MEMPHIS, TN – The reality right now is that the Grizzlies are positioned atop the Western Conference standings this deep into the regular season for the first time in franchise history.
It’s truly unchartered territory, considering they remain one of the NBA’s youngest teams based on the average collective age of their primary playing rotation. But even as a growing number of championship teams are taking notice of Memphis’ rapid ascent into contention, don’t expect the Grizzlies to pause and enjoy views from the top.
The early-season success has reinforced another reality for this team.
It’s not only about the pace they’re setting amid one of the league’s best starts. It’s also about the internal standards guiding them in pursuit of expectations from within they’ve yet to reach.
“We feel like we’re about to get on that stride we had last year, when a couple of times we went out and won 10 straight,” Morant said of rekindling dominant stretches from last season’s franchise-best tying 56-win campaign. “As you can see, we’re flowing and playing pretty good right now. We just can’t let it get away from us. We’ve got to keep our hunger and continue to be humble, go out and know every game means something to us.”
The Grizzlies (19-9) certified that mindset with what Morant described as “easily” their season’s most impressive win in Thursday’s blowout of the vaunted Bucks. Milwaukee entered that game with a championship pedigree, perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s second-best record (now 20-8) and the league’s top-rated defense.
The Bucks, having trailed by as many as 50 points, exited FedexForum with one of their worst losses in history and a strong belief the Grizzlies can be in the mix for an NBA title this season. Bucks’ All-Star swingman Khris Middleton sees similarities with how the Grizzlies have constructed a foundation with dynamic, elite-level stars in Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and added a quality supporting cast with Desmond Bane, Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks and others.
Mix in schemes for a high-performing offense, predicated on spacing and efficient shooting, and a dominant defense that excels in rebounding and rim protection. Then, give it all time to gain valuable continuity and experience. That’s the formula the Bucks used with Antetokounmpo and Middleton on the team’s eventual path to the NBA title two seasons ago.
Taylor Jenkins was an assistant on Mike Budenholzer’s staff along Milwaukee’s rise to title contention before Jenkins accepted his first head coaching job with Memphis in 2019.
Now with a top-10 defense anchored by Jackson and Brooks, and Morant orchestrating a top-10 offense, Middleton said Memphis’ standing in the West should come as little surprise.
“Not at all, because this team comes out and plays hard with a lot of energy every night, no matter who’s on the floor,” Middleton said. “That’s one of the things Taylor always preached when he was with us.”
If anything is surprising, Middleton suggested, it’s a growing perception in the league of how quickly the Grizzlies have developed from a young upstart to a legitimate threat to win it all.
“There are a lot of young teams that put themselves in a situation where they are building toward something special,” Middleton continued. “I don’t think anybody in this league would be surprised to see the Grizzlies do that and be right there. They’re making the climb a little bit quicker than we did, which is a little shocking. But to see how quickly they figured out how to bring the pieces together, being a young team thriving in a more veteran league, is a good thing. Well, maybe not for veteran teams like us.”
Middleton laughed as he finished his statement. He was imagining how much of a headache the Grizzlies can cause opponents if they’re relatively healthy and reach their postseason potential.
They’re showing increased evidence of that potential as they head into arguably the toughest stretch of their schedule. The Grizzlies enter the weekend with the NBA’s longest current win streak at seven consecutive victories. They also swept a five-game homestand with the impressive showing against Milwaukee to improve their league-best home record to 13-2.
The Grizzlies are riding a wave of momentum. Almost literally.
During one stage in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s blowout, Morant and other starters joined in from the bench as fans executed the circling wave rotating through the crowd. Morant said it was the team’s way of thanking home fans for enthusiastically filling the arena with support.
“It’s fan engagement,” Morant said. “They’ve been here rooting us on the whole time, helping us win games every time we’ve needed them. That’s a great feeling for the players to get involved, help them respect us even more, love us even more. A lot of credit goes to our fans.”
The next challenge is to sustain that success outside FedExForum, with seven of the next 10 games on the road. That stretch includes Saturday’s visit to Oklahoma City followed by stops in Denver and Phoenix before the Christmas Day clash with reigning NBA champion Golden State.
“It’s like what was needed,” Morant said of the Grizzlies maximizing their longest homestand of the season. “We’re playing some of our best basketball right now. And when teams face us, they’ve got to be ready to come out and play. That’s the message we’re sending to the league. And showing we have multiple guys who can score that ball is even better. When you go through your scout (against us), you’ve got to name everybody on (our) list. We’ve got a lot of guys playing with extreme confidence and everybody is in rhythm.”
A 5-0 homestand provided the Grizzlies with the comfort, continuity and confidence needed to collectively elevate to their best level of basketball so far this season.
As a result, they’ve also ascended to the top of the West.
And just keep finding ways to rise to every occasion.