NBA Power Rankings Week 4: Race to the top is heating up
By Jack Simone
Week 4 NBA Power Rankings: 17. Memphis Grizzlies (6-7)
Last week: (1-3) – vs. MIN (W), vs. CHA (L), @ PHX (L), vs. NOP (L)
Offensive rating: 106.5 (19th in NBA)
Defensive rating: 113.3 (30th in NBA)
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the best players in the NBA in Ja Morant this year. However, last week was a rough one for the up-and-coming Grizzlies.
They went 1-3 and are now on a three-game losing streak, including a loss to the now 2-12 Pelicans. That’s not a very good loss to have on the schedule.
Over the past week, Ja Morant has continued to play amazing basketball. However, it just hasn’t been translating to wins as of late. Dillon Brooks just returned recently as well, so that should help.
A big part of why they’ve been struggling is that they’ve had one of the worst defenses in the league over that span of time. They need to start clamping up on that end if they want to turn things around.
Season outlook: Memphis surprised everyone when they squeaked into the playoffs last year. However, now there are some expectations surrounding the team. They should be fighting for a playoff spot once again this season on the back of Morant’s stellar play.