Suns-Grizzlies future rivalry after how things unfolded in Orlando Bubble?
only met in the postseason once.
Phoenix swept Memphis in the first round of the 2005 playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference.
There isn’t really a deep history between them, but the way things unfolded in the Orlando Bubble may be the beginning of a future rivalry between the Suns and Grizzlies.
See, Phoenix was considered an afterthought going into the NBA restart, while Memphis had the look of a team that could make some noise in the playoffs.
Then the seeding games started.
The Suns proceeded to shock the league with an improbable 8-0 run highlighted by two-point thrillers over Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers. Devin Booker became a leading candidate for bubble’s best player and the team grew as a unit under Monty Williams.
The Grizzlies stumbled to a 2-6 record, lost Jaren Jackson Jr. to a knee injury and have looked like a shell of the team that beat the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat and Clippers before NBA Commissioner Adam Silver temporary suspended play March 11 when Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
The Suns and Grizzlies end up with the same record at 34-39, but Memphis advanced to the play-in tournament as the ninth-place team because it owned the head-to-head tiebreaker, 3-1.
The Grizzlies won their last meeting, 114-109, in Memphis on the same day Kobe Bryant tragically died in a helicopter crash in California along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
Months later, Phoenix watched Memphis face Portland in the play-in for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference despite going undefeated in the bubble.
The Trail Blazers eliminated the Grizzlies from playoff contention with a 126122 win Saturday afternoon at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
If Brooklyn had beaten Portland in the final seeding game for both teams, Phoenix and Memphis would’ve battled for a chance to play the top-seeded Lakers in the first round.
The Suns would probably be favored even though they’d have to beat the Grizzlies twice to win the play-in.
Suns’ fans aren’t happy.
Charles Barkley called it “unfair” for Phoenix to win eight games and be left out, while Memphis is advancing despite winning only two games. Memphis fans aren’t happy, either. They’re reminding Phoenix fans the restart games were a continuation of the 2019-20 regular season. The NBA could’ve called it “NBA Resumption”, but the league was in a way restarting the season.
Plus “restart” is catchier than “resumption”.
Memphis fans also know the Grizzlies would be much better if Jackson, Tyus Jones (knee) and Justise Winslow (hip) were healthy.
Then again, Phoenix fans are saying the Suns won big despite Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee rehab) and Aron Baynes (knee) not playing one second in the bubble.
So the fan bases are at odds.
That’s a rivalry must. The two teams are young and on the rise, but there are other ingredients that could serve as a foundation for a rivalry in the near future.
Which Brooks?
A trade between Memphis and Phoenix fell apart last season due to a misunderstanding over which Brooks — Dillon or MarShon — the Suns were getting in a three-team deal with Washington.
The Suns thought they were acquiring Dillon Brooks from Memphis along with Wayne Selden and Washington’s Rivers, but Memphis wanted to move MarShon Brooks along with Selden.
The Grizzlies didn’t budge on this. Talks eventually broke down as Phoenix ended up shipping Trevor Ariza to Washington for Oubre and Rivers, who never joined the Suns and ended up in Houston.
Someone messed up.
The Suns looked messed up.
That was part of the messy 19-63 season, the second worst in franchise history. But one of those rare wins came against Memphis on Booker’s last-second shot to snap a seven-game skid early in the season.
MarShon Brooks was watching from the bench.
Two months later, the trade never happened.
On opposite sides
Phoenix and Memphis eventually pulled off a trade in which the Suns shipped Josh Jackson, their fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft, De’Anthony Melton and two future second-round picks to clear cap space for Jevon Carter and Kyle Korver, who never joined them and wound up with Milwaukee.
Jackson has never played against Phoenix as he was with Memphis’ G League team and got called back up to the Grizzlies the day after their last game against the Suns.
Grayson Allen suffered a hip injury and took time to recover. So Memphis needed a player, but the timing of JackThey’ve son’s call seemed too coincidental.
Jackson has played sparingly in the bubble after seeing action before the season was shut down, while Allen is now getting meaningful minutes. Jackson will be a unrestricted free agent after this season and will most likely be somewhere else next season.
If Jackson somehow remains with the Grizzlies and becomes a part of the rotation, that first Memphis-Phoenix game next season can’t get here soon enough.
Memphis became Melton’s third team in less than two seasons, but he’s become a key contributor and had solid games against the Suns. He averaged nine points and shot 60% from 3 (3-of-5) in three games against Phoenix all won by Memphis.
The Grizzlies dealt Carter after just one season. He played just two games against Memphis with the better outing coming in the second as he finished with eight points (2-of-4 from 3), three steals, two blocks and an assists in that Jan. 26 loss.
You know he’d love another shot at Memphis.
Point to prove
Dillon Brooks plays like his matchup with Booker is personal.
Booker is not only considered a better player, but is viewed as the more polished and skilled of the two, but Brooks more than held his own in the duel between the two.
In four games against Phoenix, Brooks averaged 20.5 points on 50.8% shooting. He knocked down 41.7% of his 3s.
He dropped 27 on the Suns in a 115-108 win Dec. 11 in Phoenix. Brooks has a rawness to him, plays with an edge and all of that was on full display when battling Booker.
Booker averaged 28 points on 51.4% shooting in four games against Memphis and connected on 40.9% of his 3s. Booker erupted for 40 in an 121-114 loss Jan. 5 and scored 36 in that emotional Jan. 26 game on the day of Bryant’s death. He had just 15 on 17 shots when Brooks scored 27 on the Suns back in December.
Whenever you have a now an All-Star like Booker who isn’t backing down from a challenge and someone who plays with a chip on his shoulder and believes he’s just as good like Brooks facing each other, potential sparks will always be there.
Same draft class
Deandre Ayton and Jackson were the first and fourth overall picks in the 2018 draft.
Good friends. Have pretty comparable numbers.
Ayton – 109 games, 17 ppg., 57% FG, 17.6 3PT, 74.8 FT, 10.7 RPG, 1.1 BLK.
Jackson – 115 games, 15.5 ppg., 48.5% FG, 38.4 3PT, 75.7% FT, 4.6 RPG, 1.5 BLK.
Ayton, 22, is far more dominant on the glass even though both are the same height at 6-11. Jackson, 20, has developed into a legit 3-point shooter (made 196 from deep).
Ayton just hit his first NBA one in the bubble where he went 3-for-10 on 3s.
However, ESPN ranked Jackson 54th in its preseason ranking of the NBA’s top 100 players, 12 spots higher than Ayton (66th).
The two are sure to have their share of battles in the years to come, but the main thing they have in common right now is two fellow top-five picks, Trae Young and Luka Doncic, are now all-stars.
When will Ayton and Jackson join them?
They still have much to prove and might do so against each other.