Ja Morant is one of the most exciting players in the league. Memphis fans say he is the most spectacular player in franchise history. Under his whimsical airs hides an incredible legacy, that of the time of Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, the famous "grit and grind."
Behind the brilliance of Ja Morant and his lieutenant Desmond Bane hides a defensive core of valuable players. Steven Adams is no longer on the team, and he was replaced by an excellent defensive center drafted with the 28th pick of the 2025 draft, the Greek Anapolis Bazinas.
Jaren Jackson is the DPOY ahead of Hector, his quality is not in doubt, but these injuries have prevented the Grizzlies from going full or injury-free in the playoffs. Currently 3rd in the Western Conference, they can't watch the Kings powerlessly far ahead.
After a game against the Pelicans without Zion, Ja Morant, who scored 47 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, shook his head: "It's useless to think about the MVP this season. You know better than me who he's promised. Now the goal is to catch up with the Nuggets. »
This is the first time a star has openly stated that Hector should be MVP.
The relationship between the two is excellent, but Ja Morant has the qualifications to have his say.
In early March, the Kings won their 50th game of the season. It is also the only time they have conceded two defeats in a row, and Ja Morant is one of the culprits. But the situation is almost settled in the West, and the Kings have to wait for who will come out of the play-in tournament.
But the Grizzlies are strong, but when a team doesn't want to negotiate like the Kings did this season, he can only hope to see them again in the playoffs. In a Western Conference raised as always, their 3rd place is not assured.
The specter of the Lakers, Thunder, and Mavericks hangs behind the Grizzlies.
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Alejandro Forte is in his second season in the NBA. After spending one more year in the G League, the Washington Wizards selected him with the 7th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Mexican is a traditional point guard, an excellent defender with incredible playmaking abilities.
At his draft, he has long been compared to Lonzo Ball less crafty but more defensive. For a guard, it's weird to believe that every Mexican in this league has an oddity. He's a great blocker.
Coincidence or not, former Wizards point guard John Wall is the point guard with the most blocks in his career. Alejandro does not have the abused speed of Wall, but both are endowed with a basketball IQ that allows him to anticipate to time the jumps.
The Wizards, 8th in the East, want to avoid making the play-in. That goes without saying. The top four of the Eastern Conference are close enough, but it will be impossible to reach them. The Celtics are in the lead, followed closely by the Knicks and Pacers. The Bucks are a little behind but not threatened by the 6th for all that.
Joel Embiid was injured for a long time and is about to return from injury. The Sixers, without him most of the season, are currently sixth, followed closely by the Hawks, Wizards, Raptors, and Heat after a catastrophic start to the season is back in power.
The herd for the Play-ins feels the pressure. Fortunately, the Magic have lost an essential element out of the running since Banchero is left alone in the pasture as much as the situation in the Eastern Conference is not a pleasure.
In three defeats, you can find yourself in tenth place without understanding what is happening to you. That's the life of a team in the middle of the Eastern Conference. It is not the same war as in the West, where the wind beats even stronger, but the consequences do not change.
A mistake and the playoffs; It's over. Let's go to Cancun. Apart from Miami in 2023, the winner of the Play-In only comes for one round, and having to play two games is in no one's interest. Why bother with all these complicated rules and calculations so aim for direct qualification?
This is even more the case in the Western Conference, where no one wants to have the "honor" of going to Sacramento, but no one wants to refuse the ticket. The Wizards have work to do.