Robb: What's the best-case scenario left for Celtics with Grizzlies pick?

The 2020 Grizzlies top-6 protected first-round pick was uncertain to land in Boston this season as recently as two months ago. The tide has changed quickly on that front however as Memphis has rolled off a 15-4 stretch heading into the All-Star Break that put them above .500 and comfortably in the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference for the time being.

From afar, the Grizzlies pick has fallen to the worst possible scenario for the Celtics when it comes to draft order. With two Eastern Conference playoff teams middling well below the .500 mark (Orlando and Brooklyn), the Grizzlies are projected to land at the No. 17 spot in a pick that is headed to Boston. However, there is a glimmer of hope for Boston’s front office that the remarkable run to respectability led by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. may go sideways just a bit in the final two months of the regular season. A look at the standings shows the Grizzlies with a four-game lead on their nearest suitor for the No. 8 seed (Portland), with San Antonio and New Orleans bunched closely behind.