Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies had a successful 2020-21 season but they didn’t necessarily turn any heads. They snuck their way into the NBA Playoffs, knocking out Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors along the way but they were unable to get anywhere in a first-round matchup against the Utah Jazz.
Even so, the team took huge strides forward despite only seeing Jaren Jackson Jr. play in 11 games, never really getting into a groove.
The season was a huge success but national media never really jumped on the Grizzlies bandwagon, as demonstrated in Bleacher Report’s early 2021-22 NBA Power Rankings.