Grizzlies Check-In: Evaluating Their First Month Against Preseason Hype

As the Grizzlies prepare to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on the road tomorrow night, they got more depressing injury news. After the promising updates earlier in the week for Ja Morant and Zach Edey's injuries being week-to-week, Vince Williams Jr. was ruled out for at least four weeks with a grade 3 ankle sprain he suffered in Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets.

Vince Williams Jr. returned to the court last week after missing the first 12 games of the season with a tibial stress reaction. Three games later he's back out again, which sums up the Grizzlies' first month of this new NBA season.

Sitting with a 9-7 record, the Grizzlies are overachieving based on the availability of players available since the season began. The positive play from players like Jake LaRavia, Scotty Pippen Jr., Jay Huff, Jaylen Wells, and others has helped the team stay afloat amid the influx of injuries again. Based on preseason expectations, this team is likely where many thought they'd be regardless of injury.

Western Conference Playoff Contention

The Grizzlies are currently tied for 6th in the Western Conference standings with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. They are only one game behind the third-place Houston Rockets and three games behind the first-place Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder.

What has helped is the Grizzlies have the 27th-ranked schedule with the different injuries they have had to endure this season but some games they have lost have been inexcusable. The 20-point blown lead at home to the Chicago Bulls and getting swept by the Brooklyn Nets come to mind as games that the Grizzlies probably should have finished.

Also, the Grizzlies have the seventh highest point differential in the league with a +6.4 and only two of their nine wins have been within single digits. The Grizzlies have proven to be a team that will play hard every night and have the talent to overcome missing Ja Morant for eight games and Desmond Bane for seven games, among others thus far.

The depth of the team has been their calling card and will be needed as a team is rarely 100% fully healthy throughout an 82-game season. However, if the Grizzlies want to become more than just a playoff contender into a championship contender, the team will need to get mostly healthy so they can see what moves will need to be made (if any) to push them over the top.