The Grizzlies' last season ended before the month of May began, after being the first team eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. The opponent that eliminated them, the Oklahoma City Thunder, won the NBA championship, but with more resistance along the way, specifically in the second round and the NBA Finals.
The Denver Nuggets have the best player in the NBA in Nikola Jokic, so the Thunder having to take seven games to beat them in the second round wasn't much of a shock to anyone. However, their NBA Finals opponent, the Indiana Pacers, surprised everyone with their run through the Eastern Conference to the Finals.