Beginning with the final game before the All-Star Break, the Memphis Grizzlies endured a minor hiccup. Following a blistering 41-18 start that drew positive attention both locally and nationally, Memphis slipped up, losing four of seven games. In the grand scheme, a brief hiatus from dominance was understandable for a team that some believed was overachieving to that point but, in the days since, Memphis has bounced back to say the least.
The Grizzlies are 9-1 in the last ten games, including an active five-game winning streak. Memphis beat Brooklyn, Golden State, and Milwaukee by double digits during that run, bludgeoning the Warriors and Bucks by a total of 53 points. Though the rest of the schedule hasn’t been grueling, the Grizzlies continue to rack up victories at an impressive clip, entering the stretch run at 53-23 overall.
Because of the unbelievable performance of the Phoenix Suns, the Grizzlies will slide into the No. 2 seed in the West, even with a multi-game lead over the No. 1 seed in the East. Still, Memphis has proven to be resilient, effective, dominant and (especially) deep this season, including a stat that is making NBA observers shake their heads in late March.
Ja Morant, the unquestioned No. 1 option and offensive engine of the Grizzlies, is likely on his way to an All-NBA selection in his third season. Morant is averaging 27.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, posting a 57.5 percent true shooting mark and a career-best turnover rate of 12.5 percent. Morant’s rise to superstardom has him in the mix for Most Improved Player honors, at least in the minds of some, and the Grizzlies are 35-21 when he takes the floor.
However, one of the craziest stats of the NBA season is that Memphis is 18-2 when Morant does not play. That extends to the on-off splits, with the Grizzlies out-scoring opponents by 8.1 points per 100 possessions with Morant off the court, compared to +3.7 when he plays. Make no mistake, it would be (quite) silly to argue that the Grizzlies are actually better off without Morant in the mix. It does indicate, though, that Memphis has made a lot of its regular season gains with incredible depth, utilizing 12 players for at least 600 minutes this season.
The Grizzlies got a brief taste of playoff life last season, but this year, real expectations accompany Memphis to the postseason. It remains to be seen how long Morant will be sidelined with his current knee issue, and it is difficult to calibrate the impact his absence, or potential limitations upon return, could affect the calculus. Regardless, Memphis has shown itself to be a real threat in the Western Conference, and they can spend the next two weeks tuning up for the playoffs, rather than leaving the pedal on the floor as other teams jockey for position.
Where do the Grizzlies stack up in this week’s DIME power rankings? Well, you won’t have to go far to find them.
1. Phoenix Suns (61-14, Last week — 1st)
A week ago, the Suns were already on a five-game winning streak, but the competition was middling at best. Phoenix decided to ramp it up even more, defeating the Wolves and Nuggets on the road before beating the Sixers at home. The Suns are 8.5 games clear of the field in the NBA with seven games remaining. What a season.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (53-23, Last week — 4th)
The Grizzlies don’t have much to play for, but they will be participating in important games over the next two weeks. Memphis faces Utah, Denver, New Orleans and Boston down the stretch after a tilt in San Antonio on Wednesday.
3. Boston Celtics (47-29, Last week — 2nd)
Over the last two months, no team has been better than the Celtics, including the Suns. Boston is 22-4 with a +14.9 net rating over that sample, and they’ve been great. Unfortunately, starting center Robert Williams is going to be out for a while, and that might derail things a bit for Boston. In the meantime, we’ll rank them for what they’ve accomplished.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (47-28, Last week — 5th)
Milwaukee got throttled by the Morant-less Grizzlies on Saturday, and that was a bit weird. On cue, the Bucks went to Philly and on Tuesday behind a ridiculous Giannis performance. Antetokounmpo is playing at an unreal level, and in general, everyone believes in Milwaukee.
5. Dallas Mavericks (47-29, Last week — 6th)
This might seem high for the Mavericks, but it really isn’t when you examine the numbers. Dallas is 12-4 in the last 16 games and 31-11 in the last 42 contests. With that performance coupled with struggles elsewhere, Luka Doncic and company feel dangerous.
6. Brooklyn Nets (40-36, Last week — 7th)
There is a lot of projection in having the Nets at No. 6, as one could see from the team’s record. Brooklyn didn’t eliminate all skepticism with a weird loss to the Hornets on Saturday, and the Nets are capable of a dud when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have an off night. On the flip side, there is open road for the Nets if they can find “it” down the stretch.
7. Miami Heat (48-28, Last week — 3rd)
Danger zone in Miami? The Heat did win a game on Monday over the Kings, but that was at home and against a team going through the motions. Miami lost four games in a row that, and the energy around the Heat isn’t great. They’re still well-coached and potent on defense, but there are more questions now than there were a few weeks ago.
8. Denver Nuggets (45-31, Last week — 9th)
There is a lot more discussion surrounding the MVP race than the Nuggets as a team right now, which is understandable. Denver is still 17-7 in the last 24 games, and Nikola Jokic’s individual brilliance is also fueling strong team performance. Since March 6, Jokic has led the team in scoring and rebounding in every single game and, hilariously, he has also led the team in assists in every game but one. Congratulations to Will Barton on his eight assists in a loss to Phoenix on March 24.
9. Philadelphia 76ers (46-29, Last week — 10th)
Obviously, there is no great shame in losing to the Suns and Bucks, which Philadelphia just did to end the week. It would’ve been nice to win one of those, but we’ll call it a break-even kind of week.
10. Toronto Raptors (43-32, Last week — 13th)
Monday’s overtime win over Boston wasn’t nearly as impressive as it looks, simply because the Celtics didn’t have their full roster in Canada. Toronto still won the game, though, and the Raptors are 9-2 in the last 11 games to climb into the No. 6 spot in the East.
11. Golden State Warriors (48-28, Last week — 8th)
The Warriors are tied for the third-best record in the league. The Warriors are 7-15 in the last 22 games. Both can be true, and that makes it hard to evaluate Golden State. Without Stephen Curry, they are worse than this. With him, they are better than this. Split the difference.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-33, Last week — 11th)
After a wildly impressive 10-1 stretch, the Wolves have lost three of four. That isn’t a disaster when you consider they lost to the Mavs, Suns, and Celtics, but losses aren’t as fun as wins.
13. Utah Jazz (45-31, Last week — 12th)
Utah’s full-season statistical profile is fairly solid, but the Jazz are swooning again. They’ve lost five in a row, headlined by a total collapse in blowing a 25-point lead to the Clippers on Tuesday evening. Utah is tied for the No. 5 seed as a result, and the Jazz could slide as far as No. 7 if they aren’t careful.
14. Chicago Bulls (44-32, Last week — 15th)
It was only a 2-2 week for the Bulls, but there was progress given that Chicago was 3-8 before that. The Bulls are ahead of the Cavs on the strength of a road win in Cleveland, but they also lost to both New York and New Orleans this week. Fortunately, Chicago kicks off a five-game homestand on Thursday.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-33, Last week — 14th)
The Cavs stopped the bleeding with a win over Orlando on Monday, but Evan Mobley had to leave the game with an ankle issue. It remains to be seen as to how much that might set the rookie back, but injuries are really taking a toll on the Cavaliers. Cleveland is currently in the play-in, which would be kind of brutal after the way this season began.
16. Atlanta Hawks (38-37, Last week — 17th)
Atlanta’s schedule has opened up considerably, and they’ve taken advantage with seven wins in ten games. Monday’s win over Indiana put the Hawks over .500 for the first time since December, and Atlanta can threaten the No. 8 seed with a strong close to the regular season.
17. Charlotte Hornets (39-37, Last week — 16th)
There is a rather large gap between No. 17 and No. 18, which perhaps softens the blow for the Hornets. Charlotte is 9-4 in the last 13 games and, if not for a bad home loss to the Knicks last week, the Hornets would be higher. They still hold a narrow lead over the Hawks for the No. 9 spot, and home-court could be valuable in that potential matchup.
18. L.A. Clippers (37-39, Last week — 21st)
Paul George is back, and the Clippers made a statement in his return. L.A. came from 25 points down to beat Utah on Tuesday, stopping a losing streak in the process. George may not make L.A. a title contender on his own, but he strengthens a team that has done credible work without its stars.
19. San Antonio Spurs (31-44, Last week — 23rd)
It’s a great time for a four-game winning streak, and the Spurs have one. All four victories came on the road, including a meaningful win over New Orleans. Some of the competition (Rockets, Blazers) was not fantastic, but the wins count the same. San Antonio is firmly in the mix and playing well.
20. New York Knicks (34-42, Last week — 20th)
The vibes aren’t necessarily fantastic, but the Knicks have won four games in a row and six of the last eight. That keeps New York within 4.5 games of Atlanta, even if the Knicks have a (very) small chance of closing that gap with less than two weeks remaining in the season.
21. New Orleans Pelicans (32-43, Last week — 19th)
It was a winning week for the Pelicans, though New Orleans lost a home game to San Antonio that stung. The Pels have a full-game edge on the Spurs and Lakers, and New Orleans is above .500 since a 3-16 start.
22. Washington Wizards (32-43, Last week — 22nd)
Washington is technically alive in the playoff race, but they are functionally dead. A 9-22 record in the last 31 games will do that.
23. Los Angeles Lakers (31-44, Last week — 18th)
The Lakers were once 24-24. They are 7-20 since. Tuesday’s loss to Dallas was an annihilation, even if you extend some grace for the absence of LeBron James. Regardless, the Lakers are currently on the outside looking in at the play-in tournament. At least Anthony Davis seems to be close.
24. Sacramento Kings (27-49, Last week — 25th)
Given the hideousness of the race for the No. 10 seed, the door was actually open for the Kings to hang around in the playoff hunt. Sacramento is 3-8 in the last 11 games. They did not hang around.
25. Detroit Pistons (20-56, Last week — 28th)
Detroit is just 2-9 in the last 11 games, but the flashes have been notably better than the teams below them on this list. Tuesday’s loss to Brooklyn was a notable example, with the Pistons leading at times behind 34 points from Cade Cunningham. It helps to have a future franchise player on the roster.
26. Indiana Pacers (25-51, Last week — 24th)
Indiana has been quite bad for a while, but things crested this week. The Pacers went 0-4 in the last seven days and, in the last three losses, Indiana was out-scored by 27.8 points per 100 possessions. Indiana’s available roster is not exactly suited to competitiveness, but it’s been gross lately.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-53, Last week — 30th)
After slipping to the basement a week ago, the Thunder went 2-1 this week. Granted, the wins came against Orlando and Portland (see below), but they happened nonetheless. Oklahoma City’s injury report is incomprehensible, but they still have recognizable faces in the middle of the long rebuild.
28. Houston Rockets (20-56, Last week — 29th)
We’ll get to the Blazers in a moment, but Houston did win back-to-back games this week. Both wins came over Portland, but they had to rise a little bit after that. Jalen Green is averaging 19.8 points per game since mid-February, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three-point distance in the process.
29. Orlando Magic (20-56, Last week — 26th)
The tank is certainly on in Orlando, even if they have a couple of solid wins in the last couple of weeks. The Magic have lost to the Pistons, Thunder, and Kings in the last 13 days, and Orlando crumbled in amusing fashion against Cleveland on Monday to stick in the runner-up position.
30. Portland Trail Blazers (27-48, Last week — 27th)
If you examine the active roster for the Blazers in any recent game, it won’t be a surprise that Portland is struggling. In this case, struggling isn’t a harsh enough description, as Portland is in its own tier of disaster at the moment. Since the All-Star Break, the Blazers are 2-14, the worst record in the NBA. That doesn’t do it justice, though, as Portland has a -20.6 net rating that seems impossible over a 16-game sample.