Memphis Grizzlies
Mid-season grade: B+
Over the course of the first year of the season, it's been naturally easy to overlook what the Memphis Grizzlies have been able to do in the Western Conference. However, as we in closer and closer to the push toward the postseason, there's going to be a point in time at which we can no longer overlook how good the Grizzlies have been so far this season. We may have arrived at that point at the moment. The Grizzlies are currently a top-three seed in the Western Conference and if they do make the right move at the NBA Trade Deadline, they could easily emerge as a very realistic championship threat in the West.
With a dynamic superstar leading the way, the Grizzlies' biggest question revolves around whether they have the right supporting cast to make a deep run down the stretch. While that could be difficult to answer, it would be foolish to not consider the Grizzlies as one of the better teams in the Western Conference at the moment. The Grizzlies should get a solid mark through the first of the year considering that they're coming off a pretty disastrous season last year. Who knows how this season ends with the Grizzlies but they certainly put their best foot forward so far this season.
Miami Heat
Mid-season grade: F
Overall, despite the fact that the Miami Heat are probably still going to make the postseason this year, this season has been pretty disastrous for the proud franchise. It's not even just the fact that the Heat completely fumbled the Jimmy Butler situation over the last few months. It's the fact that they failed to handle the Jimmy situation appropriately coupled with the lack of a plan in the event that this would all blow up in their face. Knowing what they knew about Jimmy, this is a franchise that had to have a plan in place. It's pretty apparent that they didn't.
The Heat are on the verge of wasting this season and potentially next year as well – depending on how this Jimmy situation ends up playing out. The Heat are not coming off in a good light in this entire situation and there's a belief that things can get worse before they get better in Miami. The Heat is known for rebuilding and likes to think of themselves as a franchise that tends to reload. However, it's hard to envision how the heat is going to dig themselves out of this one.