Power Rankings
Overall Rank: 7th
Tier: Title Contenders
Projected Seeding: 6th in West
Once again, Memphis comes out of the offseason with almost the exact same roster as the year before. And for a team that won 55 games last year, that should be considered a good thing. The Grizzlies retained their big man duo of All-NBA C Marc Gasol and star PF Zach Randolph, arguably the team’s two best players. The squad also features star PG Mike Conley and a variety of decent wing players: SF Jeff Green, SG Courtney Lee, SG Tony Allen, SG/SF Vince Carter, SF Matt Barnes, and more. Known for their “Grit ‘n Grind” style of play, the Grizzlies have always (rather fittingly, given their team name) been a very physical team, excelling on defense, low-post scoring, and rebounding. Notably not on this list, however, is three-point shooting, the recent phenomenon in today’s NBA. Nowadays, there is a glaring correlation between success from beyond the arc, and winning. Still, Memphis finished just 29th out of the 30 teams in the league in three-point attempts last season, and they still have a few guys like Tony Allen who are huge liabilities from downtown. Obviously, the Grizzlies will still be a title contender as they have the same team as their 55-win one from last year, and they do also have a couple of solid shooters as well. But for the team to make the final leap from title contender to title winners, they’re going to have to get with the program and start launching up more long balls. Hey, Memphis: The 1970s called, they want their play style back.
Overall Rank: 7th
Tier: Title Contenders
Projected Seeding: 6th in West
Once again, Memphis comes out of the offseason with almost the exact same roster as the year before. And for a team that won 55 games last year, that should be considered a good thing. The Grizzlies retained their big man duo of All-NBA C Marc Gasol and star PF Zach Randolph, arguably the team’s two best players. The squad also features star PG Mike Conley and a variety of decent wing players: SF Jeff Green, SG Courtney Lee, SG Tony Allen, SG/SF Vince Carter, SF Matt Barnes, and more. Known for their “Grit ‘n Grind” style of play, the Grizzlies have always (rather fittingly, given their team name) been a very physical team, excelling on defense, low-post scoring, and rebounding. Notably not on this list, however, is three-point shooting, the recent phenomenon in today’s NBA. Nowadays, there is a glaring correlation between success from beyond the arc, and winning. Still, Memphis finished just 29th out of the 30 teams in the league in three-point attempts last season, and they still have a few guys like Tony Allen who are huge liabilities from downtown. Obviously, the Grizzlies will still be a title contender as they have the same team as their 55-win one from last year, and they do also have a couple of solid shooters as well. But for the team to make the final leap from title contender to title winners, they’re going to have to get with the program and start launching up more long balls. Hey, Memphis: The 1970s called, they want their play style back.