Gilbert Arenas is 100% right with latest hot-take on Grizzlies ahead of 2024-25

The Memphis Grizzlies may have finished with the sixth-worst record in the entire league at 27-55 and missed out on their first playoff run since 2020 last season, but, in truth, this shouldn't dissuade anyone from thinking they can easily bounce back to relevancy as soon as 2024-25.

The vast majority of their struggles last year were a direct result of key player absences and a historic number of rotation changes due to injuries.

With October 11's tip-off right around the corner, it appears that this once-discombobulated club is expected to be completely intact right from the jump, with cornerstones Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane working their way back to full health.

This trio being paired with fellow cohorts in Marcus Smart, GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr., and 7-foot-4 rookie behemoth Zach Edey is being viewed as a realistic threat to once again compete for a playoff position in the much-improved Western Conference, and, in a recent appearance on The OGs, former Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas couldn't help but get excited over what this new-look team can accomplish together.

Gilbert Arenas says Memphis Grizzlies has 'a nice little squad'

When talking about the up-and-coming teams across the association with hosts Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, the former All-Star was asked what his thoughts were on the Grizzlies coming into the season.

Though he acknowledged that he initially believed taking a chance on former Purdue standout Zach Edey with a top-10 selection was quite risky and, to him, a potentially fireable offense, he would go on to note that after taking time to assess his skill set and fit with Memphis' core foundation, his mindset has pulled a 180, as he went as far as to call it "a great a** pick."

"When you're talking about where you want to get drafted for success... If I'm him, I'm sitting there, like, 'thank you.'" Arenas said.

He would go on to elaborate even more about why he is of the impression that Edey is an ideal fit for this Memphis team, highlighting Ja Morant's ability to get him "easy buckets" with potential drive and hand-off sets, the fact that "they don't really have a post guy" following last season's trade of Steven Adams, and that his arrival now allows Jaren Jackson to slide up to his more natural position at the four.

In other words, Arenas was out here speaking nothing but facts for nearly two straight minutes, as we've already seen just how lethal this core can be when rolling out a big bodied presence down at the five (the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Adams most recently manned the middle and helped them claim a total of 107 wins over a two-year span coming into 2023-24) who can set screens, gobble up boards, and protect the rim.

During Edey's four-year collegiate tenure with the Boilermakers where won two AP Player of the Year awards and was named to two Big Ten All-Defensive Teams and dropped 18.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, he proved capable of providing all of these things and then some to a team's rotation.

Adding and having him accompany this stud trio as well as the continuously improving GG Jackson and guys like a finally healthy Brandon Clarke has Arenas amped up about the potential of this Grizzlies team, and already has him calling them "a nice little squad" as we inch closer to October's tip-off.