Not all NBA teams are sitting as comfortably as the Memphis Grizzlies prior to the start of Media Day and training camp.
Monday marks the annual NBA Media Day for the Memphis Grizzlies. Training Camp immediately follows, beginning on Tuesday.
Memphis is sitting pretty in the hours prior to the official start of the 2018-19 season. Not all other NBA franchises can say the same, namely the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Grizzlies are not breaking headlines because of their top players getting into feuds with teammates, coaches, and other team personnel. Memphis’ players are not demanding trades as training camp prepares to open. For this, Grizz Nation must be thankful.
In the case of the Timberwolves, all the momentum they built by reaching the postseason in 2017-18 is being washed away. This awkward situation is nowhere near its end, and who knows how long it may drag along. If Minnesota finds a trade partner for Jimmy Butler this week, it will still be the talk of the league for weeks to come.
That type of mess will squander a season away. This situation could definitely turn Minnesota’s fan base against the team. That is one reason why the Timberwolves’ owner wants Butler to be traded as soon as possible so all parties can move along in their new directions and create new history.
For the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota’s tumble is good news. A team that is favored to be greater than the Grizz in 2018-19 could fall from the season standings. It would help Memphis get closer to achieving this season’s goal(s).
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Looking back to another popular item of the 2018 offseason, the Grizzlies did not trade a franchise star/fan favorite in return for a player that appeared in just nine games in the 2017-18 season. The Toronto Raptors shed themselves of All-Star DeMar DeRozan in an incredibly risky deal.
Alternatively, Memphis should be glad that they were not in a position similar to the San Antonio Spurs. The team’s star player demanded a trade and attempted to sabotage any trade leverage the Spurs originally had.
The Grizzlies kept the bulk of their roster intact. The big loss was Tyreke Evans, now representing the Indiana Pacers. Aside from ‘Reke, Memphis added a pair of talented rookies, beefed up their bench, and invested in a starting-caliber forward for the next era of Grizz basketball.
Most importantly, the Memphis Grizzlies now have 100% health. Mike Conley looks fully healed. Early reports indicate that Chandler Parsons will look the best since joining forces with the Grizz. The only known outstanding injury belonged to rookie Jevon Carter, but good news was received in his latest follow-up appointment.
When is the last time Memphis began an NBA season with zero injuries to report? Or better yet, when was the last time this club reported zero injuries within the season? You really have to scratch your head and think back several seasons.
For all of these reasons — especially when it comes to the health of the current Memphis Grizzlies players — Grizz Nation must be thankful.
The Western Conference will be more difficult than ever before, but at least the Grizzlies will have a fair shot at taking the top dogs down given their full health. Proving the league’s biggest critics wrong would not be an idea that is new to this organization. If anything, being the underdog is exactly how Memphis wants it to be.
Go Grizz!