To almost no one's surprise, the Memphis Grizzlies are down 0-2 to the 68-win regular season Thunder, and Grizzlies fans are panicking with the assumption that the season is over. While they may be correct — beating the Thunder 4 times in the next 5 games is not going to happen — the franchise is not be in as bad a spot as some fans think.
It's also important to remember that there are worse situations out there. The Milwaukee Bucks are stuck with an aging core and basically no tradable draft picks with the hope that Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay with the franchise long-term due to loyalty. Memphis, on the other hand, has plenty of draft picks to trade this offseason and doesn't have any horrible contracts clogging up their cap space.
Finally, it's likely that the Grizzlies would have fared a little bit better in the first round if the franchise played a little better down the stretch of the regular season. Playing better would have allowed them to avoid a horrible fate against the top-seeded Thunder in the first round.
While a championship was likely out of the cards for the squad this season, it's fair to say that we would look at them differently if a couple of buckets went their way and they lost in the second round instead of potentially the first round. But they didn't, and now things are bleak.
In the case of Milwaukee, you may argue that the franchise was able to win a championship in 2021, but it's important to remember that the Bucks won that championship with the old core of Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Antetokounmpo. As Memphis tries to get a game or two at home, it's clear that their season is likely over, but a bounceback year is possible in 2025-26, maybe even one with championship aspirations.
Grizzlies' season likely over, but there's possible hope for next season
Going into this series, I don't think anyone expected Memphis to beat the Thunder. Still, the lack of competitive play should have Grizzlies fans worried about the future of their franchise. As it stands, the franchise is on their way to the worst point-differential in a playoff series ever. Considering the team was expected to compete this season in the Western Conference, getting swept by blowouts is not a good look, regardless of who you are playing.
While people in Memphis probably have to be worried about the state of their basketball franchise going forward, all hope is not lost — Ja Morant is still a star, and the team has the majority of their first-round draft picks. The roster might not be ready to compete with elite teams, but it's not like things are hopeless after this year.
The Grizzlies' season will likely end in four or five games in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. So even if the panic meter is almost broken for this year, fans of the Grizzlies shouldn't hit the abort mission button for the future, because this team has plenty of avenues to improve.