5. Memphis Grizzlies
Don’t look now, but the Memphis Grizzlies look every bit the contender that many hoped they would be. I had penciled in the Grizzlies as a team in the Western Conference that could perhaps take a step back, but it’s quite clear that isn’t happening – especially with how inconsistent many of the expected contenders have been so far.
The duo of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane is one of the best in the league. It’s time that we start giving Bane the necessary respect that he probably deserves at this point in his career. Couple that will the way Jaren Jackson Jr. has looked in the handful of games that he’s played since returning from injury, and it’s easy to see why the Grizzlies may be ready to take the next step as a team.
If the Grizzlies do finish with a top-two record in the West, it will be difficult not to give Morant the MVP trophy. Or at least it should be.