Memphis Grizzlies: 3 players who have had surprisingly good seasons in 2021

This Memphis Grizzlies basketball team wasn’t supposed to be competitive in 2021. Prior to Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s return, this was supposed to be a team that stayed afloat, within reaching distance of a spot in the play-in tournament. Nobody was thrilled about it, but that was the truth of the situation.

But as the NBA reaches a crucial stretch, that isn’t the case for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Rather, this Grizzlies team has found itself in a position where they’re dominating a Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks team from start to finish. We won’t get into how that game ended, but the Grizzlies were the better team on the court.

And as the NBA Playoffs approach, Memphis won’t be fighting for a play-in spot anymore — they’ll be fighting for a locked-in spot in the NBA Playoffs. They currently stand in the 8th spot in the Western Conference, while a 6-seed would get them to the promised land.

The Memphis Grizzlies have been led by surprisingly strong performances

If you discovered that the Grizzlies had found themselves in this position and you hadn’t watched any Memphis basketball this season, the assumption would be that Ja Morant is having an MVP-caliber season. There are few other ways to explain the success on Beale Street in Jaren Jackson Jr.’s absence.

That said, the guys who have stepped up for the Grizzlies so far in 2021 haven’t been the expected candidates. From role players to starters, here are the 3 Memphis Grizzlies who have had surprisingly good seasons in 2021.