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NBA Power Rankings week 8 – OKC Thunder cling to middle, trade market opens up

By Tamberlyn Richardson

OKC Thunder NBA Power Rankings: Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. LeBron James (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images).
OKC Thunder NBA Power Rankings: Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. LeBron James (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images). /
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OKC Thunder Power Ranking week 1
OKC Thunder Power Ranking week 1: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies plays defense against Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

team. 211. . 9-17. Previous: 26th. Memphis Grizzlies. 21

Offense: (105.4) 24th
Defense: (111.0) 20th
Net: (minus -5.6) 24th

Games Week 8: (3-1) Won vs. Warriors, Suns, Wizards, Lost to Bucks
Games Week 9 (4 games): Mon vs. Heat | Weds at Thunder | Fri. at Cavaliers| Sat. vs. Kings

Ja Morant came back into the lineup and it immediately paid dividends for the Grizzlies.  Who turned a winless week seven into a 3-1 week eight. They’ll probably never land this high on my board again this season but kudos to the solid week. Can I just say I keep imagining how silky fluid a backcourt of Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be? I can’t stop envisioning the two of them floating all over the court.

This team is a fun NBA League Pass watch as they have a no-quit attitude and aren’t afraid of any team or player(s). Much of that seems to stem from the rookie Morant and how he attacks the paint even when it’s a 7′ shot-blocker in clutch time.

The youngster trio of Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brandon Clark are meshing and feasting on teams who take them for granted. Although they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks the team elected to rest Morant (and his wonky back – no doubt from some of those dunks!). But, the Grizz played well and certainly weren’t blow off the court. Jackson scored a career-best 43 points (including NINE triples). In fact, Memphis led the game at 6:59 of the fourth quarter before the Bucks kicked things up a gear.

Consider the fact that this Memphis club primarily made up of youngsters doesn’t have the depth of their Southwest Division rivals the Pelicans but has three additional wins and you can envision their future. Eight players on the roster are 24 or under including Morant (20), Jackson Jr. (20) Clarke (23) and 10 are 25 and under.

I had this debate with the BBoyz this weekend – add Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick to this Grizzlies squad moving Holiday to the shooting guard and tell me they aren’t in the mix for the eighth seed. That’s just how close they are to become relevant

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