The Memphis Grizzlies are here - and way ahead of schedule

For a guy from a small town in South Carolina, Ja Morant sure feels comfortable in the spotlight. He was in his element entertaining the New York media horde following the Memphis Grizzlies' Feb. 2 win inside Madison Square Garden.

«Mic check, mic check — yo, yo, yo,» Morant said, playfully cupping the microphone, as he settled into his seat next to fellow 22-year-old franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr. «It's the Unicorn, man, and the Ninja in here checking in.

»Y'all ready?"

Ready or not, the Grizzlies are here, having pushed their way into the contender conversation at least a couple of years earlier than many anticipated when Memphis' «Grit 'n Grind» chapter closed in 2019 and a rebuilding project began.

Things often happen fast with Morant and the Grizzlies.

That's the case when Morant zooms coast-to-coast and finishes, covering the length of the court in less than four seconds — as he did after grabbing the rebound off a shot Jackson rejected, flying up the floor for a clutch transition layup in the Grizzlies' recent home win over those New York Knicks.

It's also true in the bigger picture, as Memphis morphed from moribund to a play-in team with massive long-term upside during Morant's rookie year, took a significant step by making the playoffs during his sophomore campaign and made a major leap this season, when only the reigning Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns have a better record.

Live from Memphis, wall-to-wall, in-depth coverage begins with the 7 a.m. ET edition of SportsCenter and runs through the late-night edition of SportsCenter, including special editions of NBA Today and NBA Countdown, leading into the Grizzlies' game against the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN app).

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