Stretch run filled with hope, fraught with fear

The Memphis Grizzlies begin their stretch run to the playoffs today. In the next seven games they could win their first division title, clinch the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference or let it all slip away. Which will happen? That depends on whether you’re listening to your hopes or your fears:

Hopes: The Grizzlies will go 5-2 and hang their first division banner.

Fears: No. The Grizzlies will go 3-4 and lose home court advantage.

Hopes: You’re just being negative.

Fears: You’re just kidding yourself. Go ahead, try and make a rational case.

Hopes: Easy. Let’s look at the last seven games. They start with Oklahoma City, Washington and New Orleans at home. They’ll be favored in all three of those. Then they play Utah, and the Grizzlies are just better than Utah. Then they’ve got the Clippers and the Warriors on the road. The Warriors might well be resting their starters by that point. Let’s say the Griz split those two. Then they come back

to finish with Indiana at home. That’s 5-2, at worst, maybe 6-1.

Fears: That’s 5-2 if the Grizzlies are playing like they played at the start of the year. But this is essentially a .500 team since the All-Star break. The Griz lost their last game against the Thunder, and their last game against Washington, and their last game against New Orleans, and their last game against Utah, and their last game against the Clippers, and their last game against the Warriors. They did win their last game against Indiana, but that was October. So the Grizzlies are playing six teams that beat them the last time out, and you’re saying they’ll go 6-1 or 5-2?

Hopes: Geez, you must beafunguyataparty.Got anything more to kill the mood?

Fears: Yes! I do! Because the Grizzlies won’t just finish behind Houston, they’ll be passed up by the Clippers too. The Clippers end the season with a schedule that could have been designed by Doc Rivers himself: at Denver, a home-and-home against the Lakers, home against the Grizzlies, home against Denver, and at Phoenix. That’s 5-1, at worst, if the Grizzlies can win the game at the Staples Center. And the Clippers are just a game and a half behind the Griz. San Antonio is just two games back. If the Griz go 3-4 — which is entirely possible — they’ll get caught from behind by the Clippers, the Spurs and maybe even the Blazers too.

Hopes: You forget some things. Fears: Like? Hopes: Like Houston has two games against San Antonio, a game at Oklahoma City, and games against Utah and New Orleans. They’ve got their own work to do. And the Grizzlies can slow down the Clippers by beating the Clippers, which — since you’re so hung up on what happened the last time — is what happened the last time the two teams met in L.A. But beyond all that, we have a more fundamental disagreement. Fears: Which is? Hopes: You assume the Grizzlies will keep playing the way they’ve been playing. I think they’re going to be better than that. Fears: W hy? Hopes: Because they understand the opportunity here. They realize what’s at stake. The Griz are in this perilous position because they dropped games to Sacramento, Utah, Boston and Detroit. But that was all about loss of focus. There will be no lack of focus now.

Fears: Did they lack focus against Cleveland, Golden State or San Antonio? The best teams in the league? It looked to me like that was less about lack of focus than lack of confidence, individually and collectively. And, sure, the Grizzlies beat Sacramento without Boogie Cousins, That’s supposed to mean they’re back?

Hopes: You just don’t get it. Haven’t you ever watched this team? This is what the Grizzlies do. They take an early lead, and then they let up for unknown reasons, and then they make things too close for comfort, and then they bear down and win. The season is playing out just like any Grizzlies game you’ve ever seen. Now it’s winning time.

Fears: Right. And unicorns are going to be today’s halftime show. And Tony Allen’s hamstring is going to be magically healed. And Courtney Lee is going to start hitting jumpers like it’s November. And Marc Gasol is going to play like an All-Star center once again.

Hopes: Lee went 5 of 10 the other night. He’s already started. Gasol just needed a couple days to get away and clear his head. Fears: You’re delusional. Hopes: No, I just believe in this team. The towels and the history both say I should. But look at it this way. If someone had told you before the season that the Griz could be in position to win the divi- sion with seven games to go, you’d have taken that right? Well, that’s where they are. They’re ahead of Oklahoma City, and they’re ahead of San Antonio, and they have a chance to do something the franchise has never done before. Why feel anything but good about that? Why not embrace the historic possibilities presented by these last seven games?

Fears: Because I’m your fears, of course.

Hopes: Then you’ve got no place in this town. This is the town of Jimmy Keep, the World War II veteran honored by the Grizzlies, who recently returned to Iwo Jima with a “We Don’t Bluff” flag.

Fears: I heard about that. How is Jimmy doing?

Hopes: Not so well. He had a heart attack and now has pneumonia. His son, Mickey, wrote me Thursday: “He is in IC here at Baptist. He’s resting and has rallied to hit on the nurses. So I’m hopeful. He’s worried about not getting to see the Grizzlies Friday night.”

Fears: Ha. He cares that much about the Grizzlies?

Hopes: Of course. And he has a prediction too. According to Mickey, “He thinks the Griz will win out.”