Memphis Grizzlies: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 NBA season
By Max Carlin
After seven consecutive playoff appearances, the Memphis Grizzlies finally ran out of magic, finding themselves vying for ping pong balls rather than a championship in 2017-18.
For seven years, the Memphis Grizzlies have neglected the future and lived in the present.
The present was fun, though. It was trips to the playoffs every single year. It was an iconic team. It was a Western Conference Finals run.
Now, the future is here, and it isn’t pretty.
In 2017-18, Mike Conley appeared in 12 games, Marc Gasol aged out of effectiveness, Tony Allen and Zach Randolph moved on to (not so) greener pastures. Grit-N-Grind is dead. Long live Grit-N-Grind!
This year, the Grizzlies won 22 games and have secured the second-best odds at the No. 1 overall pick in May’s NBA Draft Lottery. Alas, a long road back to contention lies ahead for a franchise embroiled in turmoil, both on and off the court. Here’s what we learned from an entirely forgettable season.