Christmas day is rapidly approaching. For most it means
spending quality time with family and friends, opening gifts, and enjoying paid
days off…if you’re lucky enough. For the NBA, it’s an opportunity to
re-introduce themselves to the casual fan. The season officially starts in late
October, which is right in the midst of the NFL and College Football playoff
races. With the NCAA’s playoff bracket set, and the NFL regular season coming
to a close, it’s the NBA that takes center stage from January to June.
Which brings us back to Christmas day.
To re-launch their product, the NBA puts their biggest stars and best teams on display…in a marathon of holiday hoops. Throughout the day, NBA pundits will also catch the casual fan up on all of the intriguing storylines from the first quarter of the season. One of those storylines?
The Memphis Grizzlies.
At 19-4, the team from the We Don’t Bluff City currently sits atop what is arguably the toughest division in all of sports, the NBA’s Southwest (Memphis, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans). Just as impressive is their road to the record, notching victories over six teams that currently own a top 8 (playoff) Conference record. The NBA, and it’s conglomerate partners (ESPN, TNT) are finally starting to come around and show the small market team some love.
After posting yet another 50 win season and making the playoffs for a fourth straight year, Memphis was rewarded with one…as in 1…nationally televised game when the schedule was released. And that game was definitely not on Christmas day.
The good news ?
The Grizzlies can break through the small market fog, and place themselves atop the Christmas day headlines...this year.
The bad news?
All they have to do is conquer the toughest week of games they will have all year….starting tonight.
The NBA made the wise decision to flex the Memphis vs Golden
State game into their primetime 7:00 slot tonight. The two best teams in the
league to date (combined 39-6 record) square off for the first time this
season. If Memphis is able to halt the Warriors’ franchise record 16 game
winning streak, then the defending Champion Spurs await them the following night.
A Spurs team that handed Memphis one of their four losses this season, while
halting their franchise record regular season home winning streak. A team Memphis
has not beat in….in….well?!?!?
After a quick break, the Grizzlies are back at it Friday
night against the revamped Derrick Rose / Pau Gasol led Chicago Bulls (15-9). And
if that stretch wasn’t tough enough, King James and his new “Big 2” await the
Grizzlies for a Sunday afternoon tilt to conclude the week.
With the current state of the Western Conference, a loss or two could cause Memphis to plummet in the standings. The historic start to the season would be just that…a historic start and feel good story. Not necessarily worthy of national attention.
But if Memphis were to end the Warriors’ streak, exorcise the ghost of the Spurs, and handle two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams this week, then not only will they be in the lead stories on Christmas Day, but they will surely get more opportunities to be flexed into the national spotlight.
Memphis has been given a golden opportunity (no pun intended) to get national respect and recognition by knocking off the NBA’s elite this week…starting tonight against the Warriors. A strong showing could not only lead to more nationally televised opportunities going forward…but the ultimate prize as well.
A Christmas day time slot.
Memphis…consider this week your audition.
Follow @plcolter
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