The Memphis Grizzlies Continue to Defy the Odds

The second-longest playoff streak in the NBA belongs to the Memphis Grizzlies For seven years straight, they had made the postseason. Memphis created their style of play, known as “Grit and Grind,” but that era was supposed to come to an end this season with the departures of Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and Vince Carter. Memphis will now rely on two all-stars in Mike Conley and Marc Gasol to make the playoffs in a brutal Western Conference. Besides those two great players, Memphis will use several reclamation projects and young players.

Most people around the league think Memphis will miss the playoffs this season for that reason. Some believe Memphis may even consider blowing it up and start rebuilding by trading either Marc Gasol or Mike Conley. Well, the Grizzlies heard all that noise and are off to a 3-0 start. Memphis has beaten the defending champion Golden State Warriors, an elite Houston Rockets team on the road, and another playoff contender in the New Orleans Pelicans. They have been the surprises of the season. Here is how they have done it.

Defense

Memphis once again remains one of the best defensive teams in the league. They have shut down the two most high powered offenses in the league in the Rockets and the Warriors. They rank 6th in the league in defensive efficiency, according to ESPN.com. People thought their Grit and Grind style would end, but it remains intact and as strong as ever. They still play at one of the leagues slowest paces, making teams earn every point. The Grizzlies are 27th in pace. At the center of the defense is a former defensive player of the year in Marc Gasol.

Gasol is looking better than ever on defense this season, averaging a career-high 2.3 blocks per game. He is doing this while carrying a significant load on the offensive end. It’s incredible what Memphis is doing on defense when you also consider they are without their starting power forward in JaMychal Green, who is one of their best defensive players. Part of the excellent defense comes from their offense. Memphis rarely turns the ball over, averaging only 11.9 turnovers per game, which is 3rd in the league.

Offense

The fact that Memphis is good on defense isn’t that surprising. Most people thought they would be. Experts thought they would struggle on the other end. That has not been the case as the Grizzlies are an impressive 11th in offensive efficiency. Once again, their stars have been better than ever. I mentioned Gasol had been a beast defensively, but he has been just as good on the offensive end. Gasol is averaging a career-high 24.7 points and ten rebounds.

Where he has improved the most is from the free throw line. Gasol is shooting 96 percent from the charity stripe on a career-high nine attempts per game. For his career, he is only a 77 percent free throw shooter on an average of 4.6 attempts. It is great to see aggression combined with efficiency. His player efficiency ranking is also a career-best 24.68. As for Memphis’s other star, Mike Conley, he is solid as ever. Even though Conley is not shooting well from the field, he is still averaging 18 points and 4.7 assists per game. Once he gets going a little more, Memphis will become even more dangerous. The unexpected offensive boost is not just from these two, Memphis is getting contributions all over the place.

The Supporting Cast

No one expected much from second-round draft pick Dillon Brooks until he came off the bench to drop 19 points in the opener. He has only averaged six points per game since, but he has shown flashes of great scoring ability and should get better as the season continues. How about third-year journeyman small forward James Ennis? Ennis is starting for the Grizzlies and playing exceptional defense, while also averaging ten points per game on an amazing 75 percent shooting from the field. That will obviously go down, but its great to see how much he has improved on the offensive end.

Eight-year players Mario Chalmers and Tyreke Evans are even getting in on the action. Chalmers is averaging eight points per game while Evans is averaging nine. Mario Chalmers is particularly impressive, considering that he missed the past two seasons with Achilles injuries. Even the much-maligned Chandler Parsons is chipping in six points per game in limited minutes as he works his way back from injury. Parsons is not a fan-favorite player as he signed a massive contract but has underperformed massively due to injury. This year he looks better and should get more minutes as he gets healthier. Don’t give up on him yet, Grizzlies fans. The stars still carry the offense for the Grizzlies, but its much more of a team effort now for the Grizzlies. A lot of their reclamation projects have paid off. You have to get a lot of credit to head coach David Fizdale.

Going Forward

The good news is Memphis has already slain two of the biggest dragons in the west. Their next games include some tough ones and some cupcakes. They play the Rockets two more times and have tough road games at the Clippers, Portland, and Milwaukee. On the bright side, they have two games against woeful Dallas and home games against the Hornets and the Magic. Memphis has shown the ability to beat anyone on any night, but they must not play down to their competition. That was an issue last season.

What you can expect is an A+ effort every night, great coaching, and excellent play from Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. Whether or not the supporting cast can keep it up remains to be seen. If they can, Memphis becomes a dangerous playoff team. If they can not, then the Grizzlies will be a team fighting for the eight seed in a loaded Western Conference. Right now Memphis is the surprise of the league, and kudos to them for doing what they seem to do every year, which is to defy all expectations. Keep an eye on Memphis, people!

[Featured Image by Harry How/Getty Images]