The NBA Trade Deadline is over and so is the All-Star Weekend. That means that we’re more than halfway into the season which also means that the action is just about to pick up. Contenders are gearing up for the postseason while other teams are trying to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
The season resumes tomorrow with a huge 9-game slate. One of the matchups to keep an eye on is the Memphis Grizzlies’ visit to Philadelphia to face the Sixers at 8:30 AM on NBA League Pass.
These two teams are in the upper echelon of their conferences as the Grizzlies are currently second in the West with a 35-22 record while the Sixers are third in the East at 38-19.
The Grizzlies were one of the many teams that kept their core intact after the trade deadline. They believe they have enough tools to make a deep playoff run and didn’t make any drastic changes. I mean, why would you rock the boat? You have a mercurial star in Ja Morant who’s only going to keep rising. The league is determined by talent and Morant certainly has a lot of it. You automatically have at least a 27-6-8 stat line every single night.
On the other hand, the final stretch of the season and playoffs will tell us if the Grizzlies do have enough firepower in the long run. They are coming off a horrendous stretch where they only won four of their last 13 games. They were on top of the world during their 11-game win streak but things haven’t exactly been smooth pastures since. It hasn’t helped that Steven Adams has missed time due to a knee injury. But even then, has the loss of Adams signaled a red flag that they need more size? It’ll be interesting to see how they defend Joel Embiid, who is one of the MVP candidates.
Speaking of Embiid and the Sixers, they’ve been playing well lately. They’ve won four straight, including impressive showings against their Eastern Rivals: the Knicks, Nets, and Cavaliers. They’re also an elite team on their home floor with a 23-8 record. This is all just to say that the Joel Embiid and James Harden combo is hitting its stride at the perfect time. Embiid is posting 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on top of 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks. Harden, meanwhile, isn’t producing mind-blowing numbers lately but he’s been steady, averaging a double-double of 21.4 points and 10.8 assists.
Like the Grizzlies, the Sixers have a lot to prove heading into the home stretch of the season and the playoffs. An early postseason exit won’t be acceptable to either of these franchises. Each team is loaded with a lot of weapons but also has a ton of expectations that come with having a talented roster.
As the season resumes, the Grizzlies and Sixers are among the teams worth paying attention to.
