The Memphis Grizzlies are seeing bad turn into worse as their season gets off to a disastrous start.
Through 14 games, the Grizzlies are 4-10. That’s why NBA.com writer John Schuhmann placed the Grizzlies at No. 24 in his latest NBA power rankings, two spots lower than the previous edition.
“Ja Morant is banged up and the Grizzlies have lost eight of their last nine games. They’ve seen the league’s third-biggest drop in winning percentage and its second-biggest drop in point differential per 100 possessions from last season,” Schuhmann wrote.
“The Grizzlies are one of three teams with a league-low seven rest-advantage games this season, with their first two coming on Thursday (vs. the Kings) and Saturday (at Dallas). Their one win in this 1-8 stretch was over the Mavs 10 days ago.”
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell drives to the basket beside Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Williams Jr. | David Richard-Imagn Images
Grizzlies could continue free fall in power rankings
The only teams behind the Grizzlies in the power rankings are the Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards.
Morant’s injury will keep him out for at least two weeks and the Grizzlies have already gotten a taste of what life will be like without him. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, it doesn’t taste very good.
“Morant missed the Grizzlies’ loss in Boston on Wednesday and then played just six minutes in Cleveland over the weekend, dealing with calf soreness. The two games were the Grizzlies’ two worst offensive games of the season, as they scored less than a point per possession in both, shooting poorly in the paint (46.3%) and from 3-point range (25.3%),” Schuhmann wrote.
Morant will miss the team’s three games this week, which has the Grizzlies facing off against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, the rebuilding Sacramento Kings and Cooper Flagg’s Dallas Mavericks. That should put the Grizzlies in a bit of a bind.
The Grizzlies will do their best to manage while Morant is out, but if things go the way they look on paper, there’s a good chance Memphis will find itself even further down the list in next week’s power rankings.
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