Being officially eliminated from playoff contention last night, the Grizzlies have simply been facing an uphill climb with how undermanned they've been. The Grizzlies are entering one of their most important offseasons in franchise history and could potentially move on from beloved star Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies have significant flexibility to start their rebuild due to the young talent they already have and the fact they have 13 first-round picks in the next 7 years. They also have two first-round picks this year that could both realistically end up in the lottery, and their second-round pick could end up 31st overall.
The rest of the season will be rough for Grizzlies fans, but the team is in a prime position to play playoff basketball again very soon. Unfortunately, there is one major obstacle currently standing in the way of the Grizzlies winning a championship one day, and that is Victor Wembanyama.
Victor Wembanyama gave the Grizzlies all sorts of problems
The Spurs have lost just two games since the start of February, while the Grizzlies have lost consistently. Regardless, it is still impressive how impactful Wembanyama was in such a short period of time. He recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, 3 steals, and 7 blocks in just 26 minutes of game action. The Spurs got great contributions from players such as Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell; however, it is simply impossible to ignore how much Wembanyama troubled the Grizzlies.
In all fairness to the Grizzlies, the tallest player available was a 6-foot-9 Taylor Hendricks. The team was already in a bad position to deal with Wembanyama's unique skillset, but it doesn't make last night's performance any less impressive. The Grizzlies only scored 98 points, and it was their lowest-scoring game since the January 28 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Beyond Wembanyama's defensive impact, there was one sequence that truly showed his greatness. In what was the most electric moment of the whole game, GG Jackson II dunked on Victor Wembanyama, but Wembanyama followed it up by dunking on him the ensuing possession.
Everyone knows the Grizzlies are tanking, but that moment spoke to the nature of the competitor that makes Victor Wembanyama so great.
The Spurs aren't going anywhere anytime soon
The Spurs have taken the league by storm and are currently 55-18. While they are getting quality performances from many players, Victor Wembanyama is the reason why the Spurs are contending and could eventually become a dynasty.
The Western Conference is already challenging enough, but if the Grizzlies want to win it, they will have to go through Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs. Even if the Grizzlies end up in the Eastern Conference when the league expands, they would likely have to face the Spurs in the NBA Finals if they get there.
It is clear that the Grizzlies have plenty of work to do to get back to being one of the league's best teams like they were a few seasons ago. However, their path to getting a championship parade one day got even harder with the breakout of Victor Wembanyama.