Are The Grizzlies Well-Positioned To Hold Onto The 8-Seed In The West?

• At -143, the Memphis Grizzlies are favorites to capture the eighth seed in the Western Conference, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Rookie Ja Morant is leading an unexpected playoff charge and is favored to take home Rookie of the Year hardware.

• Averaging 27.0 assists per contest, the Grizzlies rank second in the category.

• At 32-33, the Grizzlies must fend off many teams to hold on to their playoff seed.

Rookie Leadership

The Memphis Grizzlies 2019-2020 season promised to be one of new beginnings. With franchise stallworth Mike Conley being traded to the Utah Jazz this past offseason, Memphis found their new leader in 2019’s second overall pick, Ja Morant.

Morant has wasted no time establishing himself as one of the NBA’s finest athletes and looks to be a potential All-Star for years to come. The 20-year-old has posted 17.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while leading the young Grizzlies to a 32-33 record. They're currently positioned for the West’s eighth seed. The odds on favorite for Rookie of the Year, Morant should be expected to finish out his first pro campaign, leading Memphis to an unexpected playoff berth.

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Team Ball

At 27.0 assists per game, Memphis is only .2 away from leading the league in the category. Over the past ten years, only one team (the 2016-2017 Denver Nuggets) didn't make the playoffs while in such a position.

Under head coach Taylor Jenkins, Memphis has instituted a fast-paced, transition-oriented offense. This iteration of the Grizzlies has three of their top-five scorers - Morant, Jonas Valanciunas, and Brandon Clarke - taking at least 30.0 percent of their shots near the rim. As an adept team at positioning themselves, the Grizzlies have found success in the transition game. It is here that the Grizzlies score nearly nine field goals per game, including 17.9 fast break points per contest, good for fourth in the league.

With the team's assist to pass rate sitting at an elite 8.8, their success would be limited, and a feel-good atmosphere surrounding the team’s future playoff chances would be non-existent without their passing prowess. With their full squad returning other than Justise Winslow, expect team ball to continue.

Fending Off A Swarm Of Opponents

As the favorite to earn the eighth seed, Memphis brings a small lead into the Orlando bubble. With eight seeding games to go, Memphis has a small lead over teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzlies should hold on to that lead, as New Orleans and Portland battle it out to at least force a play-in tournament. In this scenario, Memphis would have to lose two-straight in order to drop out of the postseason. Each game is brutally important at this juncture, but all signs point to the Grizzlies hanging on and matching up with a Los Angeles team in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

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