As the Grizzlies continue to improve in the standings and other Western Conference teams fall short, there has begun to be some buzz about Memphis making a playoff push. This would be a terrible idea, as I will explain further.
For reference, currently the Grizzlies are 9th in the WC standings, one game back from the 8th seed.
The Grizzlies are going through a real, honest-to-God rebuild. With new front office decision makers and a new head coach, this team is finally in a position to execute a successful rebuild.
There is a young, dynamic core of exciting players to build around, and in many ways the future is looking brighter for this franchise than it ever has. Which is all the more reason why this process shouldn’t be rushed.
The 2019-2020 Memphis Grizzlies are a very young team, green behind the ears and still learning how to play together. They are still building chemistry and learning how to put together four complete quarters of basketball in the same game. It isn’t always pretty to watch, but this is a very good thing. It is exactly what they are supposed to be doing at this point in the rebuilding process.
But What About the Boston Pick?
Well … what about it? The first-round pick that we still owe to Boston is top-6 protected this year and while it would not be wise to lose deliberately, chances are the Grizzlies will organically end up a lottery team again this summer. Which allows the possibility of ending up with another very good draft pick this summer.
Yes, said pick is unprotected after this year, but the likelihood that the Grizzlies will end up as even the 8th seed is much greater next year. If that is the case, Memphis could potentially convey a pick that is outside the top-10 in 2021.
The Bottom Line
The playoffs should not be a goal for this Grizzlies team until they have developed enough to sustain a deep run. End of discussion.
As it stands right now, even if they did end up in the 8th seed, it is very unlikely they would make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Which makes the risk of injury too great, with the potential for a reward (or even a second-round series) much too small.
