NBA Power Rankings: Buying the Mavs in the West; Clippers finally turning corner?

26. Memphis Grizzlies

It's no surprise to see the Memphis Grizzlies in the bottom 5 of this week's NBA Power Rankings once again. This is a team that has continued to struggle without their franchise star and it's been nothing short of an extremely disappointing start to the season. The good news is that hope is on the horizon for the Grizzlies. Whether or not that hope results in climbing out of their early-season hole remains to be seen.

If all goes according to plan, Ja Morant will be making his return to the Grizzlies' lineup next week when Memphis takes on the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. That said, I'm not sure if Morant's return will automatically indicate that all will be fixed for the Grizzlies. If I had to guess, I'm not sure that Morant's return alone changes much.

The Grizzlies probably win at a higher rate but this is still very much a team that lacks the necessary depth to emerge as a contender in the Western Conference. Quite frankly, if I were the Grizzlies, I'd seriously consider retooling the roster around Morant if things don't take a quick change for the best in the next few weeks.