Grizzlies Odds to Make Playoffs Fade After Jaren Jackson Jr. Suffers Season Ending Meniscus Tear
- Jaren Jackson Jr’s season-ending injury puts major dent in Grizzlies playoff hopes
- Memphis currently in eighth place in the West – can they even hang on to that space?
- Read below for our own odds and handicapping of the race for the #8 seed in the Western Conference
It’s bad enough that the Memphis Grizzlies – current holders of the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference – have yet to win a game since entering the NBA bubble, with no less than five teams jockeying to at least get to ninth to force a play-in for the last spot.
Now, the Grizz are going to have to do it without their second most indispensable player in big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
Grizzlies: Memphis F Jaren Jackson Jr., suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 4, 2020
Not surprisingly, oddsmakers have gone into hibernation on the Grizzlies odds to make the playoffs, a team that entered the restart as the betting favorite to clinch the final playoff spot in the West at -140.
We’ve generated our own odds, and while you can’t bet on these anywhere – the new race for the eighth seed in the West is wide open.
Western Conference Odds to Make 2020 NBA Playoffs
Team | SBD’s Odds to Make Playoffs |
---|---|
Portland Trail Blazers | 3/1 |
San Antonio Spurs | 3/1 |
New Orleans Pelicans | 3/1 |
Memphis Grizzlies | 4/1 |
Phoenix Suns | 24/1 |
Sacramento Kings | 99/1 |
Odds generated August 5th
Can the team rally around their fallen star and hold steady against all challenges, or is there a specific team that’s shown enough to earn your wager of confidence? Let’s explore the only really important race going on in the bubble.
Grizzlies Crumbling Early On in Orlando
The first and most important thing the Grizzlies need to do is right the ship. With just five games to go in their regular season, they hold a slim 1.5 game lead over the Trail Blazers, with the Spurs (2), Pelicans (2.5) and Suns (3) all within striking distance.
🔥 CJ, DAME & MELO!@CJMcCollum (33 PTS & 6 AST), @Dame_Lillard (29 PTS & 9 AST) e @carmeloanthony (21 PTS & 7 REB) guidano i @trailblazers alla vittoria all'OT sui Grizzlies!!
Non perderti #RipCity nell'#NBASundays di domani!
Domenica | 21:30 | @SkySportNBA pic.twitter.com/FKtudbZrMr— NBA Italia (@NBAItalia) August 1, 2020
If their current three-game losing streak continues, not only could Memphis fall from eighth to ninth – losing the advantage of having to just win one game to secure a berth against the ninth seed having to win two straight – it’s entirely possible they could slide right past the play-in scenario to 10th.
It’s going to take a herculean effort, as the schedule coming home is brutal. They have Utah next, and follow that up with a date with the Thunder. They close against the top three seeds in the East, having to deal with the Raptors, Celtics and Bucks. There are no easy outs.
Sequência MALUCA aqui:
Jaren Jackson Jr. mete essa bola de 3 pra empatar. Spurs não tinha tempo pra pedir, coloca a bola na mão do DeRozan e ele decide! Cavou a falta do Brooks com um segundo no relógio. #WholeNewGame
pic.twitter.com/iGdZSl9fz7— Camisa 23 (@camisa_23) August 2, 2020
Which makes the JJJ loss even more painful. The second-year big man was arguably the best thing Memphis had going in the bubble. Jackson Jr bumped his scoring average up to 25.3 points per game since the restart. He ends his year averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting better than 40% from deep.
What an amazing stat from @GrizzliesPR. @jarenjacksonjr is special. Heal up – see you soon. pic.twitter.com/RTFqh8yUT3
— Grizzly Bear Blues (@bcmGrizzlies) August 4, 2020
The perfect running mate for Ja Morant, Jackson Jr is one of the new breed of NBA big men that can stretch a defense with his shooting on one end, while being able to defend switches on the perimeter or block shots in the paint on the other.
Blazers Mean Business, Spurs in the Mix
Decimated by injuries through most of the year, Portland has arrived on campus and no one wants to deal with them. Center Jusuf Nurkic has returned from a long injury layoff and looks like an all-star. He’s a force on offense as a facilitator and post scorer, while defensively giving the team a shot blocking presence that’s been lacking all year.
Jusuf Nurkic last 3 games
18 PTS – 19 REB – 3 AST – 3 BLK
30 PTS – 9 REB – 5 AST – 1 BLK
18 PTS – 9 REB – 5 AST – 6 BLKHe’s back and he’s better 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FmA6TRZd7C
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 5, 2020
With the deadly backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the equally refined scoring and leadership of Carmelo Anthony and the return of mobile big Zach Collins, they can mix it up with anyone in the NBA.
Carmelo Anthony
vs Grizzlies: CLUTCH
vs Celtics: CLUTCH
vs Rockets: CLUTCHHow did it take 8 months for this man to find a team?! pic.twitter.com/iuvcHsXkGf
— Top Ball Coverage (@TopBallCoverage) August 5, 2020
How do you overcome the seventh-worst points allowed defense in the bubble? For Portland, it’s a top-five scoring unit that is hitting the three at a 42.7% clip (fourth).
And in a Walking Dead zombie kind of way, you just can’t count the Spurs out from making their 23rd consecutive playoff appearance until, well, they don’t make it.
O footwork do DeMar DeRozan aqui foi sacanagem.
— Matchup Brasil 🇧🇷🏀 (@MatchupBR) August 2, 2020
Even with LaMarcus Aldridge done for the year with a shoulder injury, Gregg Popovich has pieced together a unit led by veterans DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay, while hoping Lonnie Walker, Derrick White and Dejounte Murray keep learning and chipping in. They’ve been carried by hot three-point shooting so far, tied for second-best in the bubble at 43.8%.
Who Claims the Final Spot?
Ja Morant is the runaway Rookie of the Year, and Brandon Clarke is an equally impressive frosh who can step in and assume a larger role in JJJ’s absence. But this is a team that’s 21st in offensive rating and 15th in defensive rating with their full lineup intact.
It was a good run, but the Grizzlies fade out. Look for the Blazers to snatch that final spot, setting up a star-studded opening round playoff series with the Lakers.
The pick: Blazers (3/1)