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Grizzlies Provide Crystal Ball Into Magic's Future
The Memphis Grizzlies face a crucial Game 4 against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, where a loss puts them on the brink of elimination far sooner than the young, scrappy team should be.
The Orlando Magic should be looking at the Grizzlies as a potential blueprint to build its team in the coming years, while recognizing both the successes and flaws.
The Grizzlies have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA over the past two seasons, reaching the No. 2 seed in 2022 and 2023. However, last year's team failed to reach the Conference Finals and this year's team could have a tough road to get there with the second half of the Lakers series and either the Sacramento Kings or Golden State Warriors on the horizon.
Memphis has a lot of raw, young talent, most of which the team drafted. Out of the 10 players that checked in to the Game 3 loss against Los Angeles, seven of them were drafted by the team and six of those picks have come since 2019.
This could be a similar path for the Magic to follow. The team has drafted well in the past two years, taking Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero and could add to that core with two potential lottery picks this summer. On top of that, the team has acquired solid players in trades, including Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Harris.
However, the biggest flaw the Grizzlies could have that the Magic must avoid is being unafraid to pull the trigger on a risky-but-smart trade.
If the playoffs continue how it started, Memphis will be eliminated because the team is one or two true pieces away from truly being a contender. Now, with a pair of All-Stars in Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies' contender window is still ajar and should be for a long time. However, it will be a missed opportunity for Memphis to lose in a wide open Western Conference. Morant and Jackson will have to be paid soon and it could affect the depth from the rest of the team.
Orlando has a pair of its own stars with Banchero and Wagner that it can build a true contender around, and while the Magic may be a few years behind the Grizzlies in its path to a title, it can learn from the lessons Memphis is learning the hard way.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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