The Memphis Grizzlies had a great summer, but can they stay healthy long enough to fix their three-point shooting? Here’s their 2016-17 season outlook.
After an injury-stricken year that saw the Memphis Grizzlies set an NBA single season record for most players on their roster (28), the grit-n-grind era was perilously close to ending. But with some deft maneuvering in free agency, the Grizz were not only able to preserve it, but revitalize it as well.
No one will be expecting this Memphis team to challenge the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs for Western supremacy, but this could very well be the most dangerous iteration of grit-n-grind — even compared to the 2013 team that made it all the way to the conference finals.
The timing is unfortunate for the Grizzlies. Not only did they manage to bolster their starting rotation the same summer that a 73-win Warriors team added Kevin Durant, but they also did so with their star players starting to show signs of wear and tear.
If this team can stay healthy, however, the Grizzlies now have the defensive personnel AND three-point firepower to be a far more well-rounded team. Head coach Dave Joerger is gone, but there shouldn’t be too many changes to the blueprint that’s kept Memphis successful for the last half decade.
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What can be expected from this late resurgence of grit-n-grind? Do the Grizzlies have a puncher’s chance of winning the West? Here’s a look at their season outlook for 2016-17.
2015-16 Vitals
42-40, 4th in Southwest Division, 7th in Western Conference
99.1 PPG (24th)/101.3 OPP PPG (11th)
105.4 Offensive Rating (19th)/107.8 Defensive Rating (19th)
Team Leaders
Scoring: Marc Gasol, 16.6 PPG
Rebounding: Zach Randolph, 7.8 RPG
Assists: Mike Conley, 6.1 APG
Steals: Tony Allen, 1.7 SPG
Blocks: Marc Gasol, 1.3 BPG
Honors
Sportsmanship Award: Mike Conley
Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award: Vince Carter
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: Tony Allen
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