The NBA conference finals are set with a bunch of misfit teams that weren't expected to make it that far. The NBA had three 60+ win teams during the regular season, and the best of them was the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was the last team to clinch a spot in the conference finals.
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the playoffs as a sixth seed, just narrowly escaping the play-in tournament, and defeated two veteran-laden teams in the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors 4-1 in their first two Western Conference rounds. The 3rd-seeded New York Knicks upset the defending champion Boston Celtics to face the 4th-seeded Indiana Pacers, who defeated the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers out East.
While injuries played a part in the remaining team's success, they took care of business to create a unique scenario, not seen in the NBA's history. This bodes well for a Memphis Grizzlies team that will have to defy the odds in the future to reach the same status as the remaining teams.
No remaining team has won a championship in the last 40+ years
The New York Knicks haven't been to the NBA Finals since the 1998-99 season, and haven't won a championship since 1973. The Oklahoma City Thunder have only existed as a franchise since moving from Seattle in 2008. However, the Seattle SuperSonics won the championship in 1979, if you include that history with the Thunder franchise.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers have never won an NBA championship, including never playing in the Finals in the Timberwolves' case. The NBA has reached new heights with its competition level, as this year will also mark the first time in NBA history that the NBA will crown a new champion for the seventh straight year.
Also, all teams are led by young star guards, which should give the Memphis Grizzlies hope as well. Ja Morant was once considered better than the four lead guards remaining: Minnesota's Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, and New York's Jalen Brunson.
It isn't farfetched that Morant could reach that level again; he just has to get over the health burden that has been holding him back. Also, three of the final four teams being ranked third and below in seeding helps the argument of just avoiding the play-in tournament to have a chance to make a postseason run.
Memphis should feel upbeat about the opportunity they have to be competitive in the future, depending the required roster moves. None of the remaining teams feel like world-beaters, but the Grizzlies have to get locked-in to compete when the games become more important.