It is not often that a team that won 27 games last season is expected to be a significant threat next season, given how difficult it is to improve by large margins in terms of wins and losses in a year.
But that’s where the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves as the start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season approaches.
Former NBA player Eddie Johnson said on SiriusXM NBA Radio that the Grizzlies are “going to be a problem” this season because of how good they were two seasons ago, and not only because of their talent but also because of their coaching.
“If they are healthy they will have problems”@JumpShot8 talks to @terminradio About Memphis’ potential this season pic.twitter.com/kGIjNqjbQ3
– SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) 9 October 2024
The Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference during the 2022–23 season, and although they lost in the first round of the playoffs, it looked like they were knocking on the door of becoming championship contenders.
But last season they went off track due to various reasons.
First, there was another off-court gun-related incident with star guard Ja Morant that led to the league suspending him for the first 25 games of the year.
Shortly after his return, he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the rest of the trip, and was the first of a series of major injuries.
But Memphis has a strong roster that includes Morant, Desmond Benn, Jaren Jackson Jr. and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
They have proven that they can be a very good defensive team, as well as one of the best fast-break teams in the NBA, and thus they will have something to say about how the Western Conference will be.