2 Bold Predictions that would solidify the Grizzlies' contender status in 2024-25

A new NBA season means it's time for more predictions. As player rankings, conference standing predictions, and NBA awards predictions take precedence now, some predictions that are a little more out of the box should be considered.

As the Grizzlies consistently have players ranked in the top NBA players list and in the running for awards at the end of the season, the thought of something bolder becomes intriguing. With the season just days away, the Grizzlies have a couple of things that seem obtainable enough to make a prediction that is both possible and a potential long shot.

1. Win the Emirates NBA Cup

Last season, the NBA introduced the In-Season Tournament, which promoted more competitive play as the regular season had become stale with star players resting left and right and teams coasting to the finish line. However, the first year of the tournament provided some exciting basketball in the early part of the season that isn't typically seen before the Christmas holiday.

The unlikely Indiana Pacers made it to the tournament championship game before ultimately losing to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, finished with a 0-4 record in their Group play, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns.

As the injuries mounted and already missing Ja Morant, the Grizzlies missed an opportunity by blowing a late-game lead to lose to the Trail Blazers in overtime of their first game. They followed that by making a comeback at home against the Jazz but fell short in the end before suffering blowout losses to the Lakers and Suns.

This season, Ja Morant will likely be available and Zach Edey joins the lineup to give the Grizzlies some reinforcements for this season's tournament. Their Group play is arguably the toughest with matchups against the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors on the horizon.

However, look for the Grizzlies to take those matchups to heart after last season's mishaps to make their claim at being in position to win the whole tournament. Having rivalry games with the Mavericks, Pelicans, and Warriors in their group will be added motivation for a team that already feels disrespected and forgotten about.

2. Two Players to win NBA Awards

After being drafted ninth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey has been both respected and disrespected. Some have pegged him to win the Rookie of the Year award while others called him a bust upon his draft selection.

However, with the Grizzlies being one of the few teams that drafted in the lottery that will be expected to be a good team, Edey's chances of winning the award are already off to a good start. Becoming the starting center from day one and being drafted in what was considered a "weak draft" bolds well for his chances as well.

The second award winner? Ja Morant for MVP seems like a long shot but the Grizzlies are a significantly better team when he's on the court. Remaining healthy for most of the season would easily help Ja compete for the NBA's most prestigious award.

Morant can compete with the best of them and if the Grizzlies can return to competing for the top two seeds in the deeper Western Conference, his case will be hard to look past. Include the redemption arc and his chance at being the first point guard to win the MVP since Russell Westbrook (2017) is high.