The Memphis Grizzlies know their identity. Last season, their Grit 'N Grind style put a scare into the eventual NBA Champion Golden State Warriors -- they had a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals before bowing out in six games. And despite the rest of the NBA inching more and more into the world of small ball, the Grizzlies are standing pat, planning to win with methodical, bruising play.
Memphis Grizzlies 2015 roster: Grit ‘N Grind isn’t going away
Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley aim for more than the Western Conference Semifinals after a summer where little changed.
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Despite their lack of shooting being on full display in the final three games of their loss to the Warriors, the Grizzlies didn't add many long-distance marksmen this offseason. Instead, they doubled down on grit 'n grind, re-signing Marc Gasol to a long-term deal and bringing on Matt Barnes to bolster their defense and toughness -- although, in fairness, Barnes did shoot 36.2 percent from deep last season.
The Grizzlies will once again be a team built on toughness. While they did end up falling to the Warriors last season, they did so with Mike Conley struggling through a facial fracture. The Grizzlies are going to be a force out West, and if they can stay healthy and find a shooting stroke, they'll be especially dangerous.
LAST YEAR
RECORD: 55-27 (5th in Western Conference)
PLAYOFFS: Lost 4-2 to Golden State in the Western Conference Semifinals
OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: 103.1 (13th)
DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: 99.9 (4th)
ROSTER
No. | PLAYER | POS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | AGE | COLLEGE |
| 0 | JaMychal Green | PF | 6-8 | 230 | 25 | Alabama |
| 1 | Jarnell Stokes | PF | 6-9 | 263 | 21 | Tennessee |
| 2 | Russ Smith | PG | 6-0 | 165 | 24 | Louisville |
| 3 | Jordan Adams | SG | 6-5 | 209 | 21 | UCLA |
| 5 | Courtney Lee | SG | 6-5 | 200 | 29 | WesternKentucky |
| 9 | Tony Allen | SF | 6-4 | 213 | 33 | Oklahoma State |
| 10 | Jarell Martin | PF | 6-10 | 235 | 21 | LSU |
| 11 | Mike Conley | PG | 6-1 | 175 | 27 | Ohio State |
| 15 | Vince Carter | SG | 6-6 | 220 | 38 | North Carolina |
| 19 | Beno Udrih | PG | 6-3 | 205 | 33 | |
| 32 | Brandan Wright | PF | 6-10 | 210 | 27 | North Carolina |
| 32 | Jeff Green | SF | 6-9 | 235 | 29 | Georgetown |
| 33 | Marc Gasol | C | 7-1 | 265 | 30 | |
| 50 | Zach Randolph | PF | 6-9 | 260 | 34 | Michigan State |
| 98 | Matt Barnes | SF | 6-7 | 226 | 35 |
UCLA |
Coach: David Joerger
Assistant coaches: Elston Turner, Jeff Bzdelik, Bob Thornton
OFFSEASON CHANGES
IN: Matt Barnes, Brandan Wright
OUT: Nick Calathes, Kosta Koufos, Jon Leuer
The Grizzlies stood pretty pat this offseason, counting on their roster that gave the Warriors a scare to improve. They did make a few changes, picking up Barnes from the Hornets for Luke Ridnour, who never suited up for the Grizzlies. Barnes is coming off a solid year with the Clippers and should add even more hard-nosed play to the Memphis roster. They picked up Wright in free agency, and he'll be a serviceable backup to Randolph and Gasol.
DEPTH CHART
POINT GUARD | SHOOTING GUARD | SMALL FORWARD | POWER FORWARD | CENTER | |
STARTER | Mike Conley | Courtney Lee | Tony Allen | Zach Randolph | Marc Gasol |
RESERVE | Beno Udrih | Vince Carter | Matt Barnes | Jeff Green | Brandan Wright |
RESERVE | Russ Smith | Jordan Adams | JaMychal Green | Jarnell Stokes | |
RESERVE | Jarell Martin |
THE KEY QUESTION
6. Why don’t the Grizzlies get with the program and update their playing style?
The Memphis Grizzlies are the Five Guys of the NBA. You will never see this team do something crazy (unless it’s Tony Allen ... that doesn’t count). There will not be gourmet aiolis made for your burger. You will not see unusual and avant garde toppings pop up throughout the season. No pickled beets, no foie gras, no artisan-crafted ketchups or pretzel buns. All you will get is a really ****ing good, classic cheeseburger with enough greasy fries in the bag to turn a steel beam translucent.
Why? Well, first off, their kitchen is basically only designed to provide that classic meal. They don’t have extra prep areas or resources to dedicate towards “getting weird.” Not just that, but the kitchen they do have is really, really good at doing what they do best.
Secondly, it’s a really great product that keeps people coming back and garners them their share of accolades. It’s not new and inventive, but they use state-of-the-art technology to ensure that their tried and true approach stays fine tuned and meets expectations. I.e., they win, the city loves them, they’ve had DPOY, All-NBA teams and All-Star nods.
Trust me, there will be a day when Dave Joerger, John Hollinger and Chris Wallace have to finally break down and reform the identity of the Memphis Grizzlies. But if you had one of the best-run burger franchises in the professional world, why would you try and start selling shawarma or sushi?
-Chris Faulkner, Grizzly Bear Blues. Read the full season preview here.
PREDICTIONS
BEST CASE: The Grizzlies find some shooting to match up with their style and power through the playoffs on their way to an NBA title on the heels of Gasol and Randolph, who make up the best frontcourt in the league.
WORST CASE: The Grizzlies once again put a scare into a quicker, better shooting team, but can’t hit the necessary shots themselves and get knocked from the first round of the playoffs in the brutal Western Conference.
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