A strange pattern has emerged in the NBA Finals over the past five years.
Four of the last five teams in the Finals missed the playoffs just a year before. The 2020 Lakers, 2021 Suns, 2022 Warriors, and 2024 Mavericks all had this in common.
Reasons Behind This Trend:
There were good reasons for these misses. In 2018-19, LeBron didn’t have Anthony Davis. The Suns lacked Chris Paul’s leadership in 2019-20. Klay Thompson was missing from the Warriors lineup in 2020-21. And in 2022-23, the Mavericks were still figuring out how Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic could play together.
Grizzlies’ Potential to Continue the Trend:
Could the Grizzlies follow this trend by making it to the 2025 NBA Finals after missing out last season? Richard Jefferson thinks it’s possible because they were a strong team as recently as two seasons ago. They were even ranked as high as No. 2 seed for two straight years before injuries and suspensions hit them hard.
“We were talking about them [Grizzlies] two seasons ago like we talk about OKC Thunder now,” Jefferson said on ESPN’s “NBA Today”. “They had people picking them for the Finals. Injuries and off-court issues set them back…but they have so much talent.”
The Team’s Strengths:
Jefferson also pointed out that having Jaren Jackson Jr., Marcus Smart (both former Defensive Players of the Year), Desmond Bane (an elite shooter), and Ja Morant (a superstar) gives Memphis a solid chance at reaching the NBA Finals in 2025. Plus, Brandon Clarke is coming back from an Achilles injury, which is a big boost for them.
Memphis signed Derrick Rose and drafted Zach Edey, who many think could be Rookie of the Year. This team is stacked!
Looking Ahead:
The Grizzlies are expected to win around 46.5 games next season but might do even better once Morant and his teammates find their rhythm again—they won over 50 games just a couple of seasons ago.
Fans believe this team can go far if everything clicks into place!
Their first game of the new season is against Utah Jazz on October 23rd.
