Memphis Grizzlies Slide Into NBA’s Worst Losing Cluster

The Memphis Grizzlies are stuck in one of the NBA’s worst late-season stretches, grouped among five clubs dropping games at what Bleacher Report called a “comical rate” as of March 6, 2026. Memphis sits 11th in the West, trailing Portland for the final play-in spot, with Dallas, New Orleans, Utah and Sacramento keeping them company at the bottom.

The timing is brutal. The final weeks of the regular season are here, and Memphis has not found a way to string wins together. Based on Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings, the Grizzlies are one of five clubs in a collective freefall — more a race to the lottery than a push toward the postseason.

The numbers reveal a pattern that should worry Memphis fans. While clubs at the top of the league post strong net ratings and cruise through the schedule, the Grizzlies and their West-bottom neighbors are headed the other way — fast. No advanced metric tells a different story right now.

Where the Grizzlies Stand in the West

As of March 6, 2026, the Memphis Grizzlies rank 11th in the Western Conference — one spot below Portland’s 10th-place slot. Bleacher Report’s power rankings placed Memphis among five clubs all losing at a pace that separates them clearly from the rest of the league. That group includes the Mavericks, the Pelicans, the Jazz and Sacramento.

Portland at 10th is no world-beater, but the five clubs below the Trail Blazers are in a different category of struggle. The Grizzlies are not just losing — they are losing alongside franchises that are either rebuilding or simply out of answers this deep in the year.

The gap between Memphis and the play-in field is not just about wins and losses. Net rating, defensive rating and pace all tell the same story. The Grizzlies are not competitive enough right now to force their way back into the West’s top 10, and the calendar is running short on chances to flip that.

How the West’s Top Clubs Are Pulling Away

Read more: Ja Morant and Grizzlies Fall to

The contrast between the Grizzlies and the NBA’s elite is sharp. The league’s hottest squad, per Bleacher Report’s March 6 rankings, went undefeated over its most recent week, stretched a winning run to six games, took every single one of those contests by at least 16 points and pushed its net rating from 2.9 to 4.0 in seven days — a jump Bleacher Report called “ridiculous” for that point in a season.

That kind of run makes Memphis look even worse by comparison. While the Grizzlies drop games, the West’s top seeds lock in seeding, sharpen rotations and play with real confidence. The gap between the conference’s best and its worst grows wider every week.

One counterargument worth considering: some clubs near Memphis in the standings are openly chasing draft position, which skews the comparison. Utah and New Orleans have clear incentives to lose. The Grizzlies’ situation is harder to read — are they tanking, or are they simply struggling? That distinction shapes how the front office handles salary cap decisions this summer.

Key Developments in the Late-Season Slide

• Memphis is grouped with four other West clubs — Dallas, New Orleans, Utah and Sacramento — all dropping games at what Bleacher Report labeled a “comical rate” as of March 6, 2026.
• Portland sits 10th in the conference, directly above Memphis and those four other franchises stuck at the bottom.
• The NBA’s hottest squad stretched its winning run to six games during the same stretch Memphis continued to slide, winning each contest by at least 16 points.
• That leading club’s net rating jumped from 2.9 to 4.0 in a single seven-day stretch — a benchmark that shows how far the Grizzlies are from the conference’s top tier.
• Portland rookie Ace Bailey dropped 32 points in a Thursday victory and has now logged at least 20 points in seven outings since January 20, giving the Trail Blazers a live threat directly ahead of Memphis in the standings.

What This Means for Memphis Going Forward

Read more: Miami Heat Beat Hornets, Tighten Playoff

The Grizzlies’ late-season collapse puts two things squarely on the table: draft strategy and a serious offseason roster review. With Memphis outside the play-in field and surrounded by clubs that are rebuilding or chasing the lottery, the front office faces real choices about which direction this franchise heads next.

The numbers suggest Memphis is not close enough to the play-in bubble to mount a realistic push. Portland’s 10th-place spot is the target, but the Trail Blazers carry a young, energized roster led by Bailey — a fifth overall pick who has hit 20-plus points in multiple outings since late January. Running that down with just a few weeks left is a tall order for a club dropping games at this pace.

Defensive scheme breakdown and roster depth will dominate offseason conversations. The Grizzlies have enough talent history to know this group can compete — but right now, the film shows a club that is not executing at the level needed to stay relevant in the West playoff race. Any conversation about salary cap implications for Memphis this summer starts with understanding why this stretch happened and what has to change before next October.

Based on current trajectory, a lottery finish is the most likely outcome over the final weeks. That is not necessarily a disaster for a franchise with rebuilding tools, but it demands honest answers from the front office. The offseason decisions ahead will carry real weight for where this program lands in 2026-27.