The Memphis Grizzlies 2021-22 season was a year of growth for the franchise. Heading into the 2022-23 season, there are some serious expectations surrounding the team, with many expecting them to be among the top Finals contenders in the league. With the upcoming season right around the corner, we decided to unveil our Grizzlies bold predictions for the 2022-23 campaign.
The Grizzlies have a talented young core that they are hoping will be able to take a step forward this season. They watched something similar happen last season, with their electric young guard, Ja Morant, emerging as one of the best all-around scorers in the NBA. Surrounding him with other young players such as Jaren Jackson Jr., Dillon Brooks, and Desmond Bane only helped Memphis improve.
The Grizzlies ended up losing in the Western Conference semifinals to the Golden State Warriors, but they were without Morant for much of that series. The Grizzlies and their fans believe that had they been fully healthy, they could have beaten the eventual 2022 NBA Finals champions. Those expectations will carry over to this season, so let's dive right into our bold predictions and see what could be expected from Memphis this season.
3. Grizzlies SG Desmond Bane will earn his first All-Star selection
Morant walked away from the 2021-22 season with the Most Improved Player award, but he ended up gifting it to his backcourt partner Bane, who quietly became a crucial piece of the Grizzlies starting lineup last season. Bane earned the starting shooting guard role alongside Morant last season, and was one of his team's most consistent players throughout the season.
Bane's improvement from his rookie season was mightily impressive. Despite seeing just over seven more minutes of action per game last season than in his rookie campaign, Bane's scoring per game doubled, and he easily set career highs in just about every statistical category he could. It was a great season for Bane, and he's only going to continue getting better as he progresses in his development.
Expect Bane to take another step forward this season and earn himself his first career All-Star selection. Bane appears to be on the verge of being a 20/5/5 player for the Grizzlies, and if he can make improvements as a secondary playmaker behind Morant, Memphis is going to be a problem. Bane is already a lights out scorer and strong defender, and if he can improve, he should be a shoo-in for an All-Star selection.
2. Grizzlies PG Ja Morant will lead the league in scoring
As previously mentioned, Morant took a huge step forward himself last season, which is why he earned the Most Improved Player award despite his belief that Bane earned it. Morant's scoring per game jumped from 19.1 points per game to 27.4 points per game, as he quickly transformed the Grizzlies into one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the NBA.
Morant shoulders a pretty large scoring burden for Memphis, as he averaged over 20 shots per game last season, but he shot just a hair under 50 percent from the field (49.3 percent) so there was no reason to take the ball out of his hands. He has a strong supporting cast around him, but it's clear that Morant is the focal point of the Grizzlies offense.
Morant's scoring output has continually improved over his first three seasons in the league, and what reason do we have to believe that will stop this season? If Morant can improve his efficiency a bit, and build off his 34,4 percent shooting from behind the arc last season, he will have a decent chance to win the 2022-23 scoring title. It says here that he will do just that, and help lead the Grizzlies on a deep playoff run.
1. The Grizzlies will win the 2023 NBA Finals
It doesn't get much bolder than this, but this is the Grizzlies main goal for the season after all. Memphis took the Warriors to six games in the Western semis last season, despite being without Morant for the final three games of the series. If Morant is healthy, there's a decent chance the Grizzlies would have eliminated Golden State then and there.
Assuming Memphis takes another step forward this season, they will once again finish as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. The midseason return of Jackson will help shore up the Grizzlies starting lineup, and they will make their move up the standings. Memphis will finish as the second seed in the West for the second straight season, and go on another deep playoff run.
The Grizzlies will coast through the first two rounds, and avenge their loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, beating them in seven games to make it to the Finals. Memphis will bump into the Milwaukee Bucks there, but they will prevent Giannis Antetokounmpo from winning his second title, and raise the first of what could be many championships with their current young core intact.
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