They don't have the big name superstars of the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, nor the championship pedigrees of the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics, but the Grizzlies will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
It was just over a year ago that as a #8 seed in the West knocked off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs before giving Oklahoma City all they could handle in the Western Conference semifinals (all without SF Rudy Gay). The team has largely been off the radar of major media outlets, who choose to focus more on those teams that possess superstars, which is more than likely just fine with head coach Lionel Hollins and the rest of the team.
Currently, the Grizzlies hold a 33-23 record, which is good for fifth place in the Western Conference, 1/2 game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the fourth spot, and even have an outside shot at catching the third place Lakers (2 GB). Even more impressive is the fact that they've done most of this without their leading scorer from a year ago, as Zach Randolph has missed 37 games recovering from a torn MCL.
The Grizzlies statistics won't blow anyone out of the water, as they rank near the middle of the league in most offensive and defensive categories. But to rely solely on statistics would be doing this team a disservice. The team may lack a traditional "superstar" player, but have no fewer than four All-Star caliber players on this team. While oftentimes that could cause confusion and resentment among those players as they all clamor for touches and shots, coach Hollins has done a wonderful job getting his players to buy in to a true "team" concept.
The Grizzlies currently have six players averaging in double figures, led by Rudy Gay (18.4). The Grizzlies are also strong in their frontcourt, as they have a legitimate four-deep rotation consisting of Marc Gasol (15.2 pts, 9.5 rebs, 1.9 blk), Zach Randolph (12.2 pts, 7.7 rebs), Marreesse Speights (8.8 pts, 6.4 rebs) and Dante Cunningham (5.2 pts, 4.0 rebs). Should the team need an additional big, 7'2" Hamed Haddadi has proven to be a serviceable player in limited minutes (1.9 pts, 2.2 rebs in 5.5 mins/game).
The team is also deep on the wings, with small forward Rudy Gay (18.4 pts, 6.4 rebs, 2.3 ast, 1.5 stl) and shooting guard Tony Allen (10.5 pts, 4.0 rebs, 1.7 stl) in the starting lineup. Sixth man O.J. Mayo is instant offense off the bench (12.5 pts, 3.2 rebs, 2.5 ast), playing largely shooting guard alongside either Gay or Mayo.
Mike Conley runs the Grizzlies at point guard (12.9 pts, 2.5 rebs, 6.8 ast) while playing terrific on-ball defense (and his 2.4 steals/game rank 2nd in the league). The team recently signed Gilbert Arenas to back up Conley, and has been productive once removing the rust (6.0 points, 41.7% from 3).
Another area of strength for this team is their lack of reliance on three-point shooting. The Grizzlies attempt just 12.5 threes per game (t-28th in the league), instead focusing on getting quality shots in the paint. While Conley and Mayo are both respectable three-point shooters (36.6% and 36.3% respectively), they both cause problems for opposing defenses attacking off the dribble.
Memphis also has great defense all along the backcourt. Conley and Allen are both top-tier defenders at their positions, and Rudy Gay has the length and athleticism to play lockdown defense (when focused). Along the frontline, nobody will confuse either Randolph or Speights for good defenders, but both are relentless on the boards and will make opponents work on the defensive end. While Cunningham is somewhat undersized for either center or power forward, he does a great job of fronting his man, and will make the hustle plays necessary to win games. Gasol is definitely the team's best frontcourt defender, as he has the size and strength to anchor against the bruising big men, while being crafty enough to handle the more athletically gifted bigs.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Grizzlies have been as formidable as any team in the league. In that span, they have notched road wins over the Lakers, Thunder, Mavericks and Heat, as well as home wins over the Timberwolves, Mavericks and Clippers. While it may seem like a bit of a reach to declare them legitimate NBA title contenders, this team has the right combination of size and speed to give any team troubles, and last year's postseason run will give them confidence heading into the postseason. One thing is for sure: nobody wants to play the Grizzlies come playoff time.
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