FS1 Analyst Skip Bayless believes once Ja Morant returns, the Grizzlies may go ahead and win the West in the playoffs
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The biggest surprise of the 2021-22 NBA season have been the Memphis Grizzlies. After barely making it to the 9th seed, and fighting their way through the play-in games, the Grizzlies were on an agenda this season. The team recorded its 5th ever 50-win season and became the 2nd team in the NBA to reserve its playoff spot. The Grizzlies would most likely finish the season at the 2nd spot in the stacked Western Conference.
Ja Morant has been a key driving force behind the team’s success. His contributions to the team’s winning were so good that he was in the running for the coveted MVP honors. However, after tonight’s win over the Warriors, the Grizzlies hold an 18-2 record in the 20 games Morant has missed this season. This number shows how good the team is, even without Ja. Some would argue that this number shows that the team is better without Ja around. His MVP contention would probably end, based on this one number alone.
Skip Bayless believes Ja Morant can lead the Grizzlies out of the West
The Memphis Grizzlies took down a short-staffed Warriors tonight. Being the second night of a back-to-back, Steve Kerr rested Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Both Memphis and Golden State were without their key stars in Ja Morant and Stephen Curry, respectively. However, the Grizzlies gave the Warriors a thrashing and won the season series 3-1.
After the game, Skip Bayless went on Twitter to point out how good the Grizzlies have been, even without Ja.
Most incredible stat of the NBA season is that Memphis is now 18-2 WITHOUT JA MORANT. Impossibly great. That obviously disqualifies Ja from an MVP race he had entered. But that also qualifies Memphis to be a serious threat to win the West, especially if/when Ja returns.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 29, 2022
Skip isn’t too off here. The Grizzlies’ stellar record without Ja certainly raises a question about his position as MVP. However, this surely means when he comes back, the Grizzlies are sure to cause trouble for teams in the playoffs.