One of the standout series of last year’s NBA playoff bracket was the exciting second-round matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies.
The games were hard-fought and went back and forth for a while before eventually losing the series in 6. The Warriors went on to win the title, of course, and the Grizzlies went into the summer with a small taste of postseason success.
According to Ja Morant, however, Memphis should have come out with more than a few lessons. According to him, the Grizzlies would have won the series had they managed to stay healthy.
“I felt like we had it,” Morant said. “That’s what I took from it. Injuries just hurt us.”
Ja Morant talked about losing to the Warriors in the playoffs tonight: “I felt we had (the series vs the Warriors). That’s what I took from it. Injuries just hurt us.”
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) October 28, 2022
Ja Morant And The Grizzlies Are Managing Big Expectations After Breakout Season
There’s no telling who would have won a fully healthy matchup between the teams, but it’s not crazy to think Memphis might have had a shot to win. This season, they are proving that none of their success was a fluke, and they are feeling like they can take on any team in the league.
Of course, their run is being fueled by Morant, who is quietly emerging as an early MVP candidate this season.
After Paul Pierce claimed that the 2023 NBA MVP won’t be somebody born in the US, and said that Joel Embiid is coming for it, Garnett dropped a couple of names, too, first naming Luka Doncic and then going in while talking about Ja Morant (30:53).
“I got Luka [Doncic] in there, I got Ja [Morant],” said Kevin Garnet on the season’s MVP conversation. “Nobody’s getting actually the return of energy like Ja’s giving the energy. Ja’s reminding me of when AI played. He’s coming in here like with a whole nother energy. He got the gritty popping, he got Memphis popping, he got that team going, he got a lot of confidence. Ja’s walking away like he’s the best player in the league. You can’t tell him he ain’t. He doesn’t want nothing else.”
Needless to say, it’s still far too early to make any kind of conclusions on Morant or the Grizzlies, but they are going to be in a position to contend all season long, and the Warriors will be there ready to stave them off.
In truth, this matchup is becoming a new rivalry in the league, and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes next.
