Despite Ja Morant's expected return, ESPN isn't high on Memphis Grizzlies for 2024-25 season

The Memphis Grizzlies were once the NBA's trendy next team destined for greatness.

With a core of Boston Celtics players leading their team to a championship on Monday and the rise of groups like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Grizzlies have essentially fallen into the shadows. ESPN's latest power rankings are an example of that.

ESPN released its first way too early power rankings for next season, and the Grizzlies are projected as the 19th best team in the NBA. Yep, that's a Grizzlies team that is expected to get back a healthy Ja Morant and Desmond Bane to pair with Jaren Jackson Jr. and key role players.

ESPN's rankings have 10 Western Conference teams positioned in front of the Grizzlies. That would mean Memphis would not only miss the playoffs, but it wouldn't qualify for the postseason play-in tournament, either. This season was the first time in Taylor Jenkins' five years as coach that Memphis didn't play in the postseason.

"If the Grizzlies can shake the injury bug that hindered them last season, expect them to compete for a play-in spot at the very least," ESPN's Bobby Marks said. "The big question this offseason is how Memphis can land a center to complement Jackson after Steven Adams was traded in February."

This is a position that Grizzlies players like Morant and Bane have spoken about in recent years. The Grizzlies generally liked the underdog role they played in 2022 while tying the franchise record with 56 wins and taking the league by storm. Higher expectations came the following season, and Memphis secured the No. 2 seed again before a first-round playoff exit against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Memphis started the 2023-24 season 6-19 while Morant served a 25-game suspension. Players often talked about liking the idea of returning to the underdog status. When Morant returned, the Grizzlies went 6-3 in the nine games he was active before a season-ending right shoulder injury.

That nine-game stretch may be lost on the masses, but even with uncertainty at the center spot, Memphis briefly looked similar to the dominant regular season team of the previous two seasons.

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Health is a major factor for any team, and the Grizzlies do have a lot to prove in terms of durability. Bane has had chunks of his previous two seasons taken away due to injury, and Morant has missed at least 20 games in each of the past three seasons. Those two players have a heavy impact on the win-loss column in Memphis.

There's also the factor of the Western Conference being historically strong. Like the Grizzlies, the Houston Rockets will also be challenging for a top-10 spot next season in addition to the 10 teams who aren't ready to relinquish their place in the standings. Every play-in team in the west won at least 46 games.

The Grizzlies have the injury excuse for a subpar season, but it doesn't look like they'll be getting the benefit of the doubt.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Where ESPN's power rankings have Memphis Grizzlies for 2024-25 season