With only about 20 games left in the season, the Memphis Grizzlies still have some big questions ahead. Here’s what to make for the rest of the year.
The NBA season has flown by and now we have roughly 20 games left in the season before the playoffs start. Even though there are only 20 games left, there is still a lot to be decided in terms of the playoff race and lottery projections.
The Memphis Grizzlies, currently, are concentrated on just one of those issues. The 12-5 start to the season seems like centuries ago, and the Grizzlies are hovering around the middle of the lottery pack.
With the multiple trades the Grizzlies have made (and the one failed trade), they neither position themselves to be outright tankers nor make themselves a significantly better team. They are a much different team than they were when they opened the season, as 60 percent of their starting roster is gone and only five players from their opening roster remain.
The team is in a tricky position, as it’s not quite clear what their future plans are.
They’re not gunning for the bottom like other teams, but they’re not near playoff contention. The worst outcome of their future would be to be the Orlando Magic 2.0, a team that hovers around the middle of the lottery, never bad enough to land a top pick but never good enough to make a playoff run.
How the rest of the season plays out could determine if they are in the conversation for a lottery pick.
If they stay in the top-8, they keep their pick but if they fall outside the top-8, the pick goes to the Boston Celtics.
Let’s take a look at the big questions surrounding the Grizzlies as the season winds down.