Just before New Year’s Day, Memphis ripped off a pair of statement victories, going on the road to beat the Suns 114-113 and the Lakers 104-99, kickstarting an 11-game winning streak that also featured a home win over the Warriors. Around that point, the Grizzlies transformed from good story to West elite. It’s certainly unusual for a team as youthful as Memphis — the league’s fourth-youngest team when weighted by minutes played this season — to make a deep playoff run. Of the 59 teams in NBA history that have had an average weighted age of less than 25 at season’s end, just six have advanced to the playoffs (a group that already includes last season’s Memphis team).