Kevin Garnett?s Reluctant Take: Crumbling $2.4 Billion NBA Franchise Can Find a Solution in Stephen Curry?s Warriors’ Disastrous 2019 Season

One raging debate in this young NBA season so far has been the underwhelming condition of the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s even become a discussion between two NBA legends. Paul Pierce brought up the glaring gap in the Grizzlies roster after he voiced his support for the suspended Ja Morant. Kevin Garnett agreed with him by bringing up the problem Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors went through a few years ago. He’d also give his co-host a nod for his presence in their team dynamic.

The situations were vastly different. However, the former Boston Celtics star duo is making the case for what happens when a key player is missing from the team.

Celtics legends have no hope for the Grizzlies

It’s not a great time to be a Grizzlies fan. The $2.4 billion franchise is off to a 0-6 start in the 2023-24 season. Fans have been disappointed with the offense, unable to watch the shaky defense, and demanding answers about the off-the-court drama plaguing the team. Following Wednesday night’s 109-133 loss to Utah Jazz, a team that was not heavily favored to win, the problems with the Grizzlies became too hard to ignore. Even the?Big Ticket?and?The Truth?couldn’t keep the frustration at bay.

Paul Pierce said it bluntly. “I really had no expectations for the Grizzlies. Especially with Ja Morant missing 25 games and then you lose Steven Adams for the year. And then you asking Desmond Bane to kind of carry the team?”

As Pierce mentioned, Ja Morant is suspended for 25 games and his return is too far away for any hopes of redemption to be pinned on him. Steven Adams is out with a season-ending injury. Outside of Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Marcus Smart, the Grizzlies don’t have enough offensive power on their roster now.

Pierce did say that the team played without Morant before but their opponents have gotten better. Calling it a “dead year” for the team, he believes the franchise should just wait it out, focus on getting Morant back, clean up his image, and come back stronger next season.

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Garnett didn’t say if he thought the Grizzlies should give up this season. But he said the problems started when the team didn’t create momentum right from training camp. He made an interesting comparison then. “When P [Paul Pierce]?hit the goddamn gym, the whole energy changed,”?Garnett said about the kind of energy the star player brings to the team morale. “When your best player is in the building, everything changes.”

He even reluctantly compared the Morant-less Grizzlies to the time the Golden State Warriors didn’t have Stephen Curry for a year. The Warriors struggled in 2019 when Curry was recovering from a broken left hand. Garnett, with Pierce’s approval, believes the Grizzlies should take a cue from the Warriors and maybe they get lucky and land a lottery pick in the NBA Draft next year.

Kevin Garnett doesn’t want Memphis to slack off

Pierce, in particular, has been on Ja Morant’s side throughout the off-court debacle. He now feels the team needs to focus on rebuilding around Morant for the next year.

Garnett believes the Warriors laid a template for that. While suffering a poor 2019 season, they strategized for the next year. Curry also used the suspended 2020 season to recover. As per KG, the Grizzlies also need to start strategizing ahead instead of waiting for Morant.

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It may not sit well with current fan opinion who want the Grizzlies to recalibrate now. Do you agree with the Celtics legends’ opinions on Memphis?