Ty's 2026 - 2027 NBA Preview: Nets, Pelicans, Grizzlies
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Welcome to day two of my preseason NBA countdown. We are still in the dregs of teams, but one team I will be talking about today looks to have a brighter future than others this low on the list, and I just happen to root for that team. More on them later.
Coming in at number 27 I have the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets can't get out of their own way it seems. They struck gold a few years back when they signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and were able to trade for James Harden. But injuries and the pandemic slowed that team down. They got Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett when they were too old. Vince Carter was too young to bring them a title when he was there. Deron Williams didn't turn out to be the franchise player they hoped. It seems like miss after miss with this team. And now they have a bunch of unproven young guys that are turnover machines. Michael Porter Jr proved he was a solid scorer last season. He can fill it up. But he doesn't play defense and is not a team leader. He is much more suited to be a 3rd or 4th starter on a title team, which he was in Denver. Egor Demin looks to be a very good three point shooter, but he has not been able to stay on the floor in his first two years. Danny Wolf is an intriguing passing big man, but his shot has not come along just yet, and he is a turnover machine. They drafted Mikel Brown Jr, which some writers seem to like, but I am not very high on at the moment. Noah Clowney Jr will be taking over for Nic Claxton, but he is not the rim protector, nor the rim runner that Claxton was for this team. Terance Mann was once deemed untradeable because of his value to the Clippers a few years back, but now he struggles to get real minutes on this team. Day'Ron Sharpe is a solid enough big, albeit undersized. He would be much better in a bench role, but I believe he is a starter on this team. And Julius Randle is here now because why not. The Nets have an odd collection of players. They don't seem to mesh very well looking at this roster on paper. It wouldn't surprise me either if Michael Porter Jr and Julius Ranlde are playing elsewhere by the end of this season. Jordi Fernandez is a good coach, he just needs a better roster. Until that happens, the Nets are going to be running in the mud. They are no more than a turnover machine that would be lucky to win 20 to 25 games this season.
Speaking of an odd roster construction, at number 26 I have the New Orleans Pelicans. I like players on this team. I think they have talented guys. They have some dudes that are highlight reel players. But the team just doesn't make sense. I'm over hearing about how Zion Williamson is in shape and he is going to become the all NBA player we all hoped he would. He played a good amount of games last season, but it all felt hollow to me. He is explosive and can be dominant, but he just doesn't seem to have the desire to be the star he could have been in his career. He can still dunk the hell out of the ball. Dejounte Murray is a good, calming point guard, but he has never been the same since he was with the Spurs, and he is always injured. I love watching him play, but that doesn't happen all that often. Trey Murphy III is the prototypical 3 and D player, but he is not long for this team. Some contending team is going to make an offer for him this season, and I would hope the Pelicans would take it. I've always enjoyed Saadiq Bey, but he is not very capable unless he has the ball in his hands, and that will be tough for him if the starters are healthy this season. Jordan Poole, who I will always root for, is borderline unplayable at this point in his career. They signed Ben Mathurin, but he is another dude that is not worth much unless he is attacking the rim, which will be tough on this team. I am a Derik Queen guy, but even by his own admission he needs to be in better shape and work harder on his game. Jeremiah Fears seems like a capable player, he just needs minutes. Like I said, this team has players that I enjoy, but they don't mesh and work well as a unit. It wouldn't be surprising if, along with Trey Murphy, they move some other guys and start to build this team around Fears and Queen. I think Zion's time with this team is up, and Murray is going to want to play on a winning team. The Pelicans will score in bunches, but they will also give up tons and tons of points defensively.
The final team for the day, the team that I think has a nice future lined up, at number 25 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies finally blew it all up. The time had come. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr were traded last season. They finally got off of Ja Morant. They let Santi Aldama and John Konchar walk. The team that I started rooting for is pretty much all gone. And I'm stoked for what they are building right now. I love that they were able to draft Cam Boozer. I hoped that was who they would get, he "fell" to them and they wasted no time in picking him. He has the look of a perennial all star and the face of this franchise. They need to build around him now. I am a Zach Edey fan, he just needs to stay on the court. When he is out there this defense is so much better and he is a great rim protector. I just need him to stay on the damn court. I think Cedric Coward is a star in the making. He had a very good rookie year and I see him only getting better from here on out. Ty Jerome was a good signing, and if he can stay on the floor this season, the Grizzlies will have a competent starting point guard. I also like Scotty Pippen Jr as his backup, but he may be in line for more minutes, and I don't know if the Grizzlies can provide him with that right now. GG Jackson is so much fun to watch shoot, but he doesn't do much else and I don't know if he will get any real time with this team. I loved the Karim Lopez pick. He is tailored made to be a defensive stopper, and the fact that he was a pro in New Zealand means he is used to playing against adults. And bringing Isaiah Stewart over made me jump for joy. He is the exact type of veteran I want to have on a team this young. The Grizzlies are going to be a solid playoff team within two years, but I think they actually have a shot to push for the play-in tournament this year. Maybe I'm too high on them, but damn it is hard not to be excited by what they have done this offseason.
That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.
