The Memphis Grizzlies ended the 2024 - 2025 NBA regular season with a 48-34 record and a blowout victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The victory snapped a four-game home losing streak for the team, although it did nothing for their play-in tournament seeding.
The Grizzlies needed the Minnesota Timberwolves to lose their regular season finale at home to the Utah Jazz for the seventh seed, to no avail. Minnesota defeated Utah by double digits to clinch the eighth seed for the Grizzlies, who will face the Golden State Warriors on the road in their first play-in game on April 15th.
The Warriors lost their season finale to the Los Angeles Clippers to fall to the seventh seed, which they secured based on their tiebreaker win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies foreshadowed the outcomes with the availability of players they had against the Mavericks to end the season.
The Grizzlies playoff playing rotation is set
Entering their final game of the regular season against the Mavericks, the Grizzlies listed starters Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Zach Edey as doubtful, along with reserves Santi Aldama, Luke Kennard, and Scotty Pippen Jr before they were all ruled out. Resting those seven players showed exactly who will be a part of the Grizzlies' primary play-in tournament rotation when they face off against the Warriors.
There is also a high likelihood that the team will continue to incorporate Vince Williams Jr. as their primary wing defender and starting small forward. Williams Jr. started the Grizzlies' regular season finale because the team needed the league minimum of eight players to play, and he has missed a good chunk of the season due to injury.
The season-ending injury to Jaylen Wells made Vince Williams Jr. an important piece of the puzzle as the team's next best wing defender. If the Grizzlies have to extend their rotation to nine players, expect Lamar Stevens to get the first call, followed by Marvin Bagley, as the frontcourt will need extra bodies with Brandon Clarke missing for the remainder of the season.
The Warriors play a ton of small ball, so the Grizzlies will likely be able to play their top eight guys without diving too deep into the bench because frontcourt depth won't be needed as much to match up. The Warriors present a familiar postseason opponent for the Grizzlies as they will look to avenge a second-round playoff series loss from the 2022 postseason.