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The Memphis Grizzlies have surprised a lot of people this season, as they're currently the Western Conference's third seed with a 41-19 record.
It's too early to say if this squad is truly a contender right now, but they're certainly more of a contender than a pretender. Memphis has performed admirably throughout the season, and the Grizzlies must be feeling quite confident heading into the second half of the season.
Obviously, a young team like the Grizzlies will struggle at certain times throughout the year. They'll have to hope that they can click on all cylinders during the playoffs because if they can, they'll be a team that no one wants to play against.
Let's look at some of the reasons why the Memphis Grizzlies are both contenders and pretenders.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done.
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Are the Grizzlies pretenders or contenders?
Contenders
2. Ja Morant is performing like a possible MVP candidate
Ja Morant has been playing some incredible basketball recently, and he has truly grown into the superstar that everyone expected him to be. It's difficult to argue that nobody expected Morant to be doing what he's doing right now since he's playing like a top 5-10 player in basketball. Everyone knew he had the ability to be this in a few years, but no one expected him to be doing it this early in his career.
If the Grizzlies want to be contenders like they have been for the first 60 games of the regular season, they will need Ja Morant to keep performing at this level.
1. They can score in a variety of ways and have a strong defense.
The Memphis Grizzlies have had plenty of success this season because they have multiple players on their roster who can play defense at a high level. They not only have numerous guys who can defend various positions, but they also play excellent team defense.
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They should feel quite good about their defense going into the playoffs, and if they can keep defending at this level, they should have a lot of success.
Pretenders
2. Can Desmond Bane maintain his current level of play?
There's no disputing that Desmond Bane has been playing elite basketball this season, but the issue of whether or not he can keep playing at this level will inevitably emerge. There's no reason to assume he can't keep doing what he's doing right now, especially when he's done it for the first 60 games this year throughout the regular season.
It will be much more difficult for him to get the job done in the playoffs, but if he can continue to play as he is in the regular season, the Memphis Grizzlies might go from pretenders to contenders. He's not the type of player you'd typically want as a second star on a championship team, but if he can keep playing like this in the playoffs, he'll be more than capable of filling that role.
1. Do they have a backup plan in case Ja Morant goes down?
This question is similar to the last one in that it centers around the same theme. On this Memphis Grizzlies team, there are a variety of guys who can score the basketball at a high level.
If Ja Morant isn't playing at a high level, the concern for them is whether they'll have someone who can play one-on-one basketball and attempt to get a bucket at any moment.
It's most likely going to be Desmond Bane for the time being, which isn't a problem if he can keep performing at this level. However, if he goes through a shooting slump and can't continue to score at a high level, there are some issues regarding who may truly be the second player for this Memphis Grizzlies team to take over a game.
