Which is the youngest team in the NBA right now?
The 2021 NBA playoffs tipped off a few days ago. Perhaps the biggest surprise coming from the play-in tournament was the fact that the Golden State Warriors went 0-2 and were resultantly knocked out. The Warriors lost to the hugely impressive Memphis Grizzlies, who finished the regular season with a 6-1 record in their last 7 games, and then defeated the Warriors in a close match to seal 8th seed from the West.
Yesterday, the Memphis Grizzlies got their playoff campaign off to a winning start against the number 1 seed in the Western Conference. Jonas Valancuinas had a double-double, Dillon Brookes finished with 31 points and 7 rebounds while Ja Morant produced 26 points. If the Grizzlies were to fight their way past the Utah Jazz, it will be their most astounding achievement this season. It is all the more impressive when we consider the fact that the Grizzlies currently have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. Despite that, they are not the youngest roster in the NBA.
Let's take a look at some of the youngest rosters in the NBA currently.
The youngest teams in the NBA currently
The OKC Thunder have the youngest team in the NBA with an average age of 23.4 years. The Minnesota Timberwolves follow them with an average age of 23.9 years, with the Memphis Grizzlies currently having an average age of around 24 years. The fact that the Grizzlies have managed to make their way to the playoffs and won the first game against the Utah Jazz is all the more impressive considering they have the third-youngest team in the NBA.
The OKC Thunder have a number of young stars, most notably their guard-pairing of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Darius Bazley. Other notable young stars include the Luguentz Dort, Theo Maledon and Ty Jerome. The Minnesota Timberwolves, with their young stars like Malik Beasley, rookie Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and D’Angelo Russell - have the second-youngest team.
As far as the teams taking part in the NBA playoffs are concerned, the Memphis Grizzlies are the youngest, and will only be looking at the playoffs as a stepping stone to a more successful next season. This year, we have already seen how Philadelphia 76ers’ “Process” might finally be close to bearing results, although a mix of experience was also needed for the 76ers to look like serious title contenders.
The same is true for the Phoenix Suns, who won their first game against the LA Lakers and will have seen immense improvement in multiple aspects through the addition of NBA veteran Chris Paul. While the Memphis Grizzlies might be some way away from mounting a title charge, they certaintly seem to be headed in the right direction with their young guns.