The Memphis Grizzlies’ 2017-18 season began with reason for unbridled optimism. Even without Mike Conley’s A-game, Memphis was beating the NBA’s best, ostensibly still prying open their window as a competitive team.
Of course things have taken a Manute Bol-sized turn for the worse since then, with Memphis plummeting to 14th in the West. Just a couple games removed from the NBA’s worst record, the franchise’s short-term priorities have been violently shifted.
While the mandate for most teams is clear – win games – the picture is muddied for the Grizzlies, who went all-in on mediocrity and bricked out.