The Memphis Grizzlies are 23-42 and have lost six straight games. The Grizzlies entered the start of January with a 15-18 record, and since then it has been downhill. The team has gone just 8-24 during 2026, and it is clear that improving draft position has to be the clear priority the rest of the season.
Not long ago, the team was within striking distance of a spot in the Play-In Tournament. The Grizzlies now find themselves 7.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the 10th seed in the Western Conference. Currently the 11th seed, the real conversation is how low the Grizzlies will finish in the standings by the end of the season.
Bleacher Report just put the Grizzlies as the 25th best team in their latest set of power rankings. It is clear that the Grizzlies' best interest long-term will be to put themselves in the best position to land a top-8 pick; however, it is very disappointing to have reached this point in the first place.
The Grizzlies were in an amazing spot just a few years ago
The Memphis Grizzlies took the league by storm when they went 56-26 during the 2021/22 season and ended up reaching the second round before losing to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games.
That team was led by a promising core in Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies also had promising frontcourt pieces in Santi Aldama and Brandon Clarke. Most importantly, the young core was supplemented by good veterans in Kyle Anderson, Steven Adams, Tyus Jones, and De'Anthony Melton.
Despite losing to the Warriors, it felt like the Grizzlies were in a prime spot to become the league's next great team due to their youth and future assets. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies have not won a playoff series since beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2022 first round, and it is looking like the wait will continue for multiple years before they win a playoff series again.
The last few seasons have been a nightmare for Grizzlies fans
It is hard to fathom going from arguably the NBA's most promising team in the 2022 offseason to rebuilding not even four years later. In a way, it was somewhat impressive to see how many things went wrong for the Grizzlies. Injuries were a huge driving force, but the players, front office, and coaching were all responsible for where the Grizzlies are now as a team.
Injuries and not supporting the young core with enough quality veterans were a strong contributing factor in the downfall of the Grizzlies. The young core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. also did not evolve enough, and Ja Morant is the only one that remains for now. Taylor Jenkins showed promise early on as a coach, but his lack of evolution was clear when the Grizzlies faltered late in the 2024/25 season, which resulted in his firing.
This season has been injury-filled, and the lack of wins eventually led to Jaren Jackson Jr. being traded from the team. It is clear that the Grizzlies have fully committed to a rebuild. Even though the Grizzlies have plenty of future flexibility and young talent, there are valid concerns about if Zach Kleiman can build a championship team.
Bleacher Report's latest power rankings showed that the Grizzlies are a cautionary tale for crowning a young team too soon. The Grizzlies have plenty of work to do to show they can ever build a championship-caliber team in Memphis.