The NBA Playoffs are ongoing with tightly contested battles throughout each of the second-round playoff series. The Memphis Grizzlies lost to two of the Western Conference second-round participants in the postseason this year, including the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament.
The Warriors aren't accustomed to losing in the first round, as they haven't lost a series in the opening round since 2014. However, that doesn't take into account that the Warriors have lost two opportunities to make the playoffs after losing in the play-in on two occasions since it was introduced in the 2021 postseason.
On the contrary, the Grizzlies are comfortable losing in the first round, with three of their last four playoff appearances resulting in a first-round exit. If the Grizzlies want to become a perennial first-round winner, they must adopt certain concepts from the Warriors.
Obtain veteran players
The oldest player on the Grizzlies roster entering the playoffs this season was John Konchar at 29 years old. The Warriors have six players on their roster who are 29 years old and older on their team, all with extensive playoff experience.
The Grizzlies were linked to Jimmy Butler in trade rumors ahead of the trade deadline before he landed in Golden State. Memphis opted to trade their most experienced, playoff battle-tested, and oldest player, Marcus Smart, to reduce salary ahead of their huge offseason.
While making it to where the Warriors are will require their best players to simply get more battle scars as their careers progress, the lack of veteran leadership and experience has hurt the Grizzlies more than it has helped. They must add some sort of deep playoff-experienced players to their roster if they want to establish a winning culture in the playoffs.
Find a way to keep Ja Morant healthy during the postseason
Unfortunately, Stephen Curry will miss the majority of the Warriors' second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a strained hamstring he suffered in Game 1 of their series. However, Curry has been relatively healthy throughout Golden State's run over the last decade, which has yielded four championships.
Ja Morant has missed at least one playoff game in the Grizzlies' last three playoff series after playing his first 14 career playoff games without injury. While injuries can't be controlled, it can be argued that Morant's last two injuries in the playoffs could've been avoided due to him attempting dunks over an opposing player.
Morant has a playoff career average of 26 points, 8.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals as the team's best player. Simply, he steps his game up when the team needs it the most, but he must find a way to remain healthy for the team to see its potential postseason success through.