Welcome to Glass Slipper! Give me 15 minutes and a fresh Microsoft Paint document, and I’ll design better MLB All-Star uniforms than the ones on our screens last night; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

For two years, the Grizzlies grabbed everyone’s attention with their youthful exuberance and unapologetic arrogance. Ja Morant vaulted into superstardom, Jaren Jackson Jr. took home a Defensive Player of the Year award, and the team finished with the second-best record in the West in consecutive seasons.

Everything changed in the 2023 playoffs. Memphis brought its trademark brash behavior into a first-round matchup with the Lakers, and got thumped by a No. 7 seed with a flawed roster.

That series seemingly zapped all the energy out of the franchise. No more pregame tunnel dances. No more trash talk. Dillon Brooks - in many ways the heart and soul of that locker room - ducked the media and then bolted for Houston. The joyride had come to its conclusion.

But the Grizzlies have since pivoted beautifully into a new identity. They landed Marcus Smart, in a clear effort to start shifting the organizational culture into one defined by maturity and toughness. Though the team was decimated by injuries throughout the year, the silver linings were evident. GG Jackson was gifted a free season to develop into a promising wing. Memphis was then rewarded with the ninth pick in the draft after its brutal campaign, and nabbed the starting center that it desperately needed.

Edey changes the calculus entirely for this team. Jackson finally has a partner that can vacuum rebounds and match the physicality of opposing bigs. The 7-foot-4, 299-pound behemoth from Purdue will have no issues contributing as a scoring option. I watched that kid dominate college basketball for four straight years with some really impressive positioning and touch; the widespread belief that he’s an unskilled giant is categorically false.

So what’s the ceiling for this group in a loaded Western Conference? It feels a bit odd even typing it, but I could actually see the Grizzlies getting to the Finals. Maybe Morant can put together a full season. Perhaps Desmond Bane and those cartoonish biceps will surprise us all with another leap. Memphis has plenty of draft capital to move around, too; this could end up being the destination for Jimmy Butler or Jerami Grant at the trade deadline.

The Grizzlies have endured the embarrassing moments, and these guys now seem ready for a return to the spotlight. Only folks with a 901 area code will pick them to win the title, but anything is possible with a roster this young and talented.

Pressroom

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“Back Pocket” by Vulfpeck. A big thank you to that random 2018 Apple commercial for introducing me to this one.