The Grizzlies won again, with they beating the Pistons 118-88 at home for a seven-game winning streak. In the game that has ended, the Grizzlies are in 4th place in the West with a record of 26 wins and 14 losses, leading the 5th place Lone Ranger by as many as 5 wins, and the ranking is very stable.
Many fans may say that the Grizzlies are the biggest dark horse of the season, because they stumbled into the playoffs last season, and their regular season record was not shiny enough, and they were eliminated by the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. And this season's record directly rushed to the 4th place in the West, which was somewhat unexpected.
Indeed, the Grizzlies can be called a dark horse this season, because before the start of the new season, there is not much media and fans optimistic about this team, in the competitive West, in the eyes of most people, the Grizzlies will still be like last season, they need to work hard to be able to make it to the playoffs, the record ranking will not be very high.
The Grizzlies are currently in Fourth place in the West this season, losing only to the Suns, Warriors and Jazz in the West, which is really incredible. But the rise of the Grizzlies this season is no accident, they have real strength, although at this stage they have not yet been selected as an All-Star, but this team has a group of excellent young people, and the progress of these players and the performance of the game have guaranteed the Grizzlies' excellent record this season.
Among the young people in the Grizzlies, Morant is undoubtedly the best, he is the 2019 draft pick, this season is his third year in the league, when there is a chance to get an early renewal opportunity, Morant has shined this season, in the game that has ended, he can average 25 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 49.1% from the field and shooting 39% from three-point range.
In this season's competition, Morant has played a dazzling performance on the court many times, with personal ability to help the team, in the face of superstars such as Curry, James and Durant, Morant's performance is not inferior, in the face of these superstars, he tends to have a very good performance. He is the absolute core and leader of the current Grizzlies team.
In addition to Morant, the Grizzlies also have young players such as Jalan Jr., Dillon Brooks, Bain, Melton and Clark, among these players, some of them are not in high positions, but in the Grizzlies, they have successfully gained a foothold and shown their value in the game, becoming indispensable players on the team.
For example, Bain, Dillon Brooks and Melton, etc., they are relatively low in the draft pick, and the starting point in the league is lower than that of other players in the same year, but when they have the opportunity, they grasp it, successfully play a good performance in the league, and as the game progresses, their skills are becoming comprehensive and the progress rate is very fast. At this stage, these players with low picks have become Morant's right and left arm, and the Grizzlies can rise, they are indispensable.
As a high-pick rookie selected with the 4th pick in the first round, Jalen Jr. also showed his strength in the game, cashed in his talent, and became the core of the team's interior line. He is the young player that the Grizzlies focus on cultivating, and the team hopes that he and Morant will form a core combination of the inside and outside line, and from the current point of view, the Grizzlies are definitely in the right direction of building the team, and the two are helping the team to get better, and the 4th place in the West is the best proof.
The Grizzlies are small-market teams, and it's hard to attract big-name stars in the free agent market, and teams can only rely on records if they want to rise. In the past few years, the Grizzlies have been discerning and selected many young players with great potential and excellence, and it is now under the leadership of this group of young players that the Grizzlies have completed the rebuild and the team is back on track. Here we have to praise the management vision of the Grizzlies, who have relied on themselves to make the team a strong team in the West again, and the Grizzlies have performed well in terms of selecting and cultivating young people. Although the Grizzlies have a relatively young roster, their strength should not be underestimated, and this season's playoffs are expected to have better results for this young team.