Considering their origins, the All-Time Memphis Grizzlies team is pretty solid. In their six seasons in Vancouver, the franchise accumulated a woeful .220 winning percentage, which translates to 18 wins per season. In their 15 years in Memphis, they’ve improved to close to .500 (.487), and made the playoffs eight times. Even if their youth prevents them from having a realistic shot in our tournament, it’s worth celebrating the talent they’ve accumulated in that time.
The starting backcourt should look familiar to anybody who has watched the ‘Grit & Grind’ Grizzlies of the past few years. Mike Conley has turned into a borderline star point guard, who, despite being slightly undersized, is a plus defender. Tony Allen is one of the premier defensive players of his generation, who, unfortunately, doubles as an offensive liability. Off the bench, Jason Williams is one of the flashiest playmakers in this tournament, who had more style than substance, shooting 39.4% from the field during his time with the franchise. O.J. Mayo never seemed to live up to the high expectations people had for him out of high school (this cover proved to have been slightly inaccurate), but he was a solid scorer with Memphis who will give this team more firepower when Allen rests. Shane Battier was another plus defender who could shut down opposing wings. He was also a much better shooter than Allen, so expect him to play plenty of minutes.
Mike Miller, the starting small forward, provides desperately needed long-range shooting ability (a team high 42% three point shooter as a Grizzly). He’ll split time with Battier and Rudy Gay, a talented scorer who is better suited to the secondary role that he’ll play on this team. The Gasol Brothers, two of the greatest passing big men in this tournament, round out the starting five. Pau was a tremendous offensive player for Memphis, who could score down low and hit the mid-range jump shot with regularity. Marc, who was acquired in a trade for his brother, is a brilliant two-way player who might be the best current center in the NBA. Zach Randolph, an offensive beast who has perfected the art of creating separation from his defender without an ounce of athleticism, is the first big man off the bench. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, another offensive talent who played on the horrendous Vancouver teams, will also get minutes at the four, and can also play sparingly at small forward. Bryant “Big Country” Reeves has no business being in this tournament, but he’ll serve as the team’s 12th man, and provide bulk and six extra fouls when needed (side note: I spent about five minutes debating whether to put Reeves or Stromile Swift in for the last roster spot. I think I need help.)
This team has the potential to be a defensive force, featuring Allen, Marc Gasol, Conley, and Battier. Like the current Memphis team, they don’t have the high-scoring ability of many other teams in this tournament, but their size and grit will make them difficult to play.
Coach: There’s no obvious answer to me, so I’ll go with Hubie Brown, who won Coach of the Year in leading the team on its first playoff run.
All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .410