The NBA playoffs this season have been one of the most exciting in recent memory. The road teams are a combined 6-1 in the second round so far. The upsets show how the NBA's parity still exists, as the league has had a different champion every year for the last six seasons.
Last season's champion, the Boston Celtics, are trailing 0-2 to the New York Knicks, with the first two losses occurring at home. This means the championship window is wide open for someone else to snatch the crown if they aren't able to rebound with their own road success to advance to the next round.
The Memphis Grizzlies seem far away from being a contender after being one of only two teams swept in the first round, but it took a second-half collapse for them to finish only two games away from being a top-three seed. Their reality is that they finished eighth, and the second half of the season showed some deficiencies they must correct to reach championship contention level again.
1. They need a top 6 finish in the conference
Memphis was firmly in this position throughout the entirety of the regular season until the last week, when they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets on back-to-back nights to fall to eighth. The lowest-seeded team to ever win a championship was a 6th seed, the 1995 Houston Rockets.
A top-three seed is likely the requirement to win a championship, as only a combined two teams have won a championship seeded fourth through sixth. A one-seed has won 52 times, a two-seed has won 16 times, and a three-seed has won eight times.
2. They must be healthy
This shouldn't come as a shock, as the Grizzlies' kryptonite has been health in every postseason run since 2022. The last team to win a championship with a significant rotation player(s) missing was the 2011 Dallas Mavericks (starting small forward Caron Butler).
The Grizzlies have missed multiple important pieces in their last two first-round postseason exits, including missing Jaylen Wells, Brandon Clarke, and Ja Morant (last one and a half games) this season. Health is a priority, so the Grizzlies just need some luck in that department to contend.
3. The 40/20 Rule
Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson proposed a rule that a legitimate championship contender must win 40 games before losing 20. Since 1980, only four NBA champions have not reached that benchmark, with the last being the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks.
If that rule holds true this season, only the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics are legit championship contenders. However, the Cavaliers and Celtics face 0-2 deficits in their second-round series while the Thunder are tied 1-1. The Grizzlies fell just short of achieving this feat as they lost three out of four games after beginning the season 36-17.