacking Steph Curry and Jordan Poole.
Idealistically speaking, should the Golden State Warriors be considered the Memphis Grizzlies Krypotonite? Well maybe No!
The reason is there isn’t just one team to beat for the Grizzlies because there are other dominant teams in the West, Teams healthy enough to compete at a high level with The Grizzlies . A lot of teams like the Nuggets, Pelicans, and Suns will be legit threats to the Grizzlies in the playoffs.
Though the Grizzlies are really looking fit to come out of the west. The problem is that the regular season performance doesn’t tell all the tales when it comes to a team’s chances of winning their conference during the playoffs .
Since the Lakers game, the Grizzlies have lost two more consecutive games. One was a loss to the Suns and another to the 3rd-placed Sacramento Kings. The loss to the Kings was literally a blowout. Probably the Grizzlies are experiencing a couple of off games. It is normal in the regular season.
Looking on the brighter side,before the loss to the Lakers, the Memphis Grizzlies were on an eleven game win streak recorded against the majority of the teams in the West. The Grizzlies have developed a lot better than last season.The team seems to be aggressive on both ends of the Court and is currently ranked number 1 in overall defensive team category this season.
The Offensive end has also been getting better of late as the Grizzlies rank 10th in number of points made in the league.
Ja MORANT HAS BEEN JA FOR THE GRIZZLIES. His contribution to the Grizzlies offense is wider than the scope of this article. The brother is really phenomenal.
However in recent games, fans have found out that the Grizzlies team is not all about Ja. Memphis’s offense is really spread and dangerous to the rest of the league.
Desmond Bane is the second best scorer currently on the Grizzlies this season averaging 21.2 points per game this season. He is currently the second best shooting option of the Grizzlies this season.
Earlier this season Dillon Brooks was Quoted that he should be the defensive player of the year. Does the NBA agree?
Maybe not really…. Although Brooks has been a terrific defender this season. The problem though- with Brooks- is his poor shot selection. Although Brooks doesn’t really worry about that. As Brooks said in a recent interview “ I don’t really care about what analysts think because I guard my ass off every single night. I give my heart every single night”
According to Draymond Green (of the current NBA Champion Golden State Warriors) in a recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the only reason why the Warriors will keep on winning against the Grizzlies is because of Jaren Jackson Jr . Draymond Green claims that Jaren Jackson Jr needs to stop fouling out during important games to secure a win for the Grizzlies.
For the entirety of the last season, Jaren Jackson was leading in Blocks per game. Jaren may have to step up his game a little more this season to match last year’s feat. But Honestly, he has been playing just fine. When it comes to defense the Grizzlies are good with all their rotation. Steven Adams is also the leading offensive rebounder in the league right now.
It may really not be that fine in the West still! If the Grizzlies lack anything, it is the experience of how it feels to come out of the West. This is why I’ll always pick a team like the Warriors over the Grizzlies in a playoff series. And even the Suns will be better off playoff-wise over the Memphis Grizzlies(This take is not because of the Suns’ last win against the Grizzlies). Phoenix just knows what it feels to be at the conference finals. The Suns would have made it to the conference finals for the second time in a row if not for the Luka Special.
The Pelicans with the presence of Zion Williamson will also be a dangerous matchup against the Grizzlies this season.
And finally, let’s not forget to talk about the Nuggets and Jokic. If Ja can dunk, Aaron Gordon can dunk a little bit better Memphis needs to retain their bragging rights by at least making it to the conference finals this season.
