As the Memphis Grizzlies earned the right to square off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it was natural to believe that the odds were stacked against them. However, I'm not sure anyone believed that the Grizzlies would be as dominated as they've been through the first two games of this series.
Down 2-0 after the first two games in Oklahoma City, Memphis has been outscored by a combined 70 points. Memphis has not managed to crack 100 points in either game, and the Thunder have been able to do whatever they've wanted on both ends of the floor. While many will be quick to praise Oklahoma City and the team that they've built, which is a fair leap to make, I'd argue that the bigger story through the first two games of this series has been the Grizzlies and the fact that they are nowhere near close to competing for an NBA Championship.
All throughout this season, Ja Morant never quite looked like himself, and that has very much carried over into the playoffs. He could still be feeling the aftereffects of injuries, but it's certainly concerning for Memphis. Assuming not much is going to change in this series, even when it shifts back to Memphis, the Grizzlies have a lot of self-reflection that they must do to figure out what needs to change in order to get back to a championship trajectory.
What is the next natural step for the Memphis Grizzlies?
Heading into the offseason, there are some big questions that the Grizzlies must ask themselves, and they will all begin with whether Morant is the star who can lead this team to the promised land. If the answer to that question is no, there are probably bigger issues that this team has to deal with than they're willing to let on.
However, if the Grizzlies still have faith that Morant can be the best player on a championship team, then perhaps it's the supporting cast that needs to be tweaked in order for this team to reach their ceiling. Either way, it's become clear that big changes are needed if the Grizzlies are going to be able to compete with the other championship contenders in the West.
The Grizzlies have been outclassed in every way by the Thunder. That's not a huge surprise considering the year OKC had. However, it is concerning if you're the Grizzlies. This was a team that was considered "next up" in the West just a few years ago. Now, they're pretty much an afterthought and a borderline playoff team. Something has to give in Memphis. The Thunder are the championship measuring stick in the West, and the Grizzlies are nowhere near close to measuring up.