Heading into the NBA bubble, one of the most interesting teams to watch are the Memphis Grizzlies who are currently eighth place in the Western Conference. If they are able to hold this position, they would end up in the NBA playoffs. However, there is a twist this year. If the ninth-place team is four games back or less, they get to play a winner-takes-all play-in game against the eighth seed. This puts the Grizzlies at a disadvantage that could come back and bite them near the end of the seeding round.
Ja Morant recently spoke to ESPN about this disadvantage and as he described, the new rule is pretty unfair, although he is more than happy to prove his team's worth.
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“I just feel like it’s an extra chip,” Morant said. “You know — more fuel to the fire, more motivation for us. Coming into the season, I think we were projected to be 29th, and look at us now. So we just use that as fuel, continue to work. We’re all very hungry. We know what we’re capable of. Just go out and play.”
Morant will be going up against some stiff competition for that playoff spot, including the New Orleans Pelicans who boast the talents of Zion Williamson.
[Via]