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Here's what really matters for the rest of this lost Memphis Grizzlies season | Giannotto
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- Here's what really matters for the rest of this lost Memphis Grizzlies season | Giannotto
I don't really care about the last two months of games in this Memphis Grizzlies season.
Is it OK to admit that?
Some fans likely can't stomach the notion. They want to watch GG Jackson blossom more, and watch Vince Williams Jr. defy expectations more. They want to watch how many more 10-day contracts and two-way players the Grizzlies can throw out on the court, how many — if any — will stick, and how many more nights this collection of fringe NBA players can muster like that magical win over the Milwaukee Bucks right before the All-Star break.
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They find it endearing to watch Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers , when this ragtag bunch went toe-to-toe with Kawhi Leonard , Paul George , James Harden and Russell Westbrook for three-plus quarters.
And they should. The team needs that support. The players, especially Jaren Jackson Jr. , deserve it given how hard they're still playing.
I've tried to get to that same place emotionally – to savor the irresistible development of GG Jackson and Williams and find joy in the sorting out process taking place at the bottom of the Grizzlies' roster. I just can't.
Not when GG Jackson and Williams have already shown enough to know they're going to be key pieces next season when the real version of the team returns. Not when this team was a contender before this and will be a contender again just as soon as it gets back Ja Morant and the rest of the walking wounded who were taken out by this injury-ravaged campaign.
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So there are 25 games left in this lost season, or gap year, or whatever we're calling it to rationalize the unplanned detour this franchise is taking, and the dynamics at play mean the results of those games don't really matter.
It doesn't appear the Grizzlies can lose anymore. Well, they can technically lose − and they'll probably lose a lot.
But they will be accomplishing the greater mission in a very respectable way because any Grizzlies loss helps the cause of trying to improve their pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Memphis entered the weekend with the sixth-best NBA draft lottery odds after the Clippers loss was coupled with a Toronto loss. And, if the Grizzlies win a game here or there, well that can still be fun, too.
So there are really only three things that actually matter to me right now.
Jan 15, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22), forward Brandon Clarke (15) and guard Ja Morant (12) watch from the bench during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
1. The injury report and medical updates put out by the team
This is especially true for Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart . The latest update from the Grizzlies earlier this week was just vague enough to satisfy the NBA's anti-tanking stance while also reinforcing to fans their health heading into next season is what's important moving forward.
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The team announced Bane is "expected to return" in 3 to 5 weeks from his Grade 3 ankle sprain, which could also be interpreted as the team has 3 to 5 weeks to figure out how to get him not to return. It doesn't make much sense for him to play the final few games of the regular season, with so much at stake in the future and so little to gain right now.
GIANNOTTO: Memphis Grizzlies aren't considering shutting down players yet. They should be
Smart, meanwhile, was recently re-evaluated and will be re-evaluated again in three weeks, according to the Grizzlies. Here's guessing (or hoping) there are more re-evaluations on his horizon, right up until the season ends.
Perhaps the return of Brandon Clarke from his Achilles injury occurs over the next month or so. That would add some intrigue to the end of the season.
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2. Marc Gasol gets his No. 33 retired
Gasol never got a proper salute from Memphis fans after being traded by the team because his lone game back at FedExForum occurred with the Los Angeles Lakers at the height of the pandemic, when few people were allowed in the stands.
It's going to be special when the Grizzlies retire his number after playing the Philadelphia 76ers on April 6. Considering Mike Conley and the Minnesota Timberwolves don't play that night, there's a chance we see the Core Four all together again for the first time in years.
3. The draft pick this season produces
Don't take my word on this. Just listen to what Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman emphasized after the trade deadline.
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"When we're talking about an asset as significant as what could be a high-end first round pick, we're focusing on that," he said earlier this month . "That's kind of the driver, if there's a decision tree, if you will, of what comes next."
This is the reward for what's been endured this season. Wherever this draft pick winds up, it will be the best asset the Grizzlies have at their disposal this offseason. It might just be the best asset they've had since getting the No. 2 pick in the 2019 Draft that yielded Morant. It could be the asset that lands the team the big man it needs to fill the void left by Steven Adams , whether it's a top-flight rookie or (preferably) it's used in the trade that lands Memphis another significant piece.
Is it OK to admit that's all I care about at this point?
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on X: @mgiannotto
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What matters the rest of this Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies season
