It seems like yesterday that the Memphis Grizzlies were a dark horse contender for an NBA championship and one of the most oft-mentioned, up-and-coming teams in the NBA. Now, as the 2023-2024 NBA season gets underway, Coach Taylor Jenkins and the Grizzlies are hoping for another deep playoff run with new faces on board the team plane.

Recently information was revealed in the format of a rumor about the alleged ‘driving force' behind Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant's issues. The latest NBA odds have the Grizzlies quietly picked as the Southwest Division favorite.

Meanwhile, Morant has been suspended for the first 25 games of the season adding to concerns about how the Grizzlies will fare this year. The good news is that newcomer Marcus Smart has fans excited over his potential as a two-way player, while Jaren Jackson Jr. is fresh off of a FIBA World Cup performance that has fans looking forward to what his next chapter will bring.

The Grizzlies have an excellent chance to contend for a championship if Morant can come back and get to full strength. If Morant is able to stay focused and minimize or hopefully eliminate off-court distractions, the sky is the limit for the 2023-2024 Memphis Grizzlies.

With that in mind, it's time to reveal bold predictions for the 2023-2024 season.

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The Grizzlies Will Win a Playoff Series

The 2023-2024 Memphis Grizzlies will improve on last season's first round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Grizzlies lost 4-2 last season to Anthony Davis, LeBron James and company.

This season, a younger and hungrier Grizzlies team will end up with more of a mid-tier seed. They will take on a team of similar skill and talent and defeat them behind the strong play of Jackson, Jr., Morant, Smart, Desmond Bane, and Xavier Tillman Jr., who will fill in for the injured Steven Adams this season.

Tillman Jr. is an unheralded but hard-nosed player who will team with the fellow former Michigan State Spartan Jackson Jr. to hold down the boards while scoring on putbacks and knocking down his fair share of outside jump shots.

Ja Morant Will Get All-NBA Consideration

Morant has had time to marinate on his past troubles. He's young, and has plenty of growth still to go.

The Grizzlies bold prediction here is that Morant will come out firing upon his return to the Grizzlies roughly one-quarter of the way through the season. He will attack the rim fearlessly and boldly again with something to prove, and an axe to grind in regards to his criticis.

If Morant can improve his outside shooting, he could challenge for All-NBA honors next season, overtaking fellow young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jordan Poole and others who will be in the running.

The Grizzlies Will Swing At Least One Major Trade

The Grizzlies have a talented roster but are lacking in depth. Don't be surprised if the team trades future draft picks or spins off one of its better players for increased depth along several different positions including in the backcourt and frontcourt.

Marcus Smart Will Have His Best Season

From his green hair down to his demeanor on the court, former Celtics guard/forward Marcus Smart was ‘Mr. Celtic' during his time in Boston.

Smart might not fully embrace his time with his new team at the start of the season, but he will thrive once he embraces his new home, and teams up Jackson, Jr., a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Smart and Jackson could form the best defensive duo in the NBA by the time they learn each other's tendencies. With Morant back at the helm of the ship, Grizzlies opponents will have a hard time knocking off the defensive stalwarts from The Volunteer State.