It's time to give the Memphis Grizzlies the championship contending respect that they deserve.
The Memphis Grizzlies aren't exactly known for winning basketball. The team has never been able to lift a Larry O'Brien trophy and has never made it past the Western Conference Finals – the closest being in 2013, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, 4-0. But could this be the season for Memphis to make a push for an NBA Championship?
Despite the star-studded conference that's filled with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Memphis Grizzlies are tied for the fourth most wins in the NBA and are a half-game out of the No. 2 seed in the West, continuing to prove doubters wrong.
The Memphis Grizzlies are experiencing unique success
Led by players like Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies use a strategy that includes 10 players who play over 20 minutes a game. Something like this can be controversial to fans as it is more difficult for each player to catch momentum throughout a game. Game plans and strategies can switch once the postseason starts as well. This can lead to players not being well-conditioned to play games with heavier workloads.
Not just this, but the Grizzlies have been able to produce this level of success with just one 2025 All-Star – Jaren Jackson Jr. Although Ja Morant has been in two All-Star Games in seasons prior, Morant has been having a below-average year. Already missing 22 games earlier this season due to multiple shoulder injuries and a pelvic muscle injury, Morant has also had a "down" year in all-around offensive production.
Although those are still relevant insights, the numbers don't lie. The Grizzlies have the third-best home record this season, just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Grizzlies are also second in the league in points per game – two factors that are relevant to winning basketball. Memphis is also one of four teams to boast a top-10 offense, defense, and net rating. The other three teams are the Thunder, Cavs, and Celtics - that's a pretty great company to have.
It will be interesting to see what head coach Taylor Jenkins does the closer we get to the NBA Playoffs. Whether that may be narrowing down the core rotation to seven or eight players averaging more than 20 minutes a game, or maybe finding a solution to a better road record. The young Memphis Grizzlies have been surprising this season and should be considered a dark horse contender come playoff time.