Opinion
The Memphis Grizzlies are the Jessie’s Girl of the NBA.
For those who are confused by this line, you were either not around in 1981 or you don’t know your rock classics.
It’s a kinda creepy song with lyrics like “she’s loving him with that body, I just know it” and “I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot”. Probably? You claim Jesse has been “a good friend of mine” but he’s “got himself a girl and I want to make her mine”. This definitely goes against the bro code.
Rick Springfield, an Aussie rocker who also found “fame” in the US while “acting” on General Hospital, put out a chart-topping banger called Jessie’s Girl more than four decades ago, pining his best mate’s girlfriend.
Anyway, the crux of the song is Springfield asking where “can Ifind a woman like that?” For most NBA fans, the Grizzlies are what they wish their team would be.
A friend who was a casual fan of the NBA without ever settling on a team asked me in the pre-season who he should follow.
These are questions you can’t take lightly. You don’t want to point them towards the traditional glamour teams like the Celtics, Lakers, Knicks or Bulls, there are enough fans of them around.
And you don’t want to send them on the latest bandwagon that could give them a sugar hit in the next year or two with a franchise like Brooklyn, the Bucks or Philadelphia but won’t develop into a long-lasting relationship, the kind that Jessie presumably had with his girl.
You want to point them towards a team on the come-up but it can’t be a slow burn like OKC or Detroit where it could take three or four seasons before they see any finals action.
So my suggestion was the Grizzlies – a small-market team with tremendous upside. And thanks to their phenomenal efforts this season, Memphis have many new fans riding the Ja Morant hype train.
Despite being a third-year guard in the loaded Western Conference, Morant made his All Star debut last month and will win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award when it’s announced at season’s end. He should even snare an All-NBA First Team nod.
Through 56 games he’s averaging 27.6 points per game (up 8.5), 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds and lifted his three-point percentage to 34% even though his strength is as a slasher to the rim.
He’s only 22 but a natural leader and his highlight reel moments this year have been off the charts.
The 50-23 Grizzlies are all but assured of finishing second in the West behind Phoenix with Golden State (48-25) fading after Steph Curry’s untimely foot injury just as Draymond Green was returning from his calf tear.
Morant will attract a few MVP votes but will end up in the second tier of candidates behind leading trio Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
But even when Morant has been sidelined for stretches, the Grizzlies have not skipped a beat under coach of the year candidate Taylor Jenkins.
Three-point specialist Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson jnr, Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke have all stepped up when needed while the acquisition of Steven Adams in an off-season trade for Jonas Valunciunas was a masterstroke.
It looked like a backwards move sending Valunciunas to New Orleans for a less-productive option in the big Kiwi but his defensive presence has been huge – literally and figuratively – and it’s only fitting that a bear-like giant with the Adams surname is a Grizzly. (That reference is even older than the Rick Springfield one)
Steven Adams. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Thursday’s 132-120 win with Morant benched due to a knee problem over a star-studded Brooklyn side – Kyrie Irving was playing because it was in Memphis – lifted the Grizzlies to a 15-2 record this season when their star guard has been missing.
News came through on Friday morning that Morant will be sidelined for a fortnight which is a body blow but won’t knock Memphis to the canvas.
Jackson has barely missed a game this year after three injury-riddled seasons and as well as 16.3 points and six rebounds, he’s leading the league in blocks with 2.3 per game.
Like Morant, he’s a young leader – if you didn’t hear him on The Lowe Post podcast last week, check it out. “Triple J” is on the same wavelength with Morant on and off the court.
The big question now is can the Grizzlies do damage in the playoffs. Finishing second means they’ll likely coast through against Minnesota, the depleted Clippers or dysfunctional Lakers in the first round before taking on the Warriors in the semi-finals.
If Curry, Green and Klay Thompson are fit, then Golden State will be favourites despite giving up home-court advantage but it could almost be one of those passing of the torch moments if Morant, Jackson, Bane – three younger versions of those established stars – continue playing with the freedom of youth.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver are in danger of dropping into the play-in tournament in the West with the Timberwolves at their door while Phoenix (59-14) show no signs of tailing off even though they’re nine games up on second-placed Memphis.
As mentioned above, Minnesota are surging, winning seven of their last 10 to be 42-32 and closing in on fifth-placed Dallas (45-28), who have drawn level with Utah in the race for home-court advantage.
The race to avoid the play-in zone in the East is also on in earnest. Chicago were in first a few weeks ago but are now 42-30 in fifth with Cleveland (41-31), Toronto (40-32) and even Brooklyn (38-35) within striking distance.
Not a great look for the controversial Aussie.
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