Memphis Grizzlies jump in latest NBA Power Rankings

The Memphis Grizzlies had an up and down week, going 3-2 in the past seven days. They didn’t beat any powerful teams and took two 31-point losses, something that critics will stick to when analyzing this squad. Despite this, their success saw them improve six spots to 15th place in this week’s NBA Power Rankings.

All things considered, the Grizzlies have done a pretty good job of establishing dominance over lower-tier teams in this league. They haven’t managed to scrape together many signature wins, but they take care of business to keep themselves in the conversation for the play-in tournament.

When it comes to their two losses last week, they came in miserable fashion. The first, to the Pelicans, was a blowout in the worst way. Memphis didn’t play great offense, but that didn’t matter. All that sticks in anybody’s mind is the 144-point offensive onslaught that this proud defensive team received. Granted, they’re still missing their best defender in Jaren Jackson Jr., but this loss was a bad look for Memphis.

The other loss came to the hands of the Phoenix Suns, a team that is surging right now. With half of the top contributors resting, this 31-point loss didn’t sting so much. The Grizzlies essentially gifted a win to Chris Paul and his team.

But overall, the week held more positives than negative

Reflecting on the week, it’s hard to find much to be upset about. Yes, there was one forgettable performance, but this team played well and we saw a strong return from a guy who is going to make a difference going forward in Justise Winslow. He looked like a solid scorer after getting some rust out and played strong defense.

But the most important takeaway, in my opinion, was the flashes of brilliance that we saw out of Kyle Anderson. He showed that he can do it all and we saw this at its peak in a 20 point, 5 steal, 5 assist, 5 rebound performance against the Thunder. If he continues to play this well on both ends of the court, this team will be unstoppable after the return of Jaren Jackson Jr.

The jump to 15th may seem excessive to those who simply look at the outcome of these games, but the Grizzlies definitely improved as a team. Plus, the addition of Justise Winslow should not be taken lightly, as he’ll be vitally important as this team looks to fight for a playoff spot.