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Normally, when a team’s best player sustains a season-ending injury, it spells the end of that team’s playoff hopes. In the case of the Memphis Grizzlies, when Rudy Gay suffered a shoulder injury that would wind up costing him the balance of the season, their quest for a playoff berth seemed far-fetched at least. After all, not only has he carried the franchise player label for Memphis, he was also having one of the best years of his career before getting hurt.

Some players feel like they can slack off a bit after signing a new long-term contract, but not Rudy Gay. In his 54 games played in 2010-11 he averaged 19.8 points per game – second best of his career – while shooting career-bests of 47% from the field, 50% from three, and 81% from the free throw line. He was also having his best year on the defensive end of the court, and his defensive improvement inspired his teammates to elevate their intensity, as well.

When Gay went down just before the All-Star break, the Grizzlies knew they would need some help if they were going to make the playoffs. Replacing a player of Gay’s stature is no small task, but the Grizzlies were able to use Hasheem Thabeet to land Shane Battier from the Houston Rockets, a move that solidified the Grizzlies’ playoff hopes and now has them up 2-1 in their first round series with the San Antonio Spurs. Battier is known as an intangibles guy, but it was his three-pointer that gave the Grizzlies their first-ever playoff win in Game 1, and he’s been an integral part of helping the Grizzlies take an unlikely lead in the series.

There are two ways to look at the Grizzlies’ success in the wake of Gay’s injury. First, imagine how good they might be with this team in place and Gay on the floor, as well. They might just jump into the category of contenders. Unfortunately, there is another side to be considered, as well.

One of the primary reasons why the Grizzlies made the playoffs and have provided more than a challenge for San Antonio is their front court duo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Few teams have the luxury of such a one-two punch up front, and the Grizzlies are going to have to pony up some dough to keep that duo in place going forward. They’ve already extended Randolph, and the word is they’ll re-sign Gasol, as well. They can go over the salary cap to re-sign their own player, but historically the Grizzlies have been reluctant to spend over the cap. They’re already committed to roughly $53 million for next season, and that’s with Battier and Gasol both off the books. Considering the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is likely to come with an even lower salary cap than this season’s $58 million, it hard to see how the Grizzlies can keep Gasol, who will likely command in excess of $10 million per season, and still stay under the cap.

Unless they deal Rudy Gay.

One of the issues the Grizzlies faced for much of the season was that they simply didn’t have enough help coming off the bench. The addition of Battier changed that, but if Battier is allowed to walk away it leaves a significant hole in the second unit . . .one the Grizzlies won’t have money to fill. Considering the team played some of their best basketball of the season without Rudy, it makes a great deal of sense to consider trading him as a way of shoring up the second unit for an even deeper playoff run.

Grizzlies fans have to get goose bumps just thinking about how good their current team would be if gay were healthy. They’re pushing the West’s best regular-season team to the brink without their primary catalyst, so imagine how good they might be with Gay in the mix. Still, there is the financial aspect to be considered, and for a conservative team like Memphis it might just be that trading Rudy Gay to keep Gasol, Battier, and add a couple of other pieces might just be the way to go.

What’s your take? Time for the Grizzlies to go for the gusto, forget about the cap and make a strong run? Or should they cash in their Rudy Gay chip and bring back 2-3 pieces to shore up their second unit? Drop your comments into the comments section below!

Up Close: Carl Landry

The New Orleans Hornets were left for dead when David West was lost for the season, but thanks in large part of the superb play of Carl Landry the Hornets look anything but dead. Landry talks with HOOPSWORLD about his new gig in the Big Easy, playing with the best point guard in the world, facing free agency during a potential lock-out and more in this exclusive interview:

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First Look At Tonight’s Action:

The first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs continues, and tonight two teams who lost home court advantage will look to regain it on the road.

San Antonio Spurs @ Memphis Grizzlies – Game 4 – Memphis Leads 2-1

{AUTHOR_BOX}The Memphis Grizzlies may be in new territory, but they’re not content by any means. They have the San Antonio Spurs on the ropes and they’re planning to keep them there by staying humble and working as hard as they’ve worked to get their surprising 2-1 lead. For the Spurs, it’s do-or-die time, with their season in the balance. A 3-1 hole is nearly always deadly, and the Spurs don’t want to squander what little time they have left with Tim Duncan. They’ve only lost in the first round once in the last decade, and you can be sure they won’t be an easy out this year. Meanwhile, Grizzlies forward Shane Battier has kept his team focused on the here and now and that could be the key to an upset for Memphis. Their next two wins will be their hardest-fought wins of the season if they get them. This is the first game of tonight’s TNT double-header coverage, tipping off at 7:00 PM Eastern.

Portland Trail Blazers @ Dallas Mavericks – Game 5 – Series Tied 2-2

The first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs has already had a number of interesting stories and unexpected heroes, but none more interesting or more unexpected that the one developing in Portland. Brandon Roy was thought to be a side story in this series, as he’s been little more than a mascot for much of the season, but all of a sudden he’s become the central focus of the team. His heroics helped them win Game 3, and he all but single-handedly won Game 4 after his team fell behind by 23 points. Now people are wondering if Roy can keep this up, and if he can, how far can he push the Blazers? For the Mavericks, this is Gut Check 101. Every time they’ve taken a punch since Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals they have quickly folded. They took a punch right to the gut in Portland . . .will the fold once again? This game is on NBATV beginning at 8:30 PM Eastern.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets – Game 4 – Thunder Lead 3-0

The good news is the Nuggets did a lot of things right in Game 3. Arron Afflalo returned and got off to a good start, the Nuggets attacked Kendrick Perkins and got him into early foul trouble . . .yet they still lost what was expected to be their first win as the series turned to Denver. Now the Nuggets have to win or stay home, and the Thunder look like a team on a mission. Kevin Durant has done his share of damage, but Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and even James Harden have all played well for OKC. The Nuggets have their work cut out for them as they look to survive for another day with a win tonight. This is Game 2 of TNT’s double-header, starting immediately following the Memphis/San Antonio game at around 10:30 PM Eastern.

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NBA Chats: HOOPSWORLD has three NBA chats today, starting with Yours Truly at 11am EST. Anthony Macri will host his weekly NBA Chat at 2pm EST. Coach Macri is a Development Coach that works with NBA players year around to enhance and expand their games. HOOPSWORLD editor Jason Fleming will host his weekly chat tonight at 8pm EST. The chats fill up fast so getting in early always helps your odds. You can always find the next NBA Chat here: Upcoming HOOPSWORLD Chats.