How Grizzlies can practically clinch top-6 seed before February
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The NBA Playoffs picture is starting to come into focus as most teams approach the midway point of their respective seasons. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane are in a decent position but the Memphis Grizzlies are still educating Zach Edey on what is required to win consistently. Thankfully, Taylor Jenkins will get to coach the group through a relatively easy midterm test. Passing with flying colors before hosting the Houston Rockets (27-12) would almost assure the Grizzlies (26-15) a top-6 seed in the Western Conference.
Losing easy home games before hosting Houston would just add to the mounting pressure on this homegrown core. The pathway to easing pressure is straightforward though. First up is a road rematch against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs (19-20) on January 17. Then it’s back home for a date with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves (21-19) a few days later to start a fairly manageable four-game homestand. The Charlotte Hornets (9-28), New Orleans Pelicans (10-32), and Utah Jazz (10-29) follow and are the three worst teams outside of Washington D.C. after all.
No team is taken lightly but the Grizzlies need to create separation from the Spurs and Timberwolves by beating those squads heads-up before a few trap games. After the homestand comes the Madison Square Garden visit. For Grizzlies hockey-raised rookie Zach Edey, it will be the first. The New York Knicks (27-15) are scrappy but have seemingly lost a step this season. They are 3-5 over their last 8, with losses to the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons on record. Coach Thibs is running the tire thread thin over there and Grizzlies can take advantage of tired legs looking forward to the NBA All-Star break.
A fourth-and-final faceoff with the Rockets to close out January is already circled on the calendars. The Grizzlies will want revenge after suffering through two heartbreaking losses and a blowout so far. Memphis will mean business on January 30, a Thursday Night on TNT tilt that is sure to bring out the best in FedEx Forum fans.
Going 5-2 over the next seven would leave the Grizzlies with 31 wins and 36 dates remaining on the regular season schedule. A 6-1 record would give Memphis a lot of breathing room (5-8 games over seventh place) regardless of other outcomes.
They’ve fought to this position with Ja Morant (17 games missed) spending almost half the season on the injury report. Jenkins could finagle 12 more wins over the next three months even with some minor injury spells. If form holds, that would be enough to secure a top-six seed. However, giving wins away to the Spurs, Timberwolves, and Pelicans would drag the Grizzlies down while lifting direct rivals.
Losing games as the betting favorite or as a pick’em road dog is a recipe for disaster. Memphis has 11 games in February due to the NBA All-Star break and seven of those are on the road. Most are against fellow top-six playoff contenders. The Grizzlies will cross borders to see the Toronto Raptors and fight through a four-in-six night stretch. From there everything is a crapshoot given how tight things are in the NBA Play-In Tournament picture.
So who says regular season games do not matter? That attitude is not allowed in the Grizzlies locker room.
Five wins to relieve a ton of pressure as players get weary. That’s all. Then Memphis will host the Spurs twice, the Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Jazz in the back half of the season. Trips to Toronto, Utah, Portland, and Charlotte should not be daunting business trips. The Grizzlies would need around one win a week to wind up with a top-six seed.
Surely the Grizzlies will also win a few coin-flips but Ja Morant and Taylor Jenkins have need seemed in the mood to leave much to chance this season. Jenkins is limiting minutes and Morant is refusing to dunk on occasion due to injury concerns. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder (34-6) are running away from the pack but Memphis can at least get a big leg up on a few extra days off before the postseason begins.
That’s why closing out January with some juggernaut performances from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. is being stressed as crucial to future success. Creating that extra cushion in the standings now will discourage a few teams from trying to chase the Grizzlies down later.
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