The disrespect of the Memphis Grizzlies continued on ESPN.com yesterday when they were included in a ranking of rebuilding teams. They were ranked 5th on a list of teams that missed the playoffs on how close each was to championship contention.
The teams listed ahead of the Grizzlies on the rebuilding rankings were the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, and the Philadelphia 76ers. While it is commendable that the Grizzlies were listed in the top five out of 14 teams for becoming a title contender, they didn't actually miss the playoffs last season.
The Grizzlies finished last season as the eighth seed before the play-in tournament, eight games ahead of the ninth-seeded Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks comfortably in their second play-in game to retain their eighth seed and faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
As ESPN would like to make the world forget about the Grizzlies' being the first team swept out of the playoffs, the team they were mistaken for became apparent as the list kept going.
The Sacramento Kings were the omitted team
Again, the Memphis Grizzlies finished a full eight games ahead of the Sacramento Kings at the end of the regular season. The Kings didn't even finish the regular season with a winning record (40-42). Regardless of what to think of the Kings' offseason moves (which were minimal), the Grizzlies shouldn't have been on a list of teams that missed the playoffs.
The Grizzlies had a busier offseason than normal as they decided to split up their core three players by trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. Making a move of that caliber with a return that yielded four first-round draft picks was apparently enough for ESPN to include them in a rebuilding list of teams.
However, Memphis made a major move that will have huge ramifications on the upcoming season and beyond, and the rankings were accurate for the questions surrounding their current roster.