Much of the conversation in Memphis has been centered around the Grizzlies’ noticeable decline since the All-Star break that took place in mid-February.
Since returning from the All-Star break, the Grizzlies went 12-16 over their final 28 games of the regular season.
The late-season slide triggered Memphis to make major changes, including the March 28 firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins, in an effort to recapture the form that was made earlier in the year.
Before the break, the Grizzlies held a 36-18 record and sat as the No. 2 seed in the West.
Now, led by core players like Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis has slipped to the No. 8 seed.
On Tuesday, the Memphis Grizzlies will have to face Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the seven-seed Golden State Warriors on the road.
Chiney Ogwumike spoke on what she thinks of the Grizzlies’ situation leading up to their matchup against the Warriors on Tuesday night.
“He is trending upward. He is playing his best basketball right now. I think people see it, they can recognize it, and they understand that this is a team that’s dealing with change,” She mentioned on Tuesday morning.
Morant has averaged 30.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists and shooting 40.2% from three in the month of April.
It will be interesting to see how Memphis responds on Tuesday. All-Rookie hopeful Jaylen Wells remains out with a broken wrist he suffered in a scary fall on April 8, but Memphis is close to full strength with the main contributors expected to play.
Golden State enters the matchup as seven-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Memphis has struggled this season against teams with winning records as well as playing on the road. Still, the postseason brings out another level of play, and anything can happen.
