Reaction: NBA Playoffs Memphis Grizzlies
Here we go again. Another year, another Memphis Grizzlies flameout when it matters most.
The 2025 NBA playoffs were supposed to be different. The Grizzlies talked a big game all season long about being “battle-tested” and “hungry.” Instead, they are going out sad — facing elimiation in the first round by the OKC Thunder in a series that’s not as close as the 3-0 series score suggests.
Let’s be real
This was embarrassing. Ja Morant, who was hyped as the savior of Memphis basketball, looked more like a shell of himself. Sure, he had a few flashy dunks and stat-padding assists, but when it was time to take over? Crickets. Injuries or not, your franchise guy has to find another level in the playoffs — Morant didn’t.
And where was Jaren Jackson Jr.? The so-called “unicorn” center with Defensive Player of the Year aspirations. Desmond Bane? Ice-cold when they needed him most, shooting bricks like he was auditioning for a construction job.
But the real blame? It falls on the front office and firing of Taylor Jenkins. This team STILL has no reliable half-court offense, STILL collapses under pressure, and STILL doesn’t have any true vets who can calm things down when the walls start closing in. How do you go into a playoff series with championship dreams and have no backup plan when the fast break dries up?
This isn’t just a bad loss — it’s a referendum on the whole “let the kids grow” philosophy. Newsflash: the NBA doesn’t wait for you to figure it out. Windows close fast, and Memphis is wasting theirs.
Changes have to come this summer. Real ones. Either bring in a real second star next to Ja or rethink the entire formula. Because what’s clear after this postseason disaster is this: the Grizzlies aren’t anywhere close to ready for prime time.
Until they stop making excuses and start making real moves, Memphis will stay stuck — a fun team to watch in the regular season, irrelevant when the real games start.
