2011-2012 Memphis Grizzlies Season Preview
Going into the summer of 2011 there was really only one question on the minds of Memphis Grizzlies fans: Will this team be back?
Grizzlies fans have been conditioned to believe that the team’s management is more interested in saving money than in putting a contender on the court, but having seen a glimpse of greatness from their squad in the playoffs they dared to believe that there might be a change of heart from the front office.
And so there has been.
The Memphis Grizzlies look like one of the teams to beat in 2011-12, and with that in mind, we preview the team:
| Five Guys Think… |
| After upsetting the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs last year, nobody is doubting the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Ownership stepped up and kept the team together like they said they would, matching the Houston Rockets’ offer for restricted free agent center Marc Gasol. With Rudy Gay back and the experience under the belt that they gained last year, look for the Grizzlies to be a serious factor in the West from start to finish this season. Their frontline is one the best in the league and head coach Lionel Collins has proven to be a quality head coach capable of leading this team to heights few thought they were capable of.
2nd Place, Southwest Division - Yannis Koutroupis
Together with the OKC Thunder and the LA Clippers, the Grizzlies look like the new breed of Western Conference heavyweights. Keeping Marc Gasol was huge, and having Rudy Gay healthy and back in the lineup means the Grizzlies will be even better than last year, when they gave the Thunder all they could handle after demolishing the San Antonio Spurs. This could be a very exciting season for NBA fans in Memphis . . .who are long overdue. 1st Place – Southwest Division - Bill Ingram
Well, we’ll soon find out if what the Grizzlies did in last season’s playoffs was a rite of passage into NBA adulthood, or just a fluke that happened because matchups were good and San Antonio’s time at the top was just up. I’m of the opinion that this is a pretty good team, even if they do end up trading O.J. Mayo for Josh McRoberts and Brandon Rush, a considerable downgrade in talent if we’re being perfectly honest about it. But that still leaves a healthy Rudy Gay, the team’s top scorer who didn’t even play in the postseason last year, and one of the scariest frontcourts in basketball, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. I think they’ll miss Shane Battier more than they realize, but there are still plenty of excellent role players on this team, and Josh Shelby could end up proving to be the steal of the draft. It also helps that their division, outside of Dallas, looks pretty beatable. Memphis has a real shot at claiming homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs this season. Of course, what they do with that will say a lot about whether this team is ready to transform into perennial contenders or not. 2nd Place, Southwest Division - Joel Brigham
The Memphis Grizzlies have put the league on notice that the organization is dead serious about winning. The extending of Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol over the past eighteen months shows the franchise is willing to invest the necessary finances required to put a winning product on the floor. Last season the Grizzlies narrowly missed a spot in the Western Conference Finals but it must be mentioned the club didn’t have the services of Gay in the lineup during the postseason run. This year the secret is out and the Grizzlies won’t be able to sneak up on anyone. 2nd Place, Southwest Division - Lang Greene
The Memphis Grizzlies exceeded expectations last season and attracted national attention throughout their postseason run. The Grizzlies experienced this success without arguably their best player, Rudy Gay, and they’re poised to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference this year. The team re-signed Marc Gasol, which means they’ll enter this season with the same core group of players. While other teams may struggle to develop chemistry or get everyone on the same page after the condensed offseason, Memphis won’t have that issue. The Grizzlies will also benefit from the 66-game schedule, since it’ll be much easier for their young team to play on consecutive nights compared to veteran squads such as their division-rival Dallas Mavericks or San Antonio Spurs. It’ll be difficult for the Grizzlies to win their division, but they’ll be a team that nobody wants to play during the postseason. 2nd Place, Southwest Division - Alex Kennedy |
| Top Of The List |
|
Top Offensive Player: Last season Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay were neck and neck in the scoring department, and we expect that to be the case again this season. In Gay and Randolph the Grizzlies have a dynamic scoring duo who make the entire team more effective. Expect them both to be 20-point threats every time out. Top Defensive Player: Marc Gasol is absolutely the anchor to the Grizzlies defense, and will likely block more than two shots per game, as he did in the playoffs. A close second will be Tony Allen, whose perimeter defense was huge in helping the Grizzlies advance to the second round of the playoffs last season. Top Playmaker: Mike Conley gets overlooked, and has been discounted time and time again during his NBA career. Still, there he is, night after night for the Grizzlies, quietly getting the job done. Conley may not be Chris Paul or Derrick Rose, but he is a very good point guard who has the complete faith and confidence of his teammates. He is also the team’s best playmaker. Top Clutch Player: Like all great teams, the Grizzlies have more than one clutch player, though Rudy Gay may turn out to be the most clutch. He was playing the best basketball of his career last season before he suffered the shoulder injury and there is no reason to believe he won’t pick up where he left off. The Unheralded Player: Again, Mike Conley is the one player in the Grizzlies’ rotation that many NBA fans probably couldn’t pick out of a lineup. Even the Grizzlies themselves have overlooked him at times, starting Kyle Lowry ahead of him before sending the latter to Houston. In last year’s playoffs, however, Conley proved to be the steady hand Memphis needed, even when going against more celebrated players in Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook. Best New Addition: Right now the Grizz don’t have any notable newcomers, but with the likely season-ending injury to Darrell Arthur expect them to see what they can do about adding someone. Could veteran Brian Skinner stick? Will rookie Josh Selby make an impact? The Grizz, minus Shane Battier, are coming to work with the pretty much the same roster that ran through the San Antonio Spurs last spring. - Bill Ingram |
| Who We Like |
| 1. Marc Gasol – When the Grizzlies acquired Marc in the trade that sent Pau Gasol to the Lakers there was an uproar around the league because the trade seemed so one-sided. Now it’s looking very much like the Grizzlies got the better end of the deal.
2. Zach Randolph – Zach has been a double-double waiting to happen ever since he arrived in the NBA. It’s nice to see him on a team where those numbers count for something. He and Gasol should be a formidable front line team for years to come. 3. Rudy Gay – Much of the time, when a player suffers a long-term injury, they kind of disappear from the scene. Not Rudy Gay. He was there for his teammates in spirit even when he couldn’t be there in body, and it didn’t go unnoticed. The Grizzlies can’t wait to get him back on the court when the games really count. 4. Michael Heisley – After years of short-changing Grizzlies fans, team owner Michael Heisley finally loosened up the purse strings and put a winner on the court. By keeping Gasol on town he has assured a very merry Christmas for the long-suffering fans of the team. 5. Chris Wallace – Being willing to spend money is one thing; spending it on the right pieces is every bit as important. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace has made the right moves, from hiring Lionel Hollins as head coach to putting the right pieces in place around Rudy Gay. - Bill Ingram |
| Strengths |
| Defense and rebounding will be huge strengths for the Grizzlies in 2011-12. They have the front court duo of Gasol and Randolph, who will dominate the glass, and the particularly good defense of Gasol and Allen to make points something of a premium for opposing teams. The Grizzlies should be equally proficient on the other end of the floor, as well, with two 20-point scorers in Randolph and Gay and plenty of other weapons, as well.
- Bill Ingram |
| Weaknesses |
|
Weaknesses? On thisteam? The only weakness they displayed in the playoffs was essentially a lack of experience, and now that the team has won a playoff series and tasted postseason success, there may not be anything that can stop them from rocketing to the top of the Western Conference this season. If there is a weakness it may be the lack of experienced players off the bench, but if even one of their young guns can step up this season that won’t be an issue at all. - Bill Ingram |
| The Coach’s Chair By Anthony Macri |
| Welcome to the spotlight, folks. Our performance in the playoffs last year showed what we are capable of, even without Rudy available, and now we have to follow that up with a strong season, or last postseason will have been a total waste of time. Our versatility and variety of ways we can score needs to be a plus to go along with our great defense. Mike, we need you to run the show through the frontcourt, and get everyone up there an appropriate number of touches. We should own the glass on both ends against nearly every team in the league, and we should able to both speed up and play well in transition or in half court sets. I’d like to see us really take the next step. Like I said, we’re in a spotlight now. We can either shine or get burned… let’s see how we respond.
- Anthony Macri |
| The Burning Question |
| Is there a better team in the Western Conference than the Memphis Grizzlies?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are arguably better than the Grizzlies, but only arguably. The Grizzlies gave them all they could handle in the second round, and that was without Rudy Gay. Now that Gay is healthy the Grizzlies should be ready to take on the Thunder, and that battle may well determine the West’s best team come playoff time. - Bill Ingram |
How do you see the Grizzlies this season, leave your comments below…
