Two teams the Memphis Grizzlies hope to avoid in the NBA Playoffs

The Memphis Grizzlies have just a handful of games remaining in the 2021-22 regular season.

The team is set to play the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Boston Celtics before the NBA Playoffs begin April 16.

We’re already starting to look ahead to the playoffs since the Grizzlies have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Memphis Grizzlies hope to avoid two teams in 2022 NBA Playoffs

The team has played every team at least once and we have a good indication of how Memphis stacks up against each team.

The two teams the Grizzlies will most likely want to avoid would be the only two teams in the playoff race in which they do not have a winning record— the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies were 2-2 against the Wolves this season and 1-3 against the Mavericks. Both teams are led by All-Stars with tough-nosed supporting casts.

Memphis cannot match the firepower of Minnesota’s three-point superiority. They’ve made more shots from beyond the arc than any team in the NBA this season.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russel have a ton of offensive firepower. Patrick Beverly is going to be an absolute pest when he guards Ja Morant.

The Wolves are one of the few teams that can match up with Memphis on multiple fronts.

With Dallas, the Grizzlies have a hard time slowing All-Star Luka Doncic. He physically is a difficult matchup at 6’7″ and 230 lbs.

Dillon Brooks matches up very nicely to Doncic at 6’7″ and 225 lbs. The fear is that Doncic would be able to bait Brooks into foul trouble early and leave the Grizzlies high and dry without a way to stop the slithery Slovenian.

Xavier Tillman is 6’8″ and 245 lbs and plays in the paint for Memphis. He’s the closest in physical size to Doncic. However, Tillman doesn’t have the lateral quickness or first-step ability to keep up with Doncic on the wing.

Ziaire Williams has the height and length, but Doncic far outweighs the 185 lbs, Williams. Doncic would bully him in the paint.

The playoffs bring out the best in every team, including the Grizzlies. They have done a great job of correcting their mistakes throughout the season. There’s no reason to think they won’t be fully prepared if they meet either of these teams in the playoffs.

Memphis could meet Minnesota in the first round, as they are slotted in at the No. 7 seed. They will likely face No. 8 LA Clippers during the Play-In tournament. Memphis gets the winner of that 7/8 game.

The Grizzlies likely wouldn’t meet Dallas until the Western Conference Finals if both teams win out.