Memphis Grizzlies In Prime Position To Convey Draft Pick To Boston

The Memphis Grizzlies have made it known that they have been playing to convey their pick in this years NBA Draft. With just three games left to go, they are in a spot to make that happen.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ goal all season has been to convey their pick in this years NBA Draft. They have made that known all season and now it’s possible that they will make it happen. They have been playing to win while the majority of the lottery teams have been playing to lose to help secure a higher pick.

The goal coming into the season was to make the playoffs, but as the season progressed they realized that wasn’t going to happen. They got off to a good start as they were 12-5 and on top of the Western Conference, but after that point, they really started to struggle.

Major changes have been made to the team that includes multiple trades headlined by the Marc Gasol deal to the Raptors prior to the NBA Trade Deadline. Many players were brought in during that time period that has made a big difference such as Bruno Caboclo and Jonas Valanciunas.

Whether conveying the pick is the right thing to do is very much up for debate, but that’s the move they want to make and now they have a chance to make it happen. With just a few days left in the NBA regular season, the Grizzlies currently have the 9th best odds at the top pick which gives them a very good chance to land outside the top eight.

With Memphis wanting to convey the pick, finishing 9th would be the best possible finish for them. It still gives them a 20.3% chance to get into the top four which includes their 4.5% chance at the top pick in the draft. If they don’t land inside the top four they would finish somewhere lower than 8th which would accomplish their goal of conveying the pick to Boston.

The Grizzlies want to convey the pick and what they need to do to make that happen is pretty simple, all they have to do is win. They have three games remaining and if they win them all they convey the pick, but a more realistic goal should be to win two of the final three games. With the schedule they have, it’s possible for them to make that happen.

Their remaining schedule is home against Dallas, on the road against Detroit, and at home in the season finale against Golden State. The game against the Mavericks will be key to whether they’re able to convey the pick or not. They just beat them Friday night and if they lose this game those two teams will be tied back up in the standings.

The game in Detroit will be very tough for them to win. The Pistons are battling for a playoff spot so they know what this game means. If Memphis can get that win in Detroit then the chances they convey the pick is very possible. The game against Golden State could be easier than anticipated because there’s a good chance the Warriors already have home court locked up so they’ll be resting their key players.

Unless they win their final three games there is a good chance their pick conveyance comes down to a tiebreaker of some kind. There are three teams they have to worry about. Dallas is one and the other two are New Orleans and Washington. The Wizards and Pelicans both have a 32-48 record so these four could continue to swap places over the final few days.

Washington plays in New York against the Knicks on Sunday and will host the Celtics on Tuesday. Those are two games that could be tough to win. You would think they do beat the Knicks, but they already have the worst record locked up so they have no reason to tank, the Wizards should win, but don’t be surprised if the Knicks get the victory.

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Their game against Boston will likely have big playoff seeding implications so expect the Celtics to play hard in that game, but in the slim chance they do have the four seed locked up, then the chances the Wizards win is very possible. Those two teams have had plenty of good battles, so don’t expect the Celtics to give them an easy win, with or without their starters playing.

The Pelicans play in Sacramento on Sunday before hosting Golden State to end their season on Tuesday. The Kings are a good team and with the way New Orleans is playing recently, it will be tough for them to win that game. Their game against Golden State could be similar to the Grizzlies game against them. If their starters are playing they likely lose, but if they’re resting players I’d give the Pelicans a good chance to win.

The Mavericks play Memphis on Sunday before hosting Phoenix Tuesday followed by their road game to end the season in San Antonio. It’s very possible they could beat Phoenix but if the Grizzlies want to finish above Dallas they need to take care of business themselves which is the case for finishing above all of these teams.

The Memphis Grizzlies have a good chance to convey their pick and to do so they need to win games. They have some very winnable games to end the season and they seem to be playing better than the teams close to them in the standings. If Memphis wants to convey the pick it’s simple, just win.