Last season proved to be one of the most difficult periods in recent history for the team. Memphis Grizzlies.
Just after finishing second the previous year, this team finished 27-55 after 82 games played and fell out of the playoff picture for the first time in four years.
In most cases, this result and low level of success can be quite discouraging for a franchise and its fan base, but not for Memphis, as most of their problems stemmed from uncontrollable factors such as key player absences and health issues.
For this reason, the 2023-24 season has been widely viewed as a sabbatical year for Grind City, and, subsequently, the 2024-25 season is seen as an opportunity for the club to bounce back in spectacular fashion.
The folks at ESPN seem pretty supportive of this idea of a redemption race for the organization, as they recently wrote a piece predicting who will be in the running for this year’s major awards, and numerous members of the Grizzlies were mentioned along the way.
While not all of them are considered favorites to win the titles their names are attached to, each of them has a strong case to do so once voting season arrives.
Rank: #9
For the Grizzlies to have a bounce-back season, Ja Morant will undoubtedly need to be the driving force he has proven to be throughout his five-year career with the organization.
During his tenure and every full season played in Grind City, the point guard has only proven himself capable of helping the club reach enviable heights as a collective and has received numerous accolades for his efforts.
After starting his career with the illustrious Rookie of the Year award and then receiving the Most Improved Player award the following season, Morant has progressed in his game with each passing season.
Over the previous two campaigns leading up to their disastrous 2023-24 run, the point guard led Memphis to a combined 107 wins, two second-place finishes in the conference standings and, in 2021-22, their fourth semifinal appearance in franchise history.
Along the way, Ja posted stellar overall averages of 16.8 points, 7.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 47.9 percent shooting while earning back-to-back All-Star nominations, his first All-NBA selection and two top-12 finishes in the MVP race.
Now, with his return to a lottery-bound team that sidelined him for most of last year due to suspension and injuries, Morant appears to be coming with vengeance and redemption on his mind and is already send warning signals to the rest of the league as he works to regain full strength.
If he can pick up where he left off before his shoulder surgery (remember, in his nine games played, he played at full capacity as the Grizzlies went 6-3), and the team’s success rate resembles that of 2022-23, the 25-year-old, along with that comeback story, will have a strong case to win the Michael Jordan Trophy at the end of the year.
