The Memphis Grizzlies are looking to partake in a bounce-back season after enduring an abysmal 2023-24 campaign that saw long stretches of key player absences and a record-setting number of different lineups due to injuries.
While fans and even odds-makers are already outwardly sporting this redemption narrative for Taylor Jenkins' ball club, perhaps none have been as boastful about their return to relevancy as former NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins, who, during a recent appearance on NBA Today, made an exciting prediction regarding their involvement in the second annual Emirates NBA Cup 2024.
Following the league-wide reveal of game and national television schedule for Group Play of the mid-season tournament, Perkins discussed his thoughts on who he believes could claim the illustrious cup in 2024, and, to some surprise considering his ESPN cohorts went on to tab recent elite teams such as the OKC Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves as their picks, he chose the Grizzlies.
Kendrick Perkins tabs Grizzlies as his pick to win Emirates NBA Cup 2024
"I'm going with the Memphis Grizzlies. I think they're going to win it all when it comes down to the NBA Cup," Perkins said.
The ex-player turned analyst would highlight the fact that following the club's recent gap year that saw their big three of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane miss a grand total of 129 combined games, they're likely looking to remind the league that, when fully intact, they're still the same team that won 107 games and claimed the second seed out West in back-to-back seasons from 2021-2023.
He would continue on to state "I gotta go with Ja Morant" when it relates to who, in his eyes, will win the NBA Cup MVP, noting "he's tired of sitting on the outside" of the conversation regarding the league's elite players following his inactivity last season.
34 points.
— NBA (@NBA) December 20, 2023
24-point comeback.
1 #TissotBuzzerBeater.
12 had a SPECIAL night.@JaMorant x @memgrizz pic.twitter.com/bcZ3P2k8YU
During his nine games played last season, the two-time All-Star and 2023 All-NBA selectee went on to drop impressive per-game averages of 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds on 47.1 percent shooting from deep while guiding the Grizzlies to a 6-3 record and their largest win-streak of the season at four games.
This small sample size was a mere tease of what this team can be with Morant back leading the charge out of the backcourt, and, with him now being fully cleared to participate in basketball activities and slowly but surely working his way back to full strength, the 25-year-old is already warning the rest of the league about how "scary" he can be once he returns to on-court action.
One thing Perkins believes they can accomplish with him once again running alongside his Grizzlies cohorts is win the 2024 NBA Cup. November 15 can't come soon enough!