De’Anthony Melton Has Been An Unexpected, But Key, Find For The Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are ahead of schedule from where they are supposed to be. Per FiveThirtyEight, they have a 13% chance of making the playoffs. That’s 10th in the Western Conference, so they aren’t exactly favorites to make the playoffs. But about halfway through the season, Memphis currently has better odds than the eternally in playoffs Spurs or the Karl-Anthony Towns-led Timberwolves. That’s simply a better place than the Grizzlies could have hoped to be in.
There are two main reasons for that. First and foremost: Ja Morant is incredible. He is the clear Rookie of the Year favorite, assuming Zion Williamson doesn’t go full Thanos on the rest of the NBA when he returns. Jaren Jackson Jr. is also very good and an entirely unique player in year two. Taylor Jenkins also deserves credit and Brandon Clarke looks like a keeper too.
