Spurs vs. Grizzlies, 2016 NBA playoffs: San Antonio will have no problem against drained Memphis

This is the saddest first round series in the NBA playoffs, simply because Memphis has no chance.

Apr 15, 2016, 3:30 PM UTC

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

There are many, many things to be excited for headed into the NBA playoffs. The first-round series between the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs is not one of them. This series will be akin to the DMV on a Saturday morning. This is a series you'll want to bury in a distant relative's closet and never visit again.

It's not Memphis' fault. They were a good team all season, but injuries to Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and others has turned the Grizzlies into a walking, basketball-playing triage unit. Between the missing players and an incredibly difficult closing schedule, Memphis finished the season losing 14 of its final 17 games.

Their first-round opponent doesn't mess around. The Spurs don't play games, except for basketball, which is a game they play exceedingly well. They'll suffocate Memphis with defense and smother them with precise, exact play. The Grizzlies didn't have a great offense before the injuries, and it's even worse now. Against San Antonio's league-best defense, they may be in serious danger of not breaking 60 points during at least one game of the series. Memphis did everything it could down the season's stretch, filling the roster with players as obscure as Xavier Munford and as forgotten as Jordan Farmar, but without star power it hasn't been enough.

San Antonio's historic season was overshadowed only because the Golden State Warriors decided to have the best season of all time during the same year. Still, the Spurs did something special, and they are the biggest challenger that the Warriors will face. A first-round series against a mortally wounded Memphis is just a speed bump, but hopefully one they can use to fine tune and oil the Spurs machine.

The matchup

Spurs (67-15, expected record 67-15) vs. Grizzlies (42-40, expected record 35-47)
Spurs offensive efficiency: 110.3 (4th) | Grizzlies offensive efficiency: 105.4 (19th)
Spurs defensive efficiency: 99.0 (1st) | Grizzlies defensive efficiency: 107.8 (19th)
Season series: Spurs 4-0

Key matchup: Tim Duncan vs. Zach Randolph

In a throwback to the old NBA, Duncan vs. Randolph is a matchup straight out of 1998. The battling, banging big men was exactly how playoff series were won and lost, and in another era, a matchup between these two classic post-you-up-and-score-right-over-you players would be the defining storyline headed into the series.

Since the Spurs should take care of the series rather easily, why not make this the key matchup once more? Randolph’s decline has been clear this season, and Duncan has been on a slow but visible downswing for several years. They’re products of an old era and they’ve watched the NBA change directions into the Warriors-led small ball versatility that any contender must be able to do, even if it’s not their primary style. Seeing these two go after each other one more time in the playoffs could be officially considered the end of that era.

X factor: Can Kevin Martin and Andre Miller find their footing?

With the series turning into an extended warmup, the Spurs will have the opportunity to play two late additions to the roster. Miller has played decently in 13 games while Martin's shot hasn't shown up consistently in his 16 with the team. Regardless, they could use more time in the Spurs' system, even for two wily veterans who fit the hard-working, no-nonsense Gregg Popovich mold.

Miller and Martin have had extended chances to play as the Spurs has slowly coasted to the end of the regular season, but in many cases, those opportunities have come while the starters have rested. Now, in a lopsided playoff series, the two veterans should get more chances in lineups involving actual rotation players. It might not matter, but you never know when you might just need a cagey guard to make a big shot late in a Game 7.