The Memphis Grizzlies’ season has mercifully come to an end, and it was a brutal one for them.
They first had to deal with Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension for his latest gun-related incident, yet when he returned, there was a glimmer of hope that perhaps they could’ve snuck into the playoffs.
Instead, Morant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, and it was just the first of a massive rash of injuries for them.
He not only thinks highly of Memphis’ chances next season, but he even thinks they can win the NBA championship if they’re healthy, per Damichael Cole via NBACentral.
Just last season, Memphis finished second in the Western Conference in the regular season, only to get up-ended in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Big man Steven Adams and guards Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane, among others, dealt with significant injuries this season, and it resulted in the Grizzlies winning just 27 games.
There are a couple of silver linings that resulted from this lost season, however.
For one, the Grizzlies may have discovered a couple of young diamonds in the rough who can play, including forward GG Jackson II and guard Scotty Pippen Jr.
In addition, with the seventh-worst record in the NBA, they will have a lottery pick that could be quite high, which will allow them to add a very useful player to their roster.
It’s hard to imagine the young and immature Grizzlies winning it all next season, but if they’re healthy, they should be able to take a step forward and do something of note in the postseason.